Trains and railways

The iconic Battersea power station provides a nice backdrop to this night image. The long exposure is spot on capturing the light trails of the passing trains. The overall lighting is just right, drawing the viewers eye to the depot and then around to the lit power station in the background. This is a popular shot and this one is well executed

The near pure black & white of this image adds to the atmosphere, the backlighting creates the darker tones of the foreground and borders of the image, drawing the viewer's eye straight to the silhouettes of the figures against the lit steam. The reflections on the wet platform just add to this image.

There is something about this image that just says 'Speed'. The sharpness and clarity of the of the front of this ETR 600 contrasts nicely against the blur and darkness of the background. It's difficult to tell if the blur in the background was added in post processing or is part of the original image, either way it doesn't mater as overall it is a very nice image. The normal composition would be a front 3/4 view and typically include a lot more of the train. The composition of this image just to include the cab area adds to the punch of the image.

The view point on this images is great, the snow covered banks of the stream which leads you through to the sun 'star burst' and then up past the colourful clouds to the train, the exposure is spot on and it's sharp front to back,. If I was taking this shot, I would have maybe taken it a couple of seconds earlier while the complete engine was still visible on the viaduct , but all in all a very nice image.

Shots with re-enactors are very popular, which all adds to the atmosphere and when well done can really bring an image to life. The steam and smoke that fills this image fits well and brings to life the static engines. If this was my image I would position the engines and the figures lower in the frame so making more room above the engines to balance the image. The exposure is good and the focus is sharp, the eye is drawn to the pannier tank on the left then across to the figures, the superintendent and a cleaner maybe, probably a typical scene from any depot in the days of steam

There is something about this shot that grabbed my attention, the composition is great, the fence and rails lead you nicely to the loco and the escaping steam against the backdrop of trees. if there was one thing I would change on this image, it would be the exposure, overall it is just a little dark, either the engine or the backdrop could do with being just that little bit brighter to draw the viewers attention.

This image caught my eye as soon as I saw it, the concentration on the the face of the guy is great as he takes a break from the task in hand, the lighting on the tender is spot on and the darker tones of the engine means your eye is drawn to the main subject. In my opinion, the foreground is a little bright and the placement of the lamp could have been slightly more to the right of the image; the image would perhaps benefit from levelling slightly so the tender end is vertical. Ignoring these points, this is a very nice image, well done.

A great view across the lake of the engine (Victor) and its train which is nicely reflected in the water, the rainbow adds a nice touch and also is reflected which creates a nice balanced photo. Placing the subject on the centre line allows room for the reflection and works well for this image. Overall, the composition is just right, the coaches stand out well against the trees showing the first signs that autumn is n the way.

This recreates a scene that would have been common across many a railway shed in the days of steam. The light catching the smoke from the chimneys and on the rails adds to the image as do the 3 characters to the left of the image. All create a nicely balanced image.

This shot just oozes atmosphere, the composition leads you down the loco, stopping off to see what is happening on the platform on the way. The warmth of the lighting works well against the engine which is nice and sharp as are the re-enactors and the buildings. If you didn't know any better this could be any evening photo at a Great Western station back in the day.

The simplicity of this image works well in Black & White. Subway or underground photography can produce some very dramatic images - this is one of them. The sharpness from front to back in the infrastructure contrasts nicely with the blur of the subway train, the lighting of the whole image is also spot on. Normally you would not want to leave so much negative space to the right of the frame but the station name fills that space and balances the image nicely. Overall a very nice image.

The low sun, shielded by loco exhaust has created some great lighting in this image. Winter days like this can create for some great light. The cold, still winter's day has left the smoke and steam lingering in the air, which adds to the atmosphere and the warm colours of the low sun have created some very nice lighting along the side of the train.

Less is more, as the saying goes, that certainly applies in this image, the main focus being the silhouetted 'engineer' with the Pannier tank providing a supporting role. The Smoke machines have created a great atmosphere and the single light source has been used to good effect silhouetting the engineer and providing some subtle lighting on the loco. The slightly lower view point and sharp focus make for a very pleasing photo.