29 replies to this topic

[Neil_M]

Ok, I will add something to this!
Was at work on Christmas Day and the 26th('Boxing day' here!) so I took my camera (Olympus E510 DSLR) to work to get some shots of the 20 odd trains stood down for the break. (We don't run much public transport on the 25th, so in that respect you are light years ahead of us!)
Got the tripod out and using the 14-40mm lens spent an hour or so trying different angles and exposures. Some worked, some didn't but that's one of the best things about digital cameras. no good? Just delete and try again!
I tweak my photos on iPhoto and display them on my Fotopic site which costs about £45 a year to buy storage space and display them.
Have a look and comments (good or bad!) or questions welcomed!
http://50031.fotopic.net/c1629290.html

Lots of other stuff both rail and non rail to peruse!

[PetalumaLoco]

Good stuff, Neil. The quality of light you're capturing is wonderful. My fav is the very first.

[GG-1]

A request for comments on pictures were made in another forum that I believe is not the correct place for this review. While the team discuses what is the proper way to handle this I have moved the request here. Hope no one minds.

Mahalo

[GG-1]

Have a look and comments (good or bad!) or questions welcomed!
http://50031.fotopic.net/c1629290.html

Aloha Neil

Very nice work. nice to have an opportunity that allowed you be safe while getting interesting angles. One thing I see is a lack of separation between the Black color of the trains from the black background. I would assume there isn't the use of flash or additional lighting or that you could have used any there. But if you could I think it would help separate the train from the background if some flash hits the roof of the building or come from behind the unit.

Seeing that much power was a pleasure, keep up the work, Mahalo
Eric

[MrFSS]

Have a look and comments (good or bad!) or questions welcomed!
http://50031.fotopic.net/c1629290.html

Aloha Neil

Very nice work. nice to have an opportunity that allowed you be safe while getting interesting angles. One thing I see is a lack of separation between the Black color of the trains from the black background. I would assume there isn't the use of flash or additional lighting or that you could have used any there. But if you could I think it would help separate the train from the background if some flash hits the roof of the building or come from behind the unit.

Seeing that much power was a pleasure, keep up the work, Mahalo
Eric

I can see the separation, Eric. Has your monitor been calibrated recently?

[GG-1]

Have a look and comments (good or bad!) or questions welcomed!
http://50031.fotopic.net/c1629290.html

Aloha Neil

Very nice work. nice to have an opportunity that allowed you be safe while getting interesting angles. One thing I see is a lack of separation between the Black color of the trains from the black background. I would assume there isn't the use of flash or additional lighting or that you could have used any there. But if you could I think it would help separate the train from the background if some flash hits the roof of the building or come from behind the unit.

Seeing that much power was a pleasure, keep up the work, Mahalo
Eric

I can see the separation, Eric. Has your monitor been calibrated recently?

Aloha Tom

In some I can see separation, and I realize I was viewing on a laptop screen (in a dark room) though and should have included that in my comment, Mahalo for adding this to my opinion. I really like his work as he has shown the power and beauty of trains.
Eric

[MrFSS]

Have a look and comments (good or bad!) or questions welcomed!
http://50031.fotopic.net/c1629290.html

Aloha Neil

Very nice work. nice to have an opportunity that allowed you be safe while getting interesting angles. One thing I see is a lack of separation between the Black color of the trains from the black background. I would assume there isn't the use of flash or additional lighting or that you could have used any there. But if you could I think it would help separate the train from the background if some flash hits the roof of the building or come from behind the unit.

Seeing that much power was a pleasure, keep up the work, Mahalo
Eric

I can see the separation, Eric. Has your monitor been calibrated recently?

Aloha Tom

In some I can see separation, and I realize I was viewing on a laptop screen (in a dark room) though and should have included that in my comment, Mahalo for adding this to my opinion. I really like his work as he has shown the power and beauty of trains.
Eric

I thought maybe you were down on the beach in the bright sunlight! Have you met up with Obama yet to discuss Amtrak's future?

[Neil_M]

Have a look and comments (good or bad!) or questions welcomed!
http://50031.fotopic.net/c1629290.html

Aloha Neil

Very nice work. nice to have an opportunity that allowed you be safe while getting interesting angles. One thing I see is a lack of separation between the Black color of the trains from the black background. I would assume there isn't the use of flash or additional lighting or that you could have used any there. But if you could I think it would help separate the train from the background if some flash hits the roof of the building or come from behind the unit.

Seeing that much power was a pleasure, keep up the work, Mahalo
Eric

I can see the separation, Eric. Has your monitor been calibrated recently?

Aloha Tom

In some I can see separation, and I realize I was viewing on a laptop screen (in a dark room) though and should have included that in my comment, Mahalo for adding this to my opinion. I really like his work as he has shown the power and beauty of trains.
Eric

Thanks for your kind words! I was really looking to play with the camera just to capture things as they were , as I hadn't had a chance to try some night time tripod stuff since I got the E510 back in April. Some things worked, some didn't. The yard lights are hard to deal with and cast an odd light over things but I was quite pleased with things. I was quite safe as I was in charge of movements and the guy who could move stuff around was manning the phone while I went for a stroll around the site!

( As an aside if any of you are in London anytime give me a shout and if you want to visit the depot and have a look around then I can arrange it.(As long as I am not away on holiday again!))

[GG-1]

Aloha

I found this Link to a letter regarding Rail Photography on OTOL from the National Press Photographers Association's general legal counsel. We may want to print it out and place a copy of it in our camera bags. Also the response if it ever gets answered and published.

Edited by GG-1, 17 January 2009 - 09:22 PM.

[GG-1]

Aloha

I found this Link to a letter regarding Rail Photography on OTOL from the National Press Photographers Association's general legal counsel. We may want to print it out and place a copy of it in our camera bags. Also the response if it ever gets answered and published.

Here is the response received.

[PetalumaLoco]

Amtrak police follow specific guidelines for passengers, patrons, and the general public in public places, but the guidelines "state that Amtrak police can investigate activity of photographers that is reported or observed to be suspicious in nature," Domszalski says.

Next time someone gets stopped, ask to see these guidelines.

And that "suspicious in nature" is a mighty big loophole.

[GG-1]

Aloha

Mahalo to a link to an followup from the National Press Photographers Association's I saw on OTOL. very informative.

[amtrakwolverine]

so what good does Amtrak's policy do if the rr police and rent a cops arrest you for standing on public property taking pics. seams like the rr police have there own rules and the hell with what amtrak tells them to do.

[GG-1]

seams like the rr police have there own rules

Aloha

And this is what a national organization will be able to address if they determine the stories of abuse to be true. And we know through some of us they are. This is also why I am following their articles and providing links to the National Press Photographers Association's This is their home page.

[PetalumaLoco]

Anyone else catch The Colbert Report tonite? He did a big number on the AmCops and their hassling photographers.

[GG-1]

Anyone else catch The Colbert Report tonite? He did a big number on the AmCops and their hassling photographers.

Aloha

Not yet but I went to his web site and last thing there is 2 days ago so will be looking for that story

Mahalo
Eric

[PetalumaLoco]

Anyone else catch The Colbert Report tonite? He did a big number on the AmCops and their hassling photographers.

Aloha

Not yet but I went to his web site and last thing there is 2 days ago so will be looking for that story

Mahalo
Eric

Found it.

[MrFSS]

Anyone else catch The Colbert Report tonite? He did a big number on the AmCops and their hassling photographers.

Aloha

Not yet but I went to his web site and last thing there is 2 days ago so will be looking for that story

Mahalo
Eric

Found it.

That is hilarious. I hope some Amtrak brass see it!

[Neil_M]

We have the same problems in the UK with both proper Police and pretend rentacops misusing existing laws to harass people just taking pictures in various public locations. There is an amendment to one of the existing anti terrorist laws which basically means that anyone taking photos of the friendly London 'Copper' or the soldiers outside of Buckingham Palace could be charged with gathering information useful to a terrorist..... No chance we wont use that to harass people that we don't like the look of or don't like the colour of their skin. Oh no.
It just gets worse. But it's all for our 'security"

[HP_Lovecraft]

That is hilarious. I hope some Amtrak brass see it!

Shiny Trains!

Colbert's Chris Matthews impression is spot-on.