Beaver Dam Spur

Comments?

Really beautiful!

Nice tones, nice colors, and generally a pleasing photo.

 

I am interested in how you chose how the edge of the tracks would intersect with the corner of your frame.

 

I personally, if taking such a photo, would have taken great care to make a conscious choice (since there is plenty of time in landscaping assuming a train was not bearing down on me from behind), to think that this photo is dominated by a diagonal.

 

So, so you want the right track smack in the corner? Probably not, as that's a little too much, but having the lower part of the right rail just above the corner, is a little too asymmetrical for my taste.

 

My personal taste (and it's just mine) would probably have been to 'split' the rails somewhere between the corner of the frame where they intersect it in some sort of geometric fashion -- say one-third of the track/tie area to the right of the frame corner and two-thirds to the left, or maybe even 50-50.

 

The fact is that the color, detail, and everything about this simple, bucolic photo seems to hold together very well -- especially the tones/colors and yet somehow the right corner seems to detract (for me) just a little.

 

This is a very small nit, but you are a very experienced photographer, and you put out some very good work so I presume that you are interested really in 'improving' your photos.

 

You are free to accept or reject this suggestion -- I frequently am surprised by what others find in my photos (even points that I missed), and I am most grateful for my many critics, and I hope you take this in the encouraging spirit in which it is offered -- as a friendly gesture, not as anything derogatory.

 

It looks like a place where I'd like to have walked personally; that's how you captured it -- attractively.

 

Best wishes.

 

Not rated

 

John (Crosley)

Thanks for your comments. There was a steep drop-off just behind where I was standing as well as a busy RR crossing just out of the frame at right. I, like you, would have opted for a different frame intersect of the rails, but was pretty constrained

Nice composition and tones. Good work!

Ken, this is a good shot, but wouldn't it have been something if there had been a couple boys walking down those tracks with their fishing gear......Jim

The composition of this image, to my taste, is just perfect...the colouration, so gentle in its autumnal hues, is wonderful. I like this image a great deal....Bert

I too liked the shot, Ken. All the elements present. I thought that with all the vertical gowth and a horizontal main subject, a different crop could add more impact. The light on the rails was interesting, so I reduced the gamma/midtones which also brought out more colour in the foliage. Of course you lose the softness effect, but thought it was worthwhile illustrating a second option.

Thanks. I like your crop & saturation. Somehow when this & a few others are uploaded the saturation is lost. Can't figure that out

Have you printed any of those that appeared different. Possibly your monitor calibration is slightly off. I've had some that have picked up a lot of jpeg artifacts from the compression, but the overall colour isn't usually affected.

Your monitor may have a reset button or control on it to return it to factory settings automatically. Also, Microsoft has a free colour management module that installs in your Control panel for recalibration, if necessary.

The colors are beautiful!

pleasing, relaxing composition and very nice autumn colors.

Wonderful composition and lovely warm colors,best regards

Beautiful automn scene ... Very nice composition

 

Regards,

 

Sylvie

 

An interesting photo Ken, well worth all the critiques it received. I also always enjoy reading John Crosley's prosaic prose, his sometimes rambling yet always pertinent remarks ... I certainly get his point here, but then the picture also works for me as it is ... the vagueness of the scene lends itself to different viewpoints and interpretations (John, don't forget to call next time you are in Paris!).

 

.. the saturated crop is attractive also, but there is so much that one can make out of a scene like this. Undoubtedly, I would have liked to add a human figure somewhere also ... somehow giving it more scale as well as a focal point of interest, but then, as I said, this scene offers so many possibilities ... hence it's appeal

As you mentioned I wish there was a human in it. Alas, it's a very desolate area that time of year. Thanks for your comments

I read through all the others' comments, and mine is not so technical (alas, probably will never be), but I like to comment on photos which evoke a strong feeling for me. This one does that. I get a sense of loneliness and desolation. I feel a story belongs to this image, and it might not be a happy one. Thank you for sharing it.

Thank you. Finally someone got the meaning behind this photo

Nice autumn colours and a great composition, the track forms a great deep line cross the image.

 

Cheers Tore