Here's a few quick notes: Robert Palmer's CNW F-unit on a commuter train under semaphores is one of my favorites, but the scan is too magenta and too dark in my opinion. The 'wrong side of the sun' doesn't bother me there though with an F-unit. If it was a regular 3/4 lit wedgie though, I probably wouldn't like it. I'm sure it would lose it's 'in your face' look then.
Chuck Donaldson's CNW unit leading a train at the John Day river bridge has major impact and the water looks wet on my computer screen, but I don't like how it's leaning to the left (water hasn't drained out of my monitor yet though). Chuck, if you send me another file that's level, I'll replace that one for you. (Can you tell I like CNW). :) John Reay's NYS&W B40-8 Southern Tier shot has some bolted rail in it that I think fascinates me with a telephoto, but the shot doesn't have much punch with the haze and lighting. I can't really tell why though because I haven't seen John's slide. Of course ditch lights on (or there) would have really made that harsh too. I've always liked Gary Clark's 800mm UP shot, and he sent me the slide long before the web site, but my first scan of his shot really sucked, so I recently rescanned it with my new scanner and now it looks great. There is nothing like major telephoto compression on a unit train. Jan Lindahl's SJ Dm3-class side-rod 2-8+8+8-2 electric with an iron ore train fascinates me, probably because I didn't know anything like that existed, and you hardly ever see freight (and it's an ore train!) behind electrics of any kind, at least around here. Is that a bridge in the background the train is coming through? looks steep! Charlie's shot of the BNSF grain train-turned-stack train is spectacular, great composition, but the focus is soft (I gave up on Velvia in that light after Astia came out - Provia works too). Frank Keller's image of a BN train on a bridge, is an attention getter, but it would have been that much better with the reflection in the water. If there was a reason why this couldn't be done, maybe he will tell us. Joseph Oate's sunset commuter shot just knocks me out. And the slide really does look like that. Gary Zuters' Hermosa sunset shot is awesome and sharp as a tack (great scan John), but since I have almost the same shot of my own from almost exactly the same place but with a wide-cab, I like mine better. :) Rick Newton's UP 9183 and his SP shot at Tennessee Pass (both verticals) are compositions which I like a lot, but I don't like the reddish color of the Kodak E-6 films that he used. Greg Anderson's SP 8583 shot is so sharp I almost cut myself on it when I look at it. John Reay's Westbound Conrail stack train crossing that spindly bridge is really cool, especially with the foreground water, but the lens distortion really bothers me on that one. The weather stunk so the lighting really suffers, but the water and the bridge (John's composition) nearly made up for that in my opinion. I think it was the little tree in the bottom right that made the water work. Bill Seigel's East Java, Montana BNSF 500mm shot is great, I like the focal length (and that lens - I miss mine!), and I even like the film he shot it on (Kodak E100SW), which I no longer care to use, but I was bummed by the shot being so tight. I almost couldn't use it because I had to crop a little to make it fit the 408x600 space, and that nearly clipped off the locomotive. If I could vote on the SOTM, which I can't, last month we would have had a tie with Marcia Lucas' CN 5401 East, #840 work extra. In the event we have a SOTM tie in the future, if there were a lot of votes, I may put them both up or flip a coin on them. If there wasn't a lot of votes in the event of a tie (like only two votes on each image again), then I will laugh as I delete the SOTM page from my server - (wouldn't be worth my time to type it). Feedback from the photographers that shot these would be interesting too. 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 © 1998 SPORRS® - All Rights Reserved
