Any people have good enough photos for Railpictures.net

Good Morning, Mr. Kilroy, and welcome to RAILROAD.NET! I personally enjoy your site, as do many others here. We're glad that you find our web site to be an objective forum for the free exchange of opinions, and we're glad to have you aboard. Please refrain from mocking our members and their opinions. If you have questions as to how this web site is operated, please refer them to myself or the webmaster. Thank you!

-otto-

Kaback9 wrote:You don't understand there was no incident here until you came on and decided to fight back, you would have been better off just leaving it alone...

So if somebody came on here and posted a bunch of lies about you, you would just sit back and let it happen? You wouldn't speak up to defend yourself?

I think Chris had every right to defend himself and to defend his site. If somebody here said that I was a $#!tty moderator and was spreading lies about me, I sure as hell would defend myself and set the record straight.

MEC407 wrote:

Kaback9 wrote:You don't understand there was no incident here until you came on and decided to fight back, you would have been better off just leaving it alone...

So if somebody came on here and posted a bunch of lies about you, you would just sit back and let it happen? You wouldn't speak up to defend yourself?

I think Chris had every right to defend himself and to defend his site. If somebody here said that I was a $#!tty moderator and was spreading lies about me, I sure as hell would defend myself and set the record straight.

I agree with the exception of MAYBE Chris linking to his rejects, but that is miniscule. Like others have already said, most have us have been there too when we started. "Our photos are every bit as good as all of the other photos on RP.net," or anywhere else as far as that goes. You either keep that attitude, or learn and improve. I've been submitting to RPN since the summer of 2006, and still get rejections (usually PEQ) that I scratch my head and say to myself that I've seen numerous similar photos on the site. I don't get all bent out of shape and cranky. I go to the forums asking for help/suggestions from other members of RP to point out why mine is different. 100% of the time, the screeners have been right. It just took a second opinion to get me to see the problem.

I don't feel like Chris was degrading any other sites either. After all, why did most of us start send photos to RP.net 1st vs. elsewhere? I think Chris answered that in an appropriate manner.

Since Chris did link to your rejects, I'll give my take on your photos:
http://www.railpictures.net/viewreject. ... 5839&key=0 Backlit is backlit. It will have to be something really special or a very nicely backlit/siloette to make it in.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewreject. ... 1246306442 I'm sorry, but I agree too. It looks like you took this shot with a cell phone whether you did or not. The quality is poor, blurry, and very grainy. If you did use a camera, make sure to have the image quality set to the highest quality setting.

2nd link is a dead link

http://www.railpictures.net/viewreject. ... =849496660 This one: poor color, and the quality is also poor as stated about the control stand shot. RP tends not to take rolling stock photos unless they are well done glints shots, or something very rare.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewreject. ... =451297068 Cropping- You cut off the bottoms of the wheels, plus it's pretty tight all around. Backlit is backlit. Keep the sun behind you over your shoulder..

http://www.railpictures.net/viewreject. ... 6191&key=0 If those weeds weren't there, this one "might" be fixable with a little different cropping and editing work.

Now, you can take this for what it is worth. If you decide to learn from other ppl's critiques, maybe the RP.net Admin will have a change of heart, and re-instated your priveledges. That is between you and them. It has been done before, and one photog. from Chicago that comes to mind has excelled in his skills since he opened up and decided to learn from critiques, and asking for help.

I hate to post in the same thread twice for no good reason, but here's my take on rrpicarch, and RP.net

RP.net is for Photographers who are also railfans, rrpicarch is for Railfans who like to take pictures. Regardless of either, I have both, and barely post to either, since I don't do "railfan photography" as much as most people on here do, I personally prefer Nature, and that sort of stuff. Hence why I don't have a link to either in my signature, and one to deviantart.

It was more just the mocking that made me mad. The email I got when I questioned for the appeal. So i copuld try to learn which I have been really trying hard to do, was "Why do your uploads seem to get worse and worse the longer you\'ve been uploading here?". It was just the mocking of someone trying to learn. Sorry I want to learn and don't understand. I'm new to this and I am just trying to do something good. My bad for trying.

Maybe they where getting worse and worse, maybe Chris was trying to say that you are going in the wrong direction. Do you have a Flickr account or anything like that? Maybe you could put your photos on there and we could help you better. Its not hard to get RP quality photos once you get the hang of it.

Chris Kilroy wrote:

Kaback9 wrote:those who are concerned with getting the perfect shot either really need to have their ego stroked or really never got the love they needed as a kid and have to compensate for it by having that perfect shot.

Or... just like to do things to the best of their ability. If you're satisfied with mediocrity under the guise of "doing it cuz it's fun," that's fine. It definitely lumps you into a group with most members of your generation today. But to say that people who give their all to produce the best result possible "need to have their ego stroked or really never got the love they needed as a kid and have to compensate for it by having that perfect shot" is outright insulting, classless, and shows your true nature. As far as I'm concerned, that statement alone has completely discredited you.

I have to agree with Chris' sentiments regarding the issue above. Like most railfans, I started off simply pointing my camera in the direction of the train, and if you could tell what the locomotive was on the front, it was a "good shot" in my opinion at the time. However, after doing this for a few months, it started getting really old, as my photos were simply records of what I saw, and were completely indistinguishable from those of any other railfan in the country. Upon purchasing a new Canon Rebel XT, I strived to better my photography and to take shots that would stand out on their own, regardless of the locomotives or any other subject matter (unfortunately, most railfans do not agree with me in this respect, to the point that I was booed at one of these slideshows and even kicked off the projector early).

Right from the beginning, I started uploading my photos to Railpictures.net. While at first, I, like so many railfans out there, was up in arms over some of my rejections, I eventually learned that getting emotionally attached to your photos can be a fatal trap if your quest is to improve them. Primarily through their help, as well as guidance from others who put photography before the subject matter (and a photography class or two at the college I'm attending), I found my work progressing rather quickly. On occasion, I will go back and look through some of my older photos, photos that I was virtually aw-struck by when I had first shot them, and find it somewhat ironic that I won't even show many of these photos now in my portfolio of work. To put my money where my mouth is, check out my website at: http://www.nickwilson159.com.

So, to say that "those who are concerned with getting the perfect shot either really need to have their ego stroked or really never got the love they needed as a kid and have to compensate for it by having that perfect shot" is, as Chris said, highly insulting, to say the least. I try to take pride in my work and constantly strive to turn out the best work I possibly can, as many do outside of this hobby. Would you dare insult a group of bikers who take good care of their motorcycles and take pride in what they do, or even a neighbor of yours who likes to keep their house in good condition and stay on top of maintenance? Just because they won't settle for mediocrity, does that also signify their need to have their ego stroked, or that they were deprived of a loving family in their childhood?

I think you need to reevaluate your stance on this issue, and better yet, think about what you are writing before posting it here. A lot of what you say goes right to your credibility, no matter who it is being said to, and can very well come back and bite you in the rear later on down the road - take my word for it.

If you have not realized by now the discussion has moved on to helping atsf sp, if you want to continue to debate with me or have problems with me take it up with me privately through email or Private messages.

Ok, some tips to help out,

1. Don't shoot on AUTO. I don't know what type of camera you have, but most have a full, or partial manuel mode. I personally shoot either Shutter-Priority, or Manuel (yes including focusing) on my d60. The grainess was probably caused by you having it on "auto ISO" on a Point & Shoot. (dSLR's don't have this problem, because the sensor is physically 5 or so times larger on an APS-C dSLR)

2. Have the sun to your back - back, and side lighting works fine for "artistic," or "semi-artistic" (My sidelight avatar, would probably fall into the ladder, full picture here.) but not for a regular picture of locomotive.

3. Buy a tripod - I use a $19.95 one from walmart, and it works like a dream. You don't need a honky carbon-fiber one.

4. Press shutter button halfway when composing - you can avoid the annoying shutter delay on most Point & Shoots by doing that. Heck, 99% of the time with my current camera I do that.

5. If you have a dSLR with live view, avoid the live view. d60's don't, so I don't have to think twice, but the vast majority of dSLR's with it don't AF, or they AF as slow as death with live view turned on. (the one exception being Sony's Alpha Series, because of the dedicated Live View sensor.) But even if I shot with an a350, I still wouldn't use it.

Happy Railfanning!

Chessie GM50 wrote:
5. If you have a dSLR with live view, avoid the live view. d60's don't, so I don't have to think twice, but the vast majority of dSLR's with it don't AF, or they AF as slow as death with live view turned on. (the one exception being Sony's Alpha Series, because of the dedicated Live View sensor.) But even if I shot with an a350, I still wouldn't use it.

Happy Railfanning!

I dont really agree with this statement. I love the live view on my Canon 40D, I use it mostly for night shots or when I need to do a over the head shot. It focuses fine for me. It does drain the battery a little quick however.

I get two pics and two videos onr railpictures
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 66&nseq=20

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 557&nseq=0

and for the videos
http://www.rail-videos.net/video/view.php?id=4457

http://www.rail-videos.net/video/view.php?id=4149

but sometime,I don't understand Rail pictures

Here!just compare my first pic with the Via F40
I get the same shot with a AMT and a NJT train,and they refused because bad cropping
and there it is..




and here a few one with their funny reasons for rejection
for this one,they rejected for bad croping


this one,rejected for poor image quality and bad cropping


this one,rejected for common angle/cloudy shot
automatic picture are generaly not accepted


this one..rejected because too dark (amazing)


even some shots,I could beleive originally that my computer screen may get a desajustes,but after cheking,it is fine..

sometime I get some idea if may be that's a machine analysing pictures and accept or reject them,following a preprogrammed request,and there is not human screener,but we have no choice to beleive they get a real screener..
sometime,they reject me a picture,but they don't put any reasons,I appeal and they answering with the samr blank mysterious reason..samething for my videos..
sometime,I seeing picture be accepted and look not much better than mine,but I don't mind for it
if they acept or reject a pic or a video,curiously,the two pictures they accept from me are automatic shots..

but by reworking with photosgop,sometime,they could accept them,but,I'm not lucky in that way

I did a Fotopic gallerie,but too limited(only 200 MB allowed),now,I project about made my own internet site with my pictures and videos

for my fotopic gallery,It still there,but I do not use it anymore
http://pics-by-guy-pascal.fotopic.net/c1497257.html

pretty soon,I will do my site with my own pictures and I will start some roster pictures of all the engines I get,By type and companys,and also by railroads

Montrealrail wrote:
Here!just compare my first pic with the Via F40
I get the same shot with a AMT and a NJT train,and they refused because bad cropping
and there it is..

1st shot is heavily shadowed, with a train that's merely a minor presence in the shot, with poor lighting. Nowhere near as good as your accepted shot from the same spot

2nd shot has the same poor lighting, with no definition of the lower part of the train

for this one,they rejected for bad croping

the train is in the center of the shot, with constitutes bad cropping. The rail heads are shadowed, and there's nothing interesting on either side to help the centered train.

this one,rejected for poor image quality and bad cropping

Appears a bit blurry, and it's a roster shot, with no breathing room on the left where the locomotive nose is. The roadbed would also benefit from being cropped down imo.

this one,rejected for common angle/cloudy shot
automatic picture are generaly not accepted

Poor lighting, no definition of the lower part of the train. This would be a great spot with sunlight.

this one..rejected because too dark (amazing)

One half of the locomotives nose is shadowed, which is quite distracting, and takes away from the shot as a whole.

Loyd L.

Thank you for the tip

As well,I should keep in mind the 2/3 rules before shooting my pic..

I'm always keep in my mind,the best pic we can do is not always the one we get prepare for it,but it's the one we never expect to do..

a good trick I do all the time,when i'm going doing some pictures,I do not look at them the same day,I'm waiting 2 or 3 days,then,I load them on my computer,it's more easy to find the picture's defaults by this way,If I load them right after I shooted them,most of the time,I don't see de default or other missed parts in the first looking..that's hepling to get better shots after..

In view of that I took my final rail photograph some 25 years ago, I have little reason to visit this Forum. However I did choose to review this topic and allow me to comment that I am astounded at the direction such has taken.

While I'm certain the originator, Mr. Alex45, acted in good faith when he reported that he had material rejected by Railpictures.Net and would have liked to have discussion develop into a "clinic" regarding how to perfect one's photographic skills so that their material would prove acceptable to that site, the topic in turn appeared to be "hijacked' by those who seem to hold they have some kind of "right' to have posted any material they choose to submit. That the Railpictures site owner, Mr. Kilroy, was compelled to post here defending the standards that have been established at his site is simply ludicrous.

Somewhere over the years between my adolescent generation and that of today (I think i am of age to be the Grandfather of the median aged participant here), the thought of "getting published' has been lost. Such has been replaced with concept that anyone with a thought or image can record such, hit submit, and it automatically goes out to a world wide internet audience. Needless to say, I consider most personal web pages I have had occasion to view "in poor taste" (I only hope that youngsters hosting these pages realize prospective employers can review such); same applies to material submitted to video hosting sites, such as You Tube.

In short, I heartily applaud that Mr. Kilroy has set high standards for material to be accepted at his site; he is the site's owner and it is totally his prerogatove to establish such. After all, that material is going out to a world wide audience and if a photographer with accepted material has thoughts of "turning pro', such is part of his portfolio. That there is even some kind of "appeal" process escapes me; where is it established that anyone has a "right" to require any privately owned site to accept their material?

So keep up the good work, Mr. Kilroy - and keep those standards high.

Thank you VERY much for the extraordinarily kind words, Gilbert!