I grabbed the camera and went out this morning. I had a visual composition I wanted to explore and shot images accordingly. The header photo sums up the outcome of the work. Of all the images, this one draws me in the most.

Technically I suppose, this is a lousy photo. I had the camera on auto and the lens was also in auto focus mode. In spite of that there is a lot of blur, probably due to my unsteady hand when tripping the shutter because I was shooting without a tripod. Still, this image conveys something beyond a technically perfect rendering. To my eyes it captures the emotion of how I see railroading. (OMG, here he goes again. Relax, that’s all I’m going to say.)

It would have been nice if the local were creeping its way up the GR&I this morning. That would have made a great shot. However, as you can see from the rust there hasn’t been much traffic lately, and I’ve never been able to capture live action on this line.

So what am I doing with all these photos? The one thing I’m not doing is looking for something to model or for a new layout theme. I won’t be announcing a P48 Dash9-40c project next week although, such a model built to the quality standards of Tony Sissons would be beyond impressive. I’m simply reconnecting with full-size railroading, my interest in photography and dusting off my visual skills (use ’em or loose ’em). These forays don’t have to lead to anything however, I may find my enthusiasm for modeling restored in time. Getting outdoors is also good.

Regards,
Mike