But What’s the Subject?
Transportation; Railroads; Railways; Railway Photography, that’s what I photograph. Right?
But what’s the actual subject? What should I focus on? More to the point; what is interesting? And, is today’s interesting subject going to be interesting tomorrow?
Looking back is one way to look forward.
Yet, there lies a paradox: When I look back over my older photos, I regret not having better skills to have consistently made more interesting and more varied images. And also, for not being more aware of what was interesting.
The lesson is then is about skill: learn to vary technique, adopt new approaches and continually refine the process of making photos while searching for interesting subjects. (The searching is the fun part!)
A truly successful image is one that transcends the subject and captures the attention of the audience.
So, is railway photography really about the subject?
Waukesha, Wisconsin, back in the day.
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yes, that’s right. (on both counts).
That looks like me behind that signal. Oh yeah, the signals are the subject of the first picture by the way!
Hi Brian,
I’ll be back in Massachusetts in a month or so, give a shout.
Let’s catch up!
Cheers,
Brian S.
Brian,
Liked this commentary. Sometimes it’s about the train, and sometimes the scenery. I made a difficult shot of the Housatonic @ W. Cornwall, CT work. The train is a fascination, but in this case was a prop to the beautiful covered bridge. On the same note I once won a Mystic Railroad society calendar contest with some CR C30s going by some pumpkins, which were at a farm stand on the Stony Brook Branch of the B&M. What mattered more, the pumpkins, or the train?
Your friend,
Brian Burns