Tarana Tracks

[allenlennon]

Hello everyone, last night a mate of mine and i decided to pay visit to the Tarana train station. Even though we originally planned to experiment with light painting, to which my light painting ideas didnt pan out, one of them was my fault where i forgot to zoom out! Next time i will pay attention!!.

So, since this train station is no longer in use, i decided to jump the tracks to get this shot. I edited both in colour and in B&W, and i fell inlove with the B&W treatment!! i did some cloning out of a power pole and some wires that distracted me.

Keen to hear your thoughts!

[GBO25]

I like it. Nice contrasty B&W and the tracks draw me in to the little sun star in the distance.

[ShaneS]

Nice one Allen - I love the vantage point you chose to present and I think that B&W was probably the way to go with this shot due to all the great lines and textures.

[FootLoose]

I like the perspective, Allen, and the heavy blacks on the conversion, but some of the highlights seem to be blown eg in the ballast in the immediate foreground.

[Shadowman]

Very nice.

[Mike Buckley]

This is so unusual because there are two pairs of converging lines. I like everything about it except the bright star burst because it pulls my eye to the left and away from the vanishing point. I disagree that there are blown highlights in the ballast; the histogram confirms that there are none.

[IzzieK]

Good find Allan...I love the black and white treatment...

[mknittle]

Very nice Allen, It works for me as I like the low key high texture B&W.

[Wavelength]

Very nice image; there is multi-convergence of lines ( i see three pairs of them) as Mike has already pointed out; Did you mean the tracks are no more live or did you mean the station is no more in use?
Regards

[allenlennon]

The station no longer in use. And thanks everyone

[flashback]

I think it's a great shot and great perspective. Only suggestion on my part is the overhead walkway appears to need a slight rotation clockwise; but then the railroad ties may appear tilted...

[Stinky]

Very nice. I like the crop

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Allen,

The station may not be in use, but to me, the track appears to be (for freight perhaps), because the rails look shiny.

That said; I'm used to a damp UK climate where unused rails get a surface rust film in little more than a day, but your NSW (drier?) climate may preserve the shine

I agree with Mike about the starburst and the next most prominent thing that attracts my eye are a couple of marks on the platform brick face, if mine I'd have 'dimmed' them a bit.

It looks like there were originally twin tracks between the platforms, now reduced to a single line (on right), so the footbridge is offset a little to left from your position, which results in the angle that Jack mentions. It will be unresolvable without sleight of hand (or warp tool), but isn't significant enough to bother me, now I understand the cause.

I do like the shot, but you probably guessed by now that any rail subject appeals to me

Cheers, Dave

[allenlennon]

The tracks are in use mainly by freight trains and the occasional cross country passenger trains. An yea there use to be two tracks.

[mugge]

Great image, great contrast, get rid of the mark on the wall. I love this image.
Cheers Mugge

[AB26]

Allen,

First, the positive:
A great B&W conversion. What I love about it is the tonal range from black to white – that makes a B&W great, IMHO.

It has to be viewed larger, to really appreciate it. The track draws my attention to the two white “markers” at the point where the track turns to the left. Lovely leading lines you got here. The track and the platform.

The mood is one of desolation, almost sad. The B&W sure enhances the mood.

Alternatives: (not negative)
A bit of a different crop. I took the liberty to do it to show you what I mean by leading lines starting in the corners. (Watch the bridge!)
A very dramatic sky you’ve got there and a bit more of it might have added to the mood in the image.

A smaller aperture with the focal point at infinity would have added sharpness in the distance without making the foreground to soft. You can sharpen a little but be careful to over do the FG.

I really like it, the more I look at it the more it “grows” on me. You print this one really big and you will feel like walking into it.