I like this, even if RP didn't

[TonytheTiger]

There is a thread on the Forum over at RailPictures about shooting photos where the track is basically in a shadow canyon most of the day.  With that in mind, I went to this hard to photograph location in Harrisburg and took this photo . . . .

http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1324391

I carefully composed the shot so that the crew would be lit.  I used the rapid fire feature of my digital camera to catch the exact moment the crew came into the light.  The photo immediately prior and after this one in the series did not have the locomotive cab in the light.  There was plenty of "nose light" in those photos, but the crew was in the shadows.  In the rest of the "shadow" area there is lots of detail and the "highlight" of the shiny railhead.

Two years ago I took a photo at this exact same location with even less light, but it was accepted at RailPictures and has several complementary comments (including the October 2007 photo of the month on this website). . . .

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=155437

In this example, the low sun directly on the nose of the locomotive caused the Scotchlite logo to glow . . . .

http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=808540

I actually don't like that last one as much as the first one because of that "glowing" logo.

This location faces slightly south of due east, so morning shots are into the sun and the area is in shadows until late in the morning.  At midday, the sun is beating straight down and slightly into your eyes.  In mid afternoon there is some nose light, but the sun is too high.   So late afternoon is the only good time to take photos.  There is more light in the "canyon" during the summer because the sun is further north, but it is directly on the nose of the subject and is pretty harsh.  I like the contrast between the shadows and the lit areas.  I feel that the dark atmosphere of this style of photo is more pleasing than a simple "sun over the right shoulder" type of photo.

What do you think?

Rob Kitchen
Harrisburg, PA

[Michael Knight]

Did you ever re-work any of those pictures, Rob?

[Khartoum]

Well I liked the one with 8850 enough to use it as a desktop background. It's a cool picture.                        Mark