Winter is an excellent time to photograph Mass-Central former Boston & Albany Ware River Branch.
The lack of foliage and a dearth of heavy underbrush opens up angles for photography obscured during the warmer months.
My challenge is to find new views on this railroad that I’ve often documented over the last 35 years.
On Monday, January 4, 2016, I made these views of the southward Mass-Central freight descending Ware Hill on its return run to Palmer.
Here I present two of the sequence of images. Compositionally, I feel the first image works better as it allows the eye to wander from the locomotive at right to the other subjects. The second image places too much emphasis on the left side.
Mass-Central 1750 leads the railroad’s southward freight near South Street in Ware, Massachusetts on January 4, 2016. Color temperature and contrast adjusted in post-processing, notably with the addition of a ‘graduated filter’ setting over the sky area to improve detail. (Note, this is not a true external graduated filter, as will be detailed in later posts.)Color temperature and contrast adjusted in post-processing, notably with the addition of a ‘graduated filter’ setting over the sky area to improve detail. (Note, this is not a true external graduated filter, as will be detailed in later posts.) Both images exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera with Zeiss 12mm Touit lens.
Which do you prefer?
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5 comments on “Mass-Central on Ware Hill; Boston & Albany’s Ware River Branch in a Modern Context.”
DAVE CLINTON on said:
Maybe, but not IMHO. There are plenty of beautiful things in this state and country of ours, that would highlight a train picture instead of a gruesome graveyard!
Ken B on said:
Graveyards make great photo props!
Brian Jennison on said:
Agree that the rule of two-thirds would’ve worked well here.
DAVE CLINTON on said:
Actually, a picture in between those two would have been better–one that showed the locomotive larger but not blocked by the large tree trunk, as in the second view. The foreground leaves something to be desired, too, but I guess we’re all heading there someday but there must be better scenery along that route than a graveyard! Dave
Bill Sample on said:
I agree with your preference – the second image looks like a grab shot with the loco almost departed from the frame.
Maybe, but not IMHO. There are plenty of beautiful things in this state and country of ours, that would highlight a train picture instead of a gruesome graveyard!
Graveyards make great photo props!
Agree that the rule of two-thirds would’ve worked well here.
Actually, a picture in between those two would have been better–one that showed the locomotive larger but not blocked by the large tree trunk, as in the second view. The foreground leaves something to be desired, too, but I guess we’re all heading there someday but there must be better scenery along that route than a graveyard! Dave
I agree with your preference – the second image looks like a grab shot with the loco almost departed from the frame.