Vertcal orientation

[Alan T]

This is a section of 'new' track being laid at the end of the Llangollen Steam Railway, alongside the R.Dee on the historic trackbed. I remember crouching awkwardly, trying for a while to decide on vertical or horizontal format. It's not as sharp as I'd like, but at 1/13s, f/3.2, 100mm equivalent, in gathering gloom, I couldn't have hand-held it without my new IS camera. It's only about an hour from home, so with luck I'll get back soon to experiment more, with a tripod or more light.

Pity about the pole in the field. I'll rub it out in my own version.

Amusingly, the signal light burns brightly, though there are no rails, and not likely to be any trains for several years yet.

[calr]

Vertical format is probably best for this shot but I suspect the sides have been cropped. I would like to see it a little wider, closer to one of the standard aspect ratios (e.g. 4x6 or 8x10).

Cal

[Alan T]

For comparison, this is the same subject, just round the corner where phantom trains must now STOP at the red signal, treated to horizontal format, to emphasise the current tracklaying work.

[Alan T]

Ok, here is the original, resized & sharpened only. I rotated the cropped onea bit as well.

[vsch1]

I think I like the orginal better. Something about it seems more complete than the original cropped version.

[Alan T]

I think I'd have done better with the full frame if I'd pointed a little to the left, so the nearest concrete sleeper was symmetrically placed, and less bushes on the right. Another day!

[calr]

Alan, I hope YOU are obeying those signals. A train operator can get canned for not obeying a signal. I like the second and third photos in this thread better than the first. Having a bit more on the sides give more perspective to the shots.

I have been keenly interested in railroading for over 30 years and it is interesting to note the differences in nomenclature between the US and UK. What you call "sleepers", we call "ties". I am not sure where either term came from!

Cal

[Alan T]

calr wrote:

What you call "sleepers", we call "ties".

"Sleepers", because they spend their whole lives lying down; "ties" because they tie the rails together at the correct gauge.

Here are some of the sleepers, lying intimately together, waiting to be laid, so to speak, and the old wreck that will lay them in due course.

Sorry if this is too far off-topic. Both eminently horizontal, like their subject's usual posture. Let's not get into poor maintenance of "points causing crashes" ("switches causing wrecks").

Alan

[bill43210]

i like the landscape shot with the missing rail lines, foreboding!