From yesterday, gray and dismal as it was, I am encouraged a bit that there seems to be more rail traffic. Hopefully signs that the economy is doing a bit better.
Here, a northbound empty coal train waits as a southbound general freight comes by, basically a 'documentary' shot ....
Nikon D2x, 50mm f/1.8
The first one doesn't do anything for me but I like the second one much more
Have you thought about cropping the bottom of shot #2? Basically crop up until the foreground hill (on the left) is gone, giving the illusion that the train is up higher than it really is...perhaps makes a more dramatic photo. I tried this crop just now and it turned out pretty neat, just something to think about
I need to go out and get some trains, lots where I live and I only have 1 good shot!
cputeq wrote:
The first one doesn't do anything for me but I like the second one much more
That's kind of why I said 'documentary'
Have you thought about cropping the bottom of shot #2? Basically crop up until the foreground hill (on the left) is gone, giving the illusion that the train is up higher than it really is...perhaps makes a more dramatic photo. I tried this crop just now and it turned out pretty neat, just something to think about
I need to go out and get some trains, lots where I live and I only have 1 good shot!
Not really. I purposely composed the shot so the train would run from the bottom left third to the top right third. Appreciate your thoughts!
dj dunzie wrote:
Wow JackO that second shot is excellent... love the composition. That 50/f1.8 has gotta be the most unbeatable "bargain" in the Nikkor lineup.
To be so incredibly **cheap**, it is an amazingly sharp little lens. Thank you dj!
One thing that always bugs me about foamer photos is the tendency to put the engine at the very edge of the frame, about to exit. That just looks wrong to me. Wildlife photographers don't do this, sports photographers don't, and neither do wedding photographers. Composition just seems more balanced when there's some room left for the engine to "run", I think. I think the second shot would also have greatly benefitted from using a polarizer. I've learned to only use MC polarizers for photo'ing trains because of issues with ghosting.
As for the Nikon 50mm f1.8, I'm luke warm. I mostly shoot trains at night, so low light performance is important to me. I tried lenses 20mm f2.8 AFD, 28mm f1.8 (sigma), 50mm fl.8, and 85mm f1.8, all on D80 and D300. Big let down, at least for me. I replaced with Nikon 17-55mm f2.8 and Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VR. I got less ghosting and CA. Sometimes I need a lens faster than f2.8, and for that I now turn to the Sigma 30mm f1.4. If/when I eventually buy a D700 I will replace the 30mm and buy a Sigma 50mm f1.4. I'll agree that the Nikon 50mm f1.8 is certainly decent considering what it cost on eBay. On a DX camera I've found the Sigma 30mm f1.4 a bit more useful, but then I tend to shoot wide. The new Sigmas are superb, BTW.
Two23 wrote:
One thing that always bugs me about foamer photos is the tendency to put the engine at the very edge of the frame, about to exit. That just looks wrong to me. Wildlife photographers don't do this, sports photographers don't, and neither do wedding photographers. Composition just seems more balanced when there's some room left for the engine to "run", I think. I think the second shot would also have greatly benefitted from using a polarizer. I've learned to only use MC polarizers for photo'ing trains because of issues with ghosting.
As for the Nikon 50mm f1.8, I'm luke warm. I mostly shoot trains at night, so low light performance is important to me. I tried lenses 20mm f2.8 AFD, 28mm f1.8 (sigma), 50mm fl.8, and 85mm f1.8, all on D80 and D300. Big let down, at least for me. I replaced with Nikon 17-55mm f2.8 and Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VR. I got less ghosting and CA. Sometimes I need a lens faster than f2.8, and for that I now turn to the Sigma 30mm f1.4. If/when I eventually buy a D700 I will replace the 30mm and buy a Sigma 50mm f1.4. I'll agree that the Nikon 50mm f1.8 is certainly decent considering what it cost on eBay. On a DX camera I've found the Sigma 30mm f1.4 a bit more useful, but then I tend to shoot wide. The new Sigmas are superb, BTW.
All photography has lots of different approaches. That's one thing I like about forums--I can see & discuss different kinds. I started photography as a landscape photographer, then gravitated towards Fine Art. My railfan shots tend to be radically different from those who started out as railfans because of different photo backgrounds.
In England, people who are really into trains are called "trainspotters." In America they are generally called "railfans." The train crews call the more rabid railfans "foamers," supposedly because they foam at the mouth when they hear a train coming. It wasn't meant to be a complimentary term, but most of us really hard core railfans think it's funny and often refer to ourselves as "foamers." BNSF crews refer to me as the "Night Foamer" on their radios. A high percentage of my shots are taken during the night, generally with an extensive portable high powered lighting system.
Two23 wrote:
One thing that always bugs me about foamer photos is the tendency to put the engine at the very edge of the frame, about to exit. That just looks wrong to me. Wildlife photographers don't do this, sports photographers don't, and neither do wedding photographers. Composition just seems more balanced when there's some room left for the engine to "run", I think. I think the second shot would also have greatly benefitted from using a polarizer. I've learned to only use MC polarizers for photo'ing trains because of issues with ghosting.
As for the Nikon 50mm f1.8, I'm luke warm. I mostly shoot trains at night, so low light performance is important to me. I tried lenses 20mm f2.8 AFD, 28mm f1.8 (sigma), 50mm fl.8, and 85mm f1.8, all on D80 and D300. Big let down, at least for me. I replaced with Nikon 17-55mm f2.8 and Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VR. I got less ghosting and CA. Sometimes I need a lens faster than f2.8, and for that I now turn to the Sigma 30mm f1.4. If/when I eventually buy a D700 I will replace the 30mm and buy a Sigma 50mm f1.4. I'll agree that the Nikon 50mm f1.8 is certainly decent considering what it cost on eBay. On a DX camera I've found the Sigma 30mm f1.4 a bit more useful, but then I tend to shoot wide. The new Sigmas are superb, BTW.
Hmm, I'm wondering if you're wrapped a bit tight....
The reason wedding, sports, and wildlife photographers don't put trains on the edge of a frame is because they don't shoot trains....... Sorry, I just can't help it.....
The point of the 50mm f/1.8 observation is this..... at about 1/10th the price of the 17-55mm, it is an incredible lens. It's funny that your would "replace" a 50mm f/1.8 with a 17-55 when they are two entirely different lenses, in all respects.
BTW, I also shoot with the 17-55mm, and it flares like a biach when locomotive headlights are shining into it. I haven't found the 50mm f/1.8 to be any worse in this respect.
When I shoot wide, I use a WA, in my case, my 12-24mm Nikkor.
Two23 wrote:
All photography has lots of different approaches. That's one thing I like about forums--I can see & discuss different kinds. I started photography as a landscape photographer, then gravitated towards Fine Art. My railfan shots tend to be radically different from those who started out as railfans because of different photo backgrounds.
In England, people who are really into trains are called "trainspotters." In America they are generally called "railfans." The train crews call the more rabid railfans "foamers," supposedly because they foam at the mouth when they hear a train coming. It wasn't meant to be a complimentary term, but most of us really hard core railfans think it's funny and often refer to ourselves as "foamers." BNSF crews refer to me as the "Night Foamer" on their radios. A high percentage of my shots are taken during the night, generally with an extensive portable high powered lighting system.
thanks for the clarification and in general i loathe the typical train images that are out there on the railfan sites. I do not hate the folk that shoot them as i have met many and the term "foamer" seems a bit harsh but perhaps accurate . The typical shots tho have sure made me a whole pile of money since my work looks nothing at all like it
