James Cagle
October 2025 - Train Out
Original
About the Image(s)
I was out shooting railroad stuff at an old depot in Jamestown, Calif. There was a group that rented this train, so I was able to see it run. I liked this photo at it shows the workers along with the steam engine. This was shot with my Nikon D850, 16-35mm F4 lens set at 22mm. Shutter 1/400 at F5.6, ISO 160. Made adjustment and removed items in photoshop and converted in B&W with topaz.
5 comments posted
James, I like the BW of this image. For me, it takes the focus away from the bright blue sky and onto the story - the train and, yes, the workers buzzing around (the image would be a bit static, I think, were it not for them and the passenger waiting). The light is bright, but doesn't seem overly harsh. Good sharpness front to back. Is the a way to smooth out the pixels in the sky? Posted: 10/11/2025 20:48:33
Lovely scene....I agree with Lorna that the mono is better than the colour. Is there some lens distortion impacting on the coal wagon appearing to be off level ? Posted: 10/15/2025 11:21:02
James, BW was a great choice to promote the timeless feel the image conveys. It's challenging to deal with all the elements that date an image (the radio, removed in the color image, and the woman in contemporary clothes on the engine) the BW conversion addresses these elements well.
Great work! Posted: 10/19/2025 20:46:31
Great work! Posted: 10/19/2025 20:46:31
This is quite a nice scene and tells a story. The figures make it more interesting. My only suggestion is to remove the pixels in the sky. Posted: 10/20/2025 15:53:27
Nice picture - I agree that the mono version is better. No distracting blue sky. Posted: 10/26/2025 19:08:26