Despite sending in photos to the railway mags, I’ve never had any published. I presume it’s because they’re either too alternative (possible) or not good enough (probably more likely!). I’m not losing sleep over it, I don’t photograph with the intention of publication, I do it as I enjoy the challenge of doing something different.
A point in case is these two pictures, the one above I much prefer to the one below. Try as I might, I could not satisfactorily get rid of the damned colour cast, so I gave up and decided to enjoy the unusual lighting instead.
The one below is of the same engine, but from the traditional head height / front three-quarter perspective. OK, I’ve tried to include what I could of the shed, but the it’s still a bit too much of a record shot. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but it doesn’t move me, doesn’t make me think. It works well as part of a set, but is nothing special as a stand-alone image.
I agree with you – I much prefer the top image. The drama of the lighting, the unusual colour, the low angle with the tracks leading the eye in from the bottom, the star of the lamp, the main subject in shadow all come together to set the slightly mysterious, cold night-time mood. Nice work.
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