I think I broke a rule or two with this railway shot

[bean]

But it still looks pretty good!

Gotta love the shadows and contrast

 

[pilgrim]

lovely shot, but I don't see any rules being broken? I didn't even know there were rules to be broke. :?

 

[ksmattfish]

I like this shot. The rails grabbed me and sort of sling shotted me into the image. I like the perpendicular lines formed by the shadows and the rails.

The only rule broken that I see is "don't center the horizon", and personally I think I'd like it better if the horizon were raised. A lower, downward angle along the tracks with the same basic composition would be more dramatic, although it could lead to DOF problems depending on the equipment you are using. By the way, what were you using? Give us the details.

I think that the contrast could go up a bit, or maybe some split contrast action. It looks like a bright day, yet the snow seems dull. Maybe it's dirty? Printing snow is a b*tch; most of my "problem" images has snow, and I print them over and over, never satified with my results.

The left 1/3rd of the photo, mostly above the rails could use some burn.

 

[bean]

Thanks for the comments
I'm using a Fuji Finepix 2650, a 2MP point and shoot with no tripod. I was thinking I broke 2 rules: the centered horizon, and that I didn't shoot the rails as the usual straight down the centre. I did try a higher horizon but I liked having the complete telephone pole in the photo

The snow was kind of slushy that day, and the railway runs just on the outskirts of a large city, so yeah it's not all that clean. I only know how to do the basic operations in photoshop so this was the best I could do

 

[karissa]

The only rule I see even close to remotely being broken would be the horizon across the middle of the picture but it doesn't look that bad. I like it.

 

[Daig55]

Great picture but it feels uneven to me. If you looked straight at it I think it would be better with the lines converging.

 

[ksmattfish]

I only know how to do the basic operations in photoshop so this was the best I could do

Do you know how to adjust levels? Go into "image", and then "levels". You will see a histogram, which is sort of like a graph. Slide the arrows on the bottom of the graph in towards the center and watch what happens. As you slide the black arrow it gets darker, the light arrow lightens the high lights, and the gray arrow in the center messes with midtones. I usually tuck the shadows in until the arrow is just touching the left edge of the histogram, then I slide the highlight arrow in until it looks good. This is an easy way to adjust contrast.

 

[bean]

Yeah I know how to adjust the levels but I never really knew what the histogram meant, or the three little arrows for that matter. I usually do auto levels and when that doesn't work right then I play with the arrows until it looks good.

Does your method work for color photos as well?

 

[doxx]

if it wouldn't be for rules - there would be nothing much to break
nice shot, I actually like the horizon in the center and how the
rails vanish. It kinda drags you into the pic.

Like mentioned before, I'd like to see some more contrast

overall -very nice

 

[vonnagy]

Does your method work for color photos as well?

Yep it should, if you haven't played with adjustment layers before why don't you give this an eyeball:

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4617

if it wouldn't be for rules - there would be nothing much to break

well said doxx

 

[bean]

That's a great tutorial! Looks like I have a lot to learn...a better camera couldn't hurt either

I messed with the levels and contrast a bit here, I don't know, maybe a bit too contrasty now?

 

[doxx]

well done - it has much more impact now

tip: make sure you still have detail in the shadows (which you'll not
be able to see in the small web version)

 

[vonnagy]

well done - it has much more impact now

agreed! it usually doesn't take much contrast to make the image work. Like doxx said, be weary of losing detail in both the shadows and highlights if you jack up the contrast too much.

 

[ksmattfish]

Yeah, I like this one better.

 

[karissa]

well done - it has much more impact now

agreed! it usually doesn't take much contrast to make the image work. Like doxx said, be weary of losing detail in both the shadows and highlights if you jack up the contrast too much.

I like this one better but much more and you would loose to much. I would head Vonnagy's advice. I was always told when developing my prints that you want the first full black and yet keep a good solid white. That can be hard to judge with a computer but it can be done.