Track Detail

Extremely impressive details in the foreground area. Len.. I don't know why you have preferred to capture at f5.6 instead off say f11 for more DOF and the rust on track may get same degree of sharpness. Best regards

Thanks for your visit and comment.  I used f5.6 to keep the shutter speed around 1\250 sec as I was without a tripod.  At the angle I was photographing from both the top of the rail & the fasteners should have been in sharp focus with perhaps only the middle part going a tad soft.  You have better eyes than I to notice a difference. (benefits of old age)  :-)  Best, LM.

Len, admirable composition , original idea, and very good details.

Good to have your visit.  Thanks for the validation.  Best, LM.

Hi Marriott,as a man looking for a subject in every image that I shot ,even those that have no sens to some other eyes,I have done the same image .and it is interesting enough to me that we have share the same subject to shoot ,only there is a little difference in titling the image .

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=8561977

Saad.

I spotted the shot you were referring to in your 'Creative Photos' folder.  Very similar indeed!  Interesting to see the difference in construction materials.  Yours uses concrete like ties and a different form of track anchor but whatever, both enable the trains to run.  Yours looks like an active track.  Mine, on the other hand, has been inactive for a few years as the rusty rail attests to.  Lot of razor blades going to waste here!  Great minds think alike!  :-)  Best, LM.

Wah! ("Great" in Hindi!). Produced a great picture out of almost nothing! Congratulations.

Thanks for the Hindi lesson, my first!  Sometimes simple is best and this track detail worked for me.  Good to know others have seen merit in it.  Best, LM.

Your constructive comments\critiques will be gratefully received.

Best, LM,

I think this would be great if converted to b&w...I would also try to crop it from top, left and right, if this was mine. I think there is not enough depth of field for the rail rust details, like someone already commented before me, and I would try to remove the upper part of the rail, and a little bit from right and more from left, to make it almost square format photo of those nails and bolt.

I have something similar. Yours is better.

To show my appreciation for your thoughtful & most welcome critique I went back to the drawing board, so to speak, and following your suggestions to the best of my understanding,  reworked this one.  When I converted to B&W in 'Channel Mixer' I opted for 100% red as other combinations looked too dark and flat to me.  At this distance, with a 50mm @ f5.6 DOF is very shallow.  I was counting on the top of the track and the plate with spikes to be in sharp focus because of the angle of the film plane but it seems I missed slightly on that point.  This was hand held, another drumbeat for tripods.  :-(  I offer up this new version for your and others' appraisal.  As for me, I prefer the colour version though I do agree with your crop.  More intimate!  Less distraction from the lighter area at the top.  Best, LM.

Different from your "Cranbury Station, New Jersey, 1991", perhaps but not necessarily better.  In your version it looks like the spike was driven in such a way as to 'lock' the nut on the bolt.  Interesting!  I wonder if the track maintenance foreman gave his nod of approval for that one.  :-)  Best, LM.

Hi Len, the original works for me. Good composition and colours.

Nice shot.

Best regards

Gareth.

Yep, that's the one -and the bolt is still on. And it was, re; remark above shot from tripod :-)  -upside down. I concluded same as you on Saad's image. I've never seen that construction either. I like the suggested crop but prefer the color.

It would appear that there's something here to appeal to many tastes.  Thanks for your visit and the vote of confidence.   All of the above critiques have merit.  It all depends on what options your 'artistic license' will allow.  Highly personal.  Don't be a stranger.  Best, LM.

The colour version is my preferred version as well.  The rust on the long unused rail  shows up better in colour in my opinion.  But I do tend to agree with Timo on the crop.  I'm not too sure on the value of the area to the left of the fasteners.  Best, LM.