Training Photo

[geotography]

Please critique this to death. Thanks.

[pdaley221]

I really like this photo. I like it so much that I only have one critique for it. The wire that is blocking the graffiti is a little distracting. Maybe you could try and photoshop that out with the clone stamp. Even with the wire it is a great picture though. Good job.

[Taallyn]

It looks like it was an overcast day just after it had stopped raining but before the sun broke through the clouds. That kind of scene tends to cause the sky to "blow out"; meaning it is all white with little contrast and details. Which is what has happened with your photograph. It is a very tough situation to try to photograph. Conversely, there are a lot of very dark shadows under the train with little detail in them. Basically, the difference was too much for camera. When the sky is like that, try framing your shot so that there is little to no sky visible. That will prevent the blank, white sky like you got. Doing that might have also helped your camera lighten up the shadows a bit, getting more detail in them. Overcast days can be good days to go out to take pictures ... so long as you shoot anything except the sky. The clouds diffuse the light and give you a softer quality to work with.

Also, I don't like the square or nearly square cropping for this shot. Was there something on the lefthand side that you didn't want in the picture? Try cropping it closer to the train, maybe getting some of the other extraneous poles and such out of the frame. This would also help to get rid of some of the sky. Play around with some different crops and see if you can get a framing that pulls the eye more toward the train and less toward the black sky.

For post processing, I might try using some levels and curves to see if I can bring up the shadows any. A little extra saturation might give the train cars some pop. Stuff like that. Even a black and white treatment might work.

[geotography]

All of your comments are helpful and encouraging. Pdaley221, in response to your comment: I like your idea to remove the cable; however, I have yet to graduate into photoshop though I plan to do so.

Taallyn, I did take numerous other shots, some of which, I think, approximate what you have suggested about cropping out the sky. If you would allow me to email you one of those cropped images, perhaps you could reply back? Great input and thank you.