Switching tracks

© Stephen Shoff

Switching tracks

Uploaded: August 18, 2013

Description

f/6.3, 1/320sec., ISO 125; Tamron 18-200 f/3.5-6.3 OSS @25mm

No. 119 returning to the barn at Promontory Pt. Utah.

Exif: F Number: 6.3, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 1/320 seconds, Flash: did not fire, auto mode, ISO: 125, White balance: Auto white balance, FocalLength: 200.00 mm, Model: NEX-7

Comments

Stephen Shoff August 18, 2013

A couple of "travel photos" from the Phellos meet-up.

Note for Debbie/Elaine: this is my target for the small, light, and self-contained mirrorless camera. Photographic opportunity relatively low but with potential notwithstanding -- opportuity likely limited to travel photos, lots of clutter making composition difficult to impossible, middle of bright sunlit day. But willing to tolerate some loss in quality, like the wide-angle lens distortion in the lower right corner of the "No. 199" image. #1540937

Beth Spencer August 18, 2013

I like both of these but the NO.199 is the one I like the best. Were you able to use your tamron lens that you use with your canon? I am thinking about maybe getting one of these cameras but don't know enough yet to make a decision. #10812710

Stephen Shoff August 18, 2013

Beth, the Tamron 18-200 f3.5-6.3 used here is an E-mount walk-around lens I bought to use on the NEX-7. It isn't the Tamron 28-75 EF-mount that I have for my Canon EOS 50D. Since you asked, I did mount my Tamron EF 28-75 on the NEX-7 using the Speedbooster. All functions seemed to work except autofocus. Just remember you'd need a mount adaptor even with the EOS-M to use your existing lenses.

I've built a album in my gallery for you to view that contains images I've taken using my EF lenses on the NEX-7. #10812757

Susan Williams August 19, 2013

These are both very nicely composed despite the limitations you describe, Stephen. It looks like you hopped the track to get No. 199, but looking at the sky they could have been taken on different days. #10813131

Jeff E Jensen August 19, 2013

Both are very nice, Stephen. I like the composition of the first and the story that is told by the image. Well done. #10813136

Stephen Shoff August 19, 2013

Didn't hop the tracks, Susan. While we were there, they returned the engines to the train barn. At this point the train had just started backing up, so it had moved away from the display area and was more out in the open. It was also in motion. The sky difference is from having a polarizer mounted and 90-degrees difference in the angle to the sun.

I'm with you Jeff.

Thanks for your comments. #10813371

Peter W. Marks August 19, 2013

Stephen, I have spent a happy 45 mins exploring the history of the steam locomotive you have shown us. Google told me that loco no.199 is in Australia not Utah so had to do some creative thinking and it turned out that you made a typo and in fact the one in Utah is no.119 not no.199. But now I was on a roll and using a different search criteria came to web sites giving me a plethora of fascinating facts. The loco you pictured is a reproduction of the original no.119 and was constructed in 1979 along with a repro of the Union Pacific Jupiter. These two copies represented the two trans-continental locomotives that met up nose to nose from either side of the continent 1869 when the rails were finally joined at promontory Point Utah.
It represents a truly fascinating piece of US history and I thank you for leading me to it (albeit by a circuitous route)! #10813645

Stephen Shoff August 19, 2013

Its good that BP lets us edit image titles and descriptions. Thank you, Peter. #10813829

Stephen Shoff August 19, 2013

Did your research also describe to you that the Golden Spike meeting point is really Promontory Summit, not Promontory Pt. -- a journalist error that occurred in the original reporting? #10813834

Beth Spencer August 20, 2013

Stephen, I looked at your gallery and the pictures are great!! #10815283

Peter W. Marks August 21, 2013

Yes, Stephen and I took the National and State Parks website as being the authorative one and they refer to it as Promontory Summit. There were some amusing anecdotes about the original ceremony where both the President of the Union Pacific company and a Governor both missed the head of the spikes at their first attempts to which the assembled crowds all cheered. These days it would be all over the internet video clips. #10815757

Rita K. Connell level-classic August 21, 2013

these are great shots Stephen each having their own feel. I really like the switching tracks I can hear the whistle blowing. the closer one is very nice with detail, its amazing to know of how many different engines there has been. great job I don't have any suggestions to change anything. #10815973

Elaine Hessler August 22, 2013

Really nice Stephen-I remember how hot it was that day! I really like the POV-much different from mine (mostly up close stuff). Not sure if the second one is up for critique, but was there a reason to put more space behind the train? Just curious. Lovely colors. #10816879

Stephen Shoff August 22, 2013

No, this wasn't put up particularly for critique. There have already been several of these images posted that are far superior to this one. This was really just posted to provide context and for the first image and to supply missing detail.

Nope, no deep compositional intent, here. In this case I cropped the left side of the frame simply to exclude some of the Historical Monument's display signage that I didn't want to take the trouble of cloning out.

I tried close up stuff too, but my close ups of mechanical parts don't often work very well.
#10816925

Michael Kelly level-deluxe August 22, 2013

I like the comp on this one with the track curve in the right place along with the subject. I might get rid of the left edge bushes – content aware fill? Tells a good story. #10816964

lisa anderson August 22, 2013

Like Michael, I'm not sure how I feel about the left edge bushes. Sometimes I think it leads to the train and sometimes I think it distracts from the man in the red shirt who is one of my favourite parts of the picture...the second shot is beautiful, but the first tells more of a story to me. #10817452

Stephen Shoff August 26, 2013

Didn't mean to ignore these last comments. I've been out of town for the weekend.

I've just finished reading Zane Grey's "The U. P. Trail". I really wanted to communicate the isolation of the lone train and trainman in the expansiveness of the American West. This image depicts his imagery to some degree. I agree that the bushes on the left border close the image in some.

I've tried content aware fill a time or two but haven't gotten the hang of it. #10821721


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