Bad Cropping Help

[NicTrain35]

http://www.railpictures.net/viewreject.php?id=83762
http://www.railpictures.net/viewreject.php?id=83739

I'm not sure how to crop those two. Can someone please help me? Thank you very much! :)
Nick

[mojo628]

Nick,

The first photo is a good shot but has a little too much sky. Try cropping some off the top.

The second shot might have been rejected for the spacing on the left side. The people on the right are a good addition to the shot. You shoot or crop too tight then the photo loses any reference to location.

M.J.

[cmherndon]

Both are nice shots, Nick, and could probably benefit from the following tips. Use these at your discretion.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewreject.php?id=83762

For this one, you may want to try cropping tighter around the train. Definitely crop some off of the right, maybe up to the signal bridge. On the left side, try on either side of the utility pole and see which you like better. If you crop to the right of the pole, I would also suggest using clone stamp or airbrush to remove that power line so it won't look like a dirty scan. Then take a tad off the top and bottom, and it should be OK.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewreject.php?id=83739

Not so sure about this one, but maybe it's too tight (an "in your face" type shot)? That's about what I can make of it. On another note, though, is that someone committing the cardinal sin of railroading (stepping on the rail) off to the right of the train?

[NicTrain35]

M.J. and Caleb,
Thank you very much for your suggestions! :) Caleb, That was a track worker who was stepping his foot onto the rail. They inspected the tracks for quite a while. Thanks again! :)
Nick

[oltmannd]

I agree KYrailfan on the first one. I'd think I'd crop out the utility pole rather than leave it in.

The second one looks better to me if cropped vertical leaving out the RR guy - he's a distraction.

-Don

[NicTrain35]

Thank you very much for your suggestion, Don! :)
Nick