Western Railroad Discussion > One in B&W from WY

At the end of my trip to WY this last summer, I was on my way back to Denver to get on the plane I shot one last train. I got this BNSF coal northbound at Bridger Jct.( I think). It was back lit, so I made it a B&W, I really like the bridge it is crossing, it’s an old C&S. How does it look for a back lit shot, Feedback would be welcome. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

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The composition is great, but something just isn't right, "colorwise." I don't know if it's the way this computer's screen is interpreting the pixels or not, but this looks more like washed out color instead of true B&W. The only way of course to tell is to have shot "true" B&W film side by side, but it seems to me that many "B&W" efforts I see here and elsewhere don't have the "color" (tonal?) pallette of what I'm used to seeing in B&W photos in print and from my own efforts years ago. Please note that my "criticism" has nothing to do with your camera skills -- which I've enjoyed many times these last few years -- but the "electricals" (what's even a good word for this?) of digital camera, digital processing and digital presentation.

Now that I finally have a photo scanner I'll try to put some of my own work up. In the meantime, thanks again for sharing a part of the world I haven't yet had the opportunity to explore in any depth.

Great shot Adam! Replace the power with F's or GP's and you could be trackside 50 years ago easy. Bob

I agree w/revrobin. It just looks like it was desaturated rather than 'converted' to b/w. Could be my monitor,tho.

The C&S actually begins in Wendover, WY which is east of here.

Looks like a B/W made from a color neg on panalure paper



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/10 10:35 by WAF.

WAF Wrote:
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> Looks like a B/W made from a color neg on panalure
> paper

I wonder how a scanned color negative converted to B&W and printed with a nice digital printer would look. Certainly it should look better than the chemical alternative would.

fbe Wrote:
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> WAF Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Looks like a B/W made from a color neg on
> panalure
> > paper
>
> I wonder how a scanned color negative converted to
> B&W and printed with a nice digital printer would
> look. Certainly it should look better than the
> chemical alternative would.

Never had a lot of great success with printing color negs onto panalure paper. The skies come out overdone and tonal range just doesn't look right



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/10 15:12 by WAF.

I think you guys are right, not Sure why the color is off, might be it is back lit.