The Fast Track

[IMG]http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/yy273/Davidtrout2/Fasttrack.jpg[/IMG]
My attempt at Impressionism. I wanted to use the shimmer of heat haze and a tiny crop from a 135mm lens image to illustrate distance and tight perspective. C+C welcome (I already know its not sharp, not meant to be).

I think it works well. I particularly like the way the lines above are turning into bokeh. That's quite a feat - making the overhead lines on a railway attractive. Nice muted colours too (apart from the yellow & red).

I suppose the effect is Ok but my word the subject is dull but I suppose that isn't always a criticism. I suspect you don't need the train at all and the lights are distracting so at least I would tone them down. If I was keeping the train then I think I would tuck it more into the top left corner.

Then again the rails move in a nice way and the cables look pretty good. I think it would help if the heat haze was more pronounced.

Mike

Doesn't work for me. I like the tracks but don't like the messy overhead stuff. You said it is a tight crop, is there any more track below and if so how about portrait orientation?

Yep works for me mate,

If I was to be really picky I would say the two dark uprights on the LH side detract a bit but its nothing major.

Regards
PaulM

Well that's certainly got opinion divided; good. I agree with Mike, the heat haze needs to be more pronounced but I disagree with him about the lights being distracting. The two sets of red lights, one single red and a single green are what attracted me compositionally. I quite liked the splash of yellow on the train. Unlike Tim I wanted the bunched up perspective of the overhead wires and didn't find it messy.
Thanks everyone for the comments.
david

I know what you mean about the haze David, but I really like it when objects in pictures are on the point of turning into 'pure' bokeh (when their outline is quite distinct still but very blurred) as in this shot. BTW - how much of the effect here is actual haze, and how much is the result of the aperture/focal length you have used (I haven't checked your exif - don't know how to:blush?

Dr. Mhuni: The EXIF for this picture should say the camera was a K10, the lens DA*50-135mm at 135mm and F8. ISO was 400 and shutter speed 1/400th. Exposure was 1/3rd stop under. The train was at least half a mile away, maybe nearer a mile, so the crop was quite severe.
david