New here, hello!

xtort- · Jan 1, 2009

Hello everyone! Just registered here. I am from Indianapolis, and am still trying to find my photography niche. I have a Fuji S8100fd, one step below a dslr. My wife didn't want the bulkyness of an SLR. Here is my best photo to date, let me know what you think!

robbie_vlad · Jan 1, 2009

Very nice, looks great in monochrome. Only thing I would say is to crop more from the top so the train isnt so centered and to increase the "eye-leading" effect from bottom to top.

manaheim · Jan 1, 2009

Neat picture! Hello and welcome to the forums!

Samanax · Jan 1, 2009

It's not a bad image, it's just not that interesting. What I'm experiencing is all the diagonals are drawing my eye towards that dark square thing past the fence on the left. To keep more interest on the train itself, moving a step or two to the left would have helped. The lights on the back of the train are drawing my eyes to the right side of the image and then I notice that it's a train.

Try changing the height that you're shooting from too...kneel down, squat down, sit on the ground or look for a higher vantage point to get a different perspective. Shooting from standing position tends to make pictures look so-so since that what everyone sees whenever they're out and about.

The sepia tone look is okay...what did it look like in color?

xtort- · Jan 2, 2009

Samanax said:
It's not a bad image, it's just not that interesting. What I'm experiencing is all the diagonals are drawing my eye towards that dark square thing past the fence on the left. To keep more interest on the train itself, moving a step or two to the left would have helped. The lights on the back of the train are drawing my eyes to the right side of the image and then I notice that it's a train.

Try changing the height that you're shooting from too...kneel down, squat down, sit on the ground or look for a higher vantage point to get a different perspective. Shooting from standing position tends to make pictures look so-so since that what everyone sees whenever they're out and about.

The sepia tone look is okay...what did it look like in color?

Thanks for the feedback! I didn't set out to sepia tone the photo, but ended up with a sepia-like color after messing with the colors for some time. Here is the original:

Samanax · Jan 2, 2009

I actually like the color version quite a bit. It has a whole different feel to it...feels more alive. The mono-chrome shot seems dead in comparison.

manaheim · Jan 2, 2009

Interestingly, I like the color one a bit better. Both cool though.

xtort- · Jan 5, 2009

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I was torn between the two images, and ignoring the advice I give to others a lot, I went with a heavily processed version, b+w version. Thanks for getting me back in line!

OldClicker · Jan 5, 2009

I'm for the BW version, but see some things that may work better. (I assume that you can keep shooting this location.)

Crop the door and the two top blown out lights on the right. Maybe clone out the engineer.

I like the 'repetition'. Train cars on the right, shadows on the walk and almost fence posts on the left. Could you find a way to separate the posts a little more? Move to the right? Wider angle lens?

A more interesting sky. A few clouds? Polarizing filter?

And to make it really great, find (or stage) a time with something really interesting off the end of the platform. [EDIT: Or for the color version or a 'selective color' version, how about someone standing right at the end of the platform waiting to board the train in a bright red coat.]

I think you would have the makings of a great shot.

TF