UP maintenance shots

[spacetrain1983]

Got these 3 shots of UP maintenance work last Saturday. I know that cloudy pics are not usually accepted, but it's maintenance stuff, which I think is unusual enough to get a pass on that.
What do you think?
These are all pretty much straight out of the camera except for lean correction and resizing so that they can actually be uploaded as attachments.

[nikos1]

Why did you cut off the subject in the MOW shots and the grain elevator in the other? None of these will get on, I think you need to go invest in some railroad photography books and study what good composition looks like.

[spacetrain1983]

Originally Posted by nikos1

Why did you cut off the subject in the MOW shots and the grain elevator in the other? None of these will get on, I think you need to go invest in some railroad photography books and study what good composition looks like.

The grain elevator had to be cut off in rotating the image. And the geometry car had to be cut off because there were too many poles in the way to get a better shot.

[nikos1]

Excuses are not going to get shots accepted. The quality of images with each submission seems to be the same, you need to improve if you want anything accepted.
Look at some of these images then go back out and try again.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikedanneman/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/raildudemel
https://www.flickr.com/photos/120320...57644416111568

[Noct Foamer]

You could have worked around any poles by:

1. Clone them out
2. Work closer and stitch a few shots together
3. Get a wider lens and move in closer


Kent in SD

[RobJor]

My thoughts for whatever???-
positive - using the forum for the stated primary purpose, staying with it and keep trying, like you note: a little different, going out on a cloudy day even tho the odds are against you if your time is limited and you need to use your opportunities.

I am not telling to run around on RR property but

1) you almost have the entire unit, I'd think you could have quickly moved some how to include the whole thing, the ties would be OK here since they tie(smile) into the subject.

2) crop at top of main part elevator minimizing the sky and the arms sticking out

3) like 1 and 2, get the trailing wagon, put the train in the top of the frame to minimize the sky.

Blah days, minimize the sky, placing your subject in the top third, great sky in the bottom third and in general not in the middle.(going back to the sunset photo)??


Bob

[JRMDC]

Originally Posted by Noct Foamer

You could have worked around any poles by:

1. Clone them out
2. Work closer and stitch a few shots together
3. Get a wider lens and move in closer


Kent in SD

I think this advice is fine but misguided, as in particular I don't think it matches the level of the photographer. Who, based on a small sample of three shots, is just starting on the path to capturing quality images.

1. Cloning, first of all, is technically speaking not allowed on RP, although I am sure some people do it. (I have done it, albeit I have also said I have done so in the remarks field. I have also make "healing brush" corrections from time to time, which I do not mention.) More than that, however, in my view cloning is for rescuing very good shots that have some sort of flaw. Cloning isn't for trying to fix a poor/dull/substandard shot. Put differently, there is nothing in the shot at issue that suggests a wider take followed by a clone job would make an RP-acceptable image. If this is an image one wants for other reasons, by all means, go for it! But, based on what I see, I think the OP's time is better spend on learning to take better images than on learning to clone poorer ones.

2. Stitching is not a skill I would put near the top of the list of skills for someone to learn to get better, if these three shots are an indicator of the OP's abilities. In addition, if the original was so unlevel that the correction involved cutting off so much of the elevator, the solution is, first, to get much closer to level in taking the initial shot. For that matter, I don't understand how a shot can be so unlevel that so much would have to be cut off. Also, the end of the train is cut off, an RP no-no.

3. The MoW shot is composed acceptably. Getting a wide angle lens lens and moving in closer will result in a different shot, but is not a fix to what is wrong with this shot, which is the dreary light due to dreary weather. Some shots in some weather conditions are just certain to fail. You also want to watch your edges, it looks like the vehicle is pulling something that is on/off the left edge. Choose one way or the other.

[JimThias]

1. No
2. No
3. Maybe....no.

[spacetrain1983]

Alright, submitted the 3rd shot (MOW) and another shot of a spike driver. Both rejected for, of all things, cloudy lighting. I thought the cloudy lighting would be acceptable when coupled with the fact that they were MoW units. But luckily they are still working on the tracks and I am trackside right now so I'll get some nice sunny shots.

[Mberry]

As I believe someone replied to one of your other posts, you really should start with basic, sunny day 3/4 wedges, making sure the train is not cut off. All three of these would get cloudy rejections, outside of other issues they have.

[miningcamper1]

Originally Posted by spacetrain1983

I thought the cloudy lighting would be acceptable when coupled with the fact that they were MoW units.

Maintenance of way shots do get accepted, but going by previous forum discussions, it's tougher to get them accepted rather than easier.

[miningcamper1]

Originally Posted by JRMDC

Cloning, first of all, is technically speaking not allowed on RP, although I am sure some people do it.

Good cloning doesn't get noticed.

[troy12n]

Screeners got these ones right. Lighting is horrible, subject matter is uninteresting, so no...

[ShortlinesUSA]

I will again drop a quote from a friend who is a professional photographer (but not a railroad photographer)-- "I knew we were in trouble when Photoshop became a verb."

At this point in your photography education, don't seek to take photos which have to be "fixed" with software-- focus on getting it right the first time, and treat the scene like you only have one shot at it.

I think it is great you are coming here to the forum and seeking help. I wholeheartedly agree with the suggestion to start off by mastering a good three-quarter wedge shot. Sun at your back, and if your shadow is pointing perfectly at the nose of the locomotive, you're in business.

Here's another tip that I never grasped for years until talking to another photographer-- "Why do my photos look different during the summer?" Easy answer (now)-- high sun. We are now getting into the months where you are going to want to avoid taking photos between about 11am-3pm, depending on your location. Further north, this window may be smaller; further south, it may be longer.

Keep posting photos and asking questions. Don't get frustrated. The first 10 years of my photography is unpresentable, and every single shot I took would be rejected here. We've all been through it; some get it faster than others, and I am envious of some of our younger photographers who seemed to "get it" before they were barely into double digit ages.

[JimThias]

Originally Posted by ShortlinesUSA

I will again drop a quote from a friend who is a professional photographer (but not a railroad photographer)-- "I knew we were in trouble when Photoshop became a verb."

At this point in your photography education, don't seek to take photos which have to be "fixed" with software-- focus on getting it right the first time, and treat the scene like you only have one shot at it.

But yet, millions of film photographers dodged and burned because they couldn't "get it right" in camera.