Charles L. Dischinger wrote: > What could this one flagrant flaw be? Before you read further, take a > little test. Drop to the bottom of this Email and click on the Sporrs web > site and look at all 94 of the thumbnail pictures.
(Editor's note: BTW, there are images on other pages of the SPORRS site too, not just on the main page). > What did you find? If you found a repeated flaw in 20 or more of the > images on the web page, it is probably the first thing that an editor would > pick up on and discard the image for consideration of publishing. That is > of course, unless the image is of something so rare or unusual that it is > the only one available to be published. A note on what I pick for display on the SPORRS site: I try to give each of you an equal opportunity to get your shots on there, and it is my hope that by doing so, that we will all gain from this as a collective and the quality of the site images will go up as time goes by. Comments and feedback is always good. There are a few 'rare' shots on there, but for the most part, I am looking for sharp, in-focus shots that are colorful (not flat scans) and varied. I don't want to line up four 50mm wedgies in a row if I can help it. Of put up a whole section of only Amtrak (we have TRAINS Magazine for that...). Yes, I am starting to get a little more particular about the quality of the scans and the shots on the site, but this is because of progression, and because this is also what the SPORRS members seem to want. If you have an interesting shot, but you don't want to put it on the main page of you don't think it would fit (proportionally or any other reason), there are other pages on the SPORRS site for your photography as well. The Bulletin Board page is an example of this, because it has no specs other that your shot should be in focus. And then there is the Traveler page for your illustrated articles (magazine format), the (still empty) News Photos Page, and other pages... My hope is that we will all get better at composing (and scanning) from the constructive comments and the friendly competitive aspect of SPORRS. The Shot Of The Month is a perfect example (if you participate by voting). If you have something to demonstrate or discuss photographically with trains, there is a SPORRS page of the site to display it on. > Come on you say, what is it get to it! Well, the repeated flaw is that the > image is cropped too close. Yes, this is because those slides are (24x36mm) a 2:3 format in proportions, and the web sizes that I use are 'more square' (just like when you frame a print in an 8x10 frame and it is too tall or not enough on the sides). The solution is to keep this in mind when selecting and submitting slides. I nearly had to cut off the corner of the locomotive on a couple of them to get them to fit (others I couldn't use because they wouldn't fit). Generally this was with submissions that only included two or three slides, so I didn't have much to work with. I want to be able to get your shots on the site, especially if you don't have any on there yet, but there is a limit to what I can put up there and still keep a level of 'uniform quality'. > The biggest reason editors will not use such an image is that it totally > restricts their ability to crop the image to their needs or format. Bingo! (They're awake!). :) This is getting good now, guys. :) > There are many, many points to composition that can be discussed on this > page and with Dave's help, maybe I can get him to scan an image and I can > have him print it two or three different ways to show how this one > particular point can ruin an otherwise great shot. Someone has finally figured out what I made the SPORRS Bulletin Board Page for! :) There is room for all kinds and all types of RR photography on the SPORRS web site, but the main page does have some uniform standards. Would you want to look at it if it didn't? I didn't think so. But if you have a shot that is interesting and it doesn't fit on that page, it can be used on others on the site. Some things do have a level of interest to us that does outweigh the compositional and technical aspects. A related request: Please check your spelling and read your captions before submitting them with your slides. Thanks! I almost feel like there has been major progress here today. :) Regards, Dave Dave Cohen Photographer Action Photographic Webmaster [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.anet-stl.com/acphotog/home/ -> SPORRS: Serious Photographers of Railroad Related Subjects -> Web Site: http://www.anet-stl.com/acphotog/sporrs -> Message © SPORRS® 1998 - All Rights Reserved
