Three different attempts at the same shot

[spacetrain1983]

https://www.railpictures.net/viewrej...02&key=2094589
https://www.railpictures.net/viewrej...39&key=8546618
https://www.railpictures.net/viewrej...59&key=9638221

Last night, got this shot of a UP intermodal at sunset. Edited, submitted, and rejected for underexposure. Okay, so I crank up the exposure in the editor, and then it gets hit with low contrast. Fix both of those, and suddenly it's just "dark". I'm not sure where to go from here.


Finally, this was the original image, if anybody has any ideas.

[ATSF666]

Your next rejection is going to be that it is "soft". The lead locomotive is not as sharp as the first container.

[miningcamper3]

(deleted by member)

[miningcamper3]

Something like this, perhaps?

[Switched out]

My take on Spacetrains photo.


I agree with ATSF666 the front loco is soft, it looks as if the camera nailed focus on the third unit unfortunately.


Cheers,

Chris.

[spacetrain1983]

Yeah, the light conditions were hard to work with - my camera didn't want to focus where it needed to, and with the train rolling at a good 65 MPH, didn't have time to troubleshoot, so just had to shoot and hope something stuck. I'll try my hand at editing some more and see what I can do.

[RobJor]

PhotoID: 752035 Photograph © Mark MacDougall

this photo is "somewhat" similar to your setup(don't know the room you had). I don't think you want to shoot train in your face unless you are pretty sure of your equipment and technique. Shooting outside the curve really takes some thought so if you had room to be further away from the curve both back and to the side you get a better sweep of the train, focus becomes less of a problem as does the highlights getting blown out. I think you had a good location, the pole line, signal, curve, just not that easy to find best place to shoot and execute. As the above is shot he eliminated technical problems leaving really just a landscape???(and from experience I struggle with this)

Bob

[miningcamper3]

Originally Posted by RobJor

I don't think you want to shoot train in your face unless you are pretty sure of your equipment and technique. Bob

Ah, but "train in your face" is more dramatic! I will be saving my edit of spacetrain's photo, but not the one you posted here. "Train Too Far Away" IMHO.

Seems like the site is overflowing with TTFA shots (as well as shots that are just too d@mn dark).
Again, opinions will differ, but I don't think the viewer should have to switch to a view-on-black page in order to see the train.

[RobJor]

Originally Posted by miningcamper3

Ah, but "train in your face" is more dramatic! I will be saving my edit of spacetrain's photo, but not the one you posted here. "Train Too Far Away" IMHO.

Seems like the site is overflowing with TTFA shots (as well as shots that are just too d@mn dark).
Again, opinions will differ, but I don't think the viewer should have to switch to a view-on-black page in order to see the train.

That was the shot I had to use as an example of moving around your POV, not necessarily an ideal.

Too far away, too dark, it is not being accepted that I object to..... it is one style of photo and there are others just as worthy.

Bob

[miningcamper3]

I'm all for diversity here (including good drone shots), but there needs to be some threshold of quality or we will have another RRPA. I was looking for a few shots over there, and the lack of quality was shocking. No reason a dark shot can't be sent back for fixing IMO. More RP users ought to acquaint themselves with highlight/shadow adjustment as well.

[Decapod401]

Originally Posted by spacetrain1983

Yeah, the light conditions were hard to work with - my camera didn't want to focus where it needed to, and with the train rolling at a good 65 MPH, didn't have time to troubleshoot, so just had to shoot and hope something stuck. I'll try my hand at editing some more and see what I can do.

No amount of editing will fix focus issues. Do yourself a favor and forget this photo for RP.