I'll take elevation anytime that I can get it. An elevated angle shows a scene and can also help to depict the train in a recognizable location. As an example, I offer the photo at the following URL: http://www.highgreen.com/atsf5122.jpg .
Elevation provided recognizable landmarks and turned a boring photo of a train into a photo where the train is an important part of an interesting scene. However, too much elevation can be a bad thing. Places like Fraser River Canyon are nice, but shot after shot from high elevation showing a train against brown dirt and rocks with no sky in the photo gets boring in a hurry! Another topic that would be good for discussion is the weather. Many of us fall victim to wanting every shot with a pure blue sky. Trains run in bad weather too, and under the correct circumstances, this can be used to your advantage. I always liked Greg McDonnel's shot in "Signatures in Steel" of an MLW powered CP Potash train in a downpour with drops splashing all over the road. I would be interested to hear about (or see) how a little creativity has been used to come up with nice shots that somehow take advantage of poor conditions. Robert Palmer -> SPORRS: Serious Photographers of Railroad Related Subjects -> Web Site: http://www.anet-stl.com/acphotog/sporrs -> Message © SPORRS® 1998 - All Rights Reserved
