What are your favorite sources?

[travsirocz]

JMRC got me thinking from a previous post that he likes the book "Learning to see Creatively". What other books or sites do you for phototography, not photoshop? What about some good railroad books for some inspiring photos? Or even some photo books with great photography that you can learn from? Thanks, Travis

[wab1189]

I have learned alot just from the forums here.

[Andrew Blaszczyk (2)]

I'll have to get back to you...the sites I listed aren't working...

[rino54]

Hello,

I can suggest you a few book that inspired me for the creative way their authors show railroading

- number one is Steinheimer's work on A Passion for Trains - The Railroad Photography of Richard Steinheimer. This is a "must have book". Steinheimer work by any kind of weather and got stunning view. He also put life in scene one some of his shots.
- also there is an Australian book : A Bulldgog Odyssey. I like the way Bambery selects pictures that translate atmospheres and "ambiances". The book really translates feelings i met during a trip down under. This gives me clues (lights, composition) to put some of these atmospheres in my pictures so a foreigner can get an idea of East of France (for example).
- there is also a french/english book from two french photographers (Feunteun & Sabiron) that is named Diesel USA - Des Rocheuses au Pacifique. Some of their pictures are wedgies but they also do what I call "hard pictures". I mean pictures with high-contrasts, deep shadows, nose in the dark... I really find them graphic even the pictures are less artsy than in the Steinheimer's book.
- on of my last discovery is a Japanese book from Mashima Mitsuhide. He follows shortlines and show them with a very unique eye. Flowers are important in his work (as most of the Japanese photographers) and most of all environnement. On some of the pictures, you reall ask yourself "is there a train on this picture ?" because clouds, ocean, mountains are THE subject. (Here is a link to the book Amazon Japan)

These are the books that inspire me. I often open them and search for ideas.
I did a message about some books on a French forum that should be translated soon !

Renaud

[JRMDC]

I've always looked at general landscape photography books. I can't say that I learned X or Y from them, but I enjoy reading something about what the photographer is thinking.

John Shaw, Charlie Waite, John Fielder

I think of RR photography as a mix of landscape and catch-the-moment stuff. I'd love some recommendations on the latter, such as city sidewalk action stuff. I've always felt I was only getting one dimension with the landscape books. Recommendations?

[Northern Limits]

My daughter used a book by John Hedgecoe as a textbook for her high school photography class. Last year I spotted an updated copy and put it on my Xmas list.
Title: the new manual of PHOTOGRAPHY. A very comprehensive book.
By John Hedgecoe.

[Peter MacCauley]

Anything by Greg McDonnell. He's got some really good books out there, I think about 7-8. Signatures in Steel is my favourite.

[round_house]

Join a PSA member camera club that does monthly judging with a assigned
subject with a outside judge. You learn a lot about your pictures.

[InspetorMFD]

"Learning to see Creatively" is an excellent book. It teaches you to look at what you're shooting and to attempt to see it in a different way. The forums here are, of course, an excellent resource. I personnally enjoy studying the work of the Master of Landscape photography, Ansel Adams.

[travsirocz]

Originally Posted by Northern Limits

My daughter used a book by John Hedgecoe as a textbook for her high school photography class. Last year I spotted an updated copy and put it on my Xmas list.
Title: the new manual of PHOTOGRAPHY. A very comprehensive book.
By John Hedgecoe.

This is a great tech school style book on basic and advanced photography along with the how does that work and why, style answers.

[JRMDC]

Travis, you will probably enjoy going through this book: Spectactular Railroad Photography by Ingbretsen.
http://www.amazon.com/Spectacular-Ra...2600519&sr=8-3

It basically goes through all the various situations that do not involve bright light: snow, rain, fog, dusk, night, etc. I personally am not a fan of his shooting style and so I don't care for most of the images, but then I don't care for quite a number of images in Learning to See Creatively either!

J

[trainboysd40]

Originally Posted by Peter MacCauley

Anything by Greg McDonnell. He's got some really good books out there, I think about 7-8. Signatures in Steel is my favourite.

That's a big ditto. I also like books by J.F. Garden that feature his and other's work, they're great.
As for sites, my main one for photography is Photography on the Net

[travsirocz]

Originally Posted by JRMDC

Travis, you will probably enjoy going through this book: Spectactular Railroad Photography by Ingbretsen.
http://www.amazon.com/Spectacular-Ra...2600519&sr=8-3

It basically goes through all the various situations that do not involve bright light: snow, rain, fog, dusk, night, etc. I personally am not a fan of his shooting style and so I don't care for most of the images, but then I don't care for quite a number of images in Learning to See Creatively either!

J

Wow! Just got it today. What a spectacular book. He shoots almost entirely my style. Great Book. All he is missing are the big sky shots.

[JRMDC]

Cool. Actually I'm not a fan of his style, I can't pinpoint why. I'd do a book review for the blog but I don't like posts without images to go along.

[TAMR159]

Originally Posted by JRMDC

Travis, you will probably enjoy going through this book: Spectactular Railroad Photography by Ingbretsen.
http://www.amazon.com/Spectacular-Ra...2600519&sr=8-3

It basically goes through all the various situations that do not involve bright light: snow, rain, fog, dusk, night, etc. I personally am not a fan of his shooting style and so I don't care for most of the images, but then I don't care for quite a number of images in Learning to See Creatively either!

J

I bought this book and was, frankly, disappointed. I wasn't at all a fan of the way he executed his shots - he seemed to make some flat-out amateurish mistakes (if you're writing a book on it, you'd better know what you're going). The one that really sticks out in my mind is a beautiful shot of some nice, shiny BN SD40-2s leading through a gorgeous winter scene with a deep blue sky...and the photographer's shadow standing out very prominently, right in the middle of the shot in the snow - I noticed that before I even noticed the power.

Some of the other books I have that are better IMO are Gary Benson's book (http://www.amazon.com/Art-Railroad-P...6651758&sr=8-6) and Brian Soloman's & John Gruber's book (http://www.amazon.com/Railway-Photog...651758&sr=8-9), for "how to" books. These guys have some jaw-dropping work in these books, and frankly, even if you consider yourself a pro, you'll probably get some ideas from these books.

Strictly for the photography itself, I haven't beefed up my collection too much, though Ted Benson's book stands out like a sore thumb (http://www.amazon.com/One-Track-Mind...651912&sr=8-1). Travis, you especially could benefit from this book - his work is absolutely stunning (note some of the samples on the Amazon page). He shoots exclusively black and white at that.

I'm also told that Jim Shaughnessy's new book (http://www.amazon.com/Call-Trains-Ra...6651987&sr=8-1) is supposed to be quite good. Anything from the well-known photographers (Richard Steinheimer, Jim Boyd, J. Parker Lamb, and of course, O. Winston Link).

[travsirocz]

I'm with you guys on that Ingbretsen style isn't the greatest. The composition of quite a few shots just doesn't do it for me either. But for me to find a book with so many rain, storm, sunrise, sunset, and poor weather shots makes my day.

[travsirocz]

Originally Posted by TAMR159

I bought this book and was, frankly, disappointed. I wasn't at all a fan of the way he executed his shots - he seemed to make some flat-out amateurish mistakes (if you're writing a book on it, you'd better know what you're going). The one that really sticks out in my mind is a beautiful shot of some nice, shiny BN SD40-2s leading through a gorgeous winter scene with a deep blue sky...and the photographer's shadow standing out very prominently, right in the middle of the shot in the snow - I noticed that before I even noticed the power.

Some of the other books I have that are better IMO are Gary Benson's book (http://www.amazon.com/Art-Railroad-P...6651758&sr=8-6) and Brian Soloman's & John Gruber's book (http://www.amazon.com/Railway-Photog...651758&sr=8-9), for "how to" books. These guys have some jaw-dropping work in these books, and frankly, even if you consider yourself a pro, you'll probably get some ideas from these books.

Strictly for the photography itself, I haven't beefed up my collection too much, though Ted Benson's book stands out like a sore thumb (http://www.amazon.com/One-Track-Mind...651912&sr=8-1). Travis, you especially could benefit from this book - his work is absolutely stunning (note some of the samples on the Amazon page). He shoots exclusively black and white at that.

I'm also told that Jim Shaughnessy's new book (http://www.amazon.com/Call-Trains-Ra...6651987&sr=8-1) is supposed to be quite good. Anything from the well-known photographers (Richard Steinheimer, Jim Boyd, J. Parker Lamb, and of course, O. Winston Link).

The first two books you mentioned are really good. I have Ted Bensons book on my wish list and it looks great. Are there any diesel shots in it? I feel diesel and steam photography are quite a bit different from each other and I really am a diesel guy.

[lock4244]

Originally Posted by Peter MacCauley

Anything by Greg McDonnell. He's got some really good books out there, I think about 7-8. Signatures in Steel is my favourite.

Greg was always my main inspiration and I learned the basics of shooting trains by studying his work, but the book that did it for me was his first, 'The History of Canadian Railroads'. Very hard to find, but well worth it. Much of the book is the work of others... since he was not shooting GT in the 1870's or when CP was building the transcon in the 1880's. It contains some classic Greg shots, but also showcases his writing style, which I find thoroughly enjoyable.

Other books that I find inspiring are:

Rio Grande - Scenic Line of the World by Dale Saunders
Northwest Passage by Rob Leachman
The Milwaukee Road by Fred Hyde
Tehachapi by Steve Schmollinger
Southern Pacific's Oregon Division by Brian Jennison & Victor Neves
Signatures in Steel, Heartland, U-Boats, Passing Trains, all by Greg McDonnell
Crow & The Kettle: CPR in Southern BC & AB 1950-1989 by John F. Garden

[TAMR159]

Originally Posted by travsirocz

The first two books you mentioned are really good. I have Ted Bensons book on my wish list and it looks great. Are there any diesel shots in it? I feel diesel and steam photography are quite a bit different from each other and I really am a diesel guy.

There's quite a few, actually. He also has a bunch of shots of the old Milwaukee Road electrics, among other things. Very well worth the money spent.

[travsirocz]

Originally Posted by TAMR159

There's quite a few, actually. He also has a bunch of shots of the old Milwaukee Road electrics, among other things. Very well worth the money spent.

Checks in the mail!