Well, this is the start of my first blog. I am very interested in photography and especially railroad photography. This blog will be related just to railroad photography.
I enjoy many styles of railroad photography but my favorite photos usually convey a mood or feeling. One way that I feel works well to add mood and feeling is with the use of adverse weather. We all get that feeling when there is a thunderstorm or a dense heavy fog and if composed well the same feeling can come from a photo as well. This is what I like to try and shoot. Photography has a life long learning curve so I am still learning a lot and trying a lot of new things. I really haven’t decided what I am going to write about each photograph or subject yet, so I am sure the blog will be changing from post to post. I am going to start with my own photos and get some type of structure going before I use other photographer’s photographs (with permission).
Now to get to the picture. This is one of my favorite shots that I have taken. This photo was taken at the West end of the Union Pacific’s Chippewa River Bridge in Eau Claire, WI. I choose to go black and white to enhance the mood of the dense fog. I love how the train comes out of the thick fog and how the bridge disappears into it. Also the detail of the old steel bridge adds to the mood of this photo. With the foreground being much clearer, you are able to see the drops of water clinging onto the old wire supports. One improvement would be to have more detail around the headlamps and ditch lights. Overall this photo has a cold, wet, and gloomy feel to it.