So Denver finally! got some moisture yesterday – in the form of a lovely spring blizzard. Having a surplus of snow and a lack of brains, I decided to head down towards Union Station to see if I could scrounge up a shot or two. I liked them so much that I decided to give them their own thread instead of hiding them in the Lounge.
The second image is one of my favorites ever. I just wish all of the “Union Station, Travel by Train” sign was working. I guess I could go light it up in Photochop if I got really motivated.
Both shots were kind of inspired by Mel Patrick’s iconic image of the Rio Grande Zephyr on a snowing evening in Starlight on the Rails.
They are both great shots, but the second one is just beautiful! I think lighting them up is definetely a worthwhile use of time! If you do end up doing it, please post the result…[tup]
Flash and snow don’t do well together. I took some pictures during one of our Polar Express trips in some pretty heavy snow. There are these huge white blobs throughout the pictures… [:(!]
I put in the above line because I used to think the same thing about Ansel Adams’ images; that is, until I learned to appreciate certain aspects of greyscale photography. Of course, there is also my complete lack of ability to visualize greyscale when I’m shooting.
Actually, I quite like them. And I agree that the image is so nifty that it just might be worth the time to “fix” the signs, although I would guess that you be a fair amount of work.
Heckahwee Injun for “color film no good in whiteout” - and all this time we thought you were hiding in the command bunker at Concrete Madness, Inc.
As for the sign, RTD and all their knuckleheads would have to spend $1.2 Gazillion Dollars to study the problem and then maybe call the sign company looking for an estimate and names of at least two of their WBDBE competitors…not gonna happen.
I’ll chime in with maybe you could suggest to the powers-that-be that this might be a worthwhile place to lose - er, sorry, use - some stimulus $ for post DNC now-unemployed billboard and election sign making and repair people ? [:-,]
Meanwhile, we can enjoy them. Thanks for shuffling out there, taking these, and sharing ! Betcha there wasn’t a real big problem with clueless passers-by getting in front of the camera, was there ?
Chris, #1 photo would be my vote for ( Photo of the Week ) absolutely sharp & clear . I wonder if the coldness of the night sharpned the subject matter?? LOL LOL ~~~ The #2 pic can be food for many thoughts . Thank you for shareing these photos.
May your lens never freeze over , Respectfully, Cannonball
Tyler - I think I might try it, though I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to go about that in Photochop. I’m not the greatest when it comes to post-processing photos, so I’ll have to do some research and see how to go about it.
Dan - Thanks for the kind words! It was nice to finally get a bit of that white stuff that you guys have been hoarding all winter long, LOL!
Larry - These shots are actually a product of flash. I was using an offer camera flash, though, and it took some work picking out the correct aperture, figuring out where to point the flash, etc. I ended up around f11 or so. The only problem I had was that the M 28mm f3.5 I was using only features a 5 bladed diaphragm. Because of that, some of the snowflakes appear pentagonal in the shots. I need to upgrade my M 28mm to an FA 31mm. Not only is it a better lens all around, it has a 9 bladed aperture for a much more circular opening. That’s much better when it comes to bokeh (out of focus rendering).
Zardoz - I think they might work in color, but I have one HUGE problem. Because I was using the flash, I have a very mixed batch of lighting. Most of the ambient lighting is sodium vapor which is very orange. In contrast, my flash is balanced to match daylight, so it’s much bluer. Because of that, converting the shots to B&W was a matter of practicality in addition to an aesthetic decision. When I start playing in Photochop, I might see if I can strike a balance between the ambient light and flash because I think they could be dramatic in color, too (especially the F40 shot).
MC - I hid out for a bit, but I had to shovel my cousins’ drive/walk (they’re wintering in Phoenix). Since I was out and about, I figured that I might as well play a bit with some photo opportunities. I nearly passed out laughing when I read your comment on RTD, too! [(-D]
I’m not very experienced either, but here’s how I’d do it in Photoshop. First I’d sample the color of the lights (the eyedropper tool) that actually are lit up so they would be the same color. Then I’d set the airbrush tool’s brush to one that’s edge looks similar to the edges of the existing lights. Then I’d basically color in the unlighted neon tubes so that they look much like the existing ones. I’d also do the existing ones over so that they would all match.
Nice shots man, as always. you know I’m a locomotive guy so I have to say that I like the first one better. All of them are really great though! I am glad to see the F40’s still soldiering on, and I also ike that RG paint scheem on the side of em’!
