Before the subject gets way too old, I wanted to acknowledge the discussion about my shot on the SPORRS page of the NECR at the feed mill. I worked the scene with a 35mm lens (focal length) getting the entire mill with the train in the scene.? These were quite nice in documentary sense as I am standing on the outside of a sweeping curve and kept the mill verticals reasonably straight with the train sweeping around on the left side of the image.? When the train made their cut and made the set off into the mill was when I noticed the possibilities of a more tightly composed image and used the 80-200 to crop in, making the shot seen on the SPORRS page as well as racking out to 200 and getting the mill worker opening the hatches on the covered hopper or a train crew member throwing a switch. The point being: Showing the train in a setting, perhaps a unique piece of architecture; something unique to the area Showing the train working an online customer These represent the documentary coverage. Then if you have time, work the scene with other focal lengths, change your position. Try to imagine as many compositions as possible that will lead to a photo with impact, an artful composition, or tell a story. Of course some shots are a one shot set-up like some of the great train landscape shots we've seen but the above is the working method I like to use when possible.
Mike Gardner Ashford, CT -> SPORRS: 'Serious Photographers Of Railroad Related Subjects' -> Web Site: http://www.anet-stl.com/acphotog/sporrs/ -> Message ? 1998 SPORRS? - All Rights Reserved
