"Fraser Canyon Train", a photo from British Columbia, Western

Photographer's Note

My 450th shot!

A Canadian Pacific Train winds it's way through the Fraser Canyon as two groups of rafters make their way down the Fraser River.

On the left hand side of the shot you can see the rock sheds that were created to protect the tracks. These railcars are en route from the prairies to Vancouver's Grain Terminal in preparation for export.

(yes, I meant to have the image crooked- I like the effect)

For more images from my recent trip back to Canada, they're available on my travelogue.

I hope you like the shot,
- Dan

teutza, ktanska, jwmunro, gneufeld, moni05ro, worldcitizen, dareco, saxo042, john_c, triprdp has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

ben4321 (9875) 2007-08-31 4:03

I think the tilt works well here - with the lines of the river and the railway it sucks the eye towards the bottom left corner.
I think the shot would have worked even better if the train had been travelling the other way, so that the locomotive was nearest the camera.
I like it though, good work Dan.

Cheers,
Ben

jemaflor (146312) 2007-08-31 4:04

Hi Dan,
Very impressive pov, nice effect with this snake train ... Well taken.

kiks (12805) 2007-08-31 4:17

Hi Dan, i also liked the effect. It makes te landschape shapes even more amazing. Great composition. But where were you to take this pic?
Tfs
KIks

teutza (10590) 2007-08-31 4:22

HY Dan,
wow..it is a dazzeling view..good one..i like the POV,,really interesting effect!!it is looking like a miniature game..
teo

hdl (7035) 2007-08-31 4:36

Hi Dan. Congrats with nb 450! The pov and tilt make the shot quite dazzling, so that's a good choice in my opinion. I also like how the river and the train make a curve right through the picture.

chc (1468) 2007-08-31 4:40

Very impressive. The tilt is decisive here. Well seen
christophe

ktanska (44484) 2007-08-31 4:51

Hi Dan,
It's a great place, well known for those who have interest on railroad photography. Hugely long trains, almost desert vegetation and deep gorge. Not to mention the few bridges over there.
Great scene, I see there's some rafters there too. Even though your tilt is intentional, it doesn't work on my eyes. The way it might be feasible is to strech the train from corner to corner to such maximum length.
Kari

clnaef (6289) 2007-08-31 5:21

Bonjour,
Int廨essant et vertigineux cadrage !
Bonne journ嶪.
clnaef

kensimage (8563) 2007-08-31 7:54

It's not often you can get away with a tilted landscape, but I think this works, despite the midday light. The forms--the snake and the parallel river--carry it. Nice that those rafters were there to make an accent. Looks like they were wise to build those chutes to carry the avalanches. Regards, Ken.

Cormac (26565) 2007-08-31 8:00

This one really gives us the impression of looking at a snake instead of a train! The tilt is a bit disorienting at first, but I think it does emphasize the shape and also put another twist on this. Great work!

jwmunro (286) 2007-08-31 8:58

Hello Dan -

I am not generally a big fan of tilted images but this one works. The 'S' curve of the train and the mirroring bend of the river is the key to this image. Exposure is spot on the money and you have managed the harsh light very well. What is the red thing above the first rock shed? Well done!

Thank you for sharing.

John

porto62 (2313) 2007-08-31 14:09

Hi Dan, i wil call it the iron snake,impressive shoot and instructive too. Great POV naturals colours and a good compo,really make it.TFS Alain

Nelu_Goia (3116) 2007-08-31 15:18

Extremely original, I love it!:)
I think you just launched a style,Dan.
Thank you,
Nelu

gneufeld (15890) 2007-08-31 16:53

Hi Dan,
Wow, what an intriguing shot -interesting perspective but a very effective presentation. Good colors and great clarity and detail TFs. Gerald

Ann75 (0) 2007-08-31 21:31

Hi Dan,

Amazing shot with the train to the right and the deep canyon beside it! Amazing how you captured this as it's an amazing view. I love the rafters on the river as well! Great composition, great light and details! Excellent work, Dan!

Greetings,
Ann

vincz (19113) 2007-09-01 1:25

I love this POV! The tilt is fantastic. i was recently in Donner Lake in the Sierra and was wathcing such a long train above the lake. I was thinking at taking a picture but did not even think of using such a tilt. It really makes the picture. Excellent work.

MiguelP (14470) 2007-09-01 3:09

Hi Dan... Very impressive photo because the breathtakind landscape, but beside this, there is the snake shape of the train giving a special touch to the photo.
Congratulations for your 450!
Take care.

paulalex32 (4) 2007-09-01 3:57

Hi Dan,
What an excellent capture. Very sharp and dramatic, very much like the reality of this particular section of the Fraser and the railway. This image really takes me back. When I was young, my father and I would take an offroad vehicle on three-day trips using the powerline access roads on the other side of the canyon. If you get a chance, I highly recommend the trip. There are things you won't see on the highway. Cheers, Paul.

worldcitizen (15958) 2007-09-01 16:26

Hello Dan,
This is a great and dramatic composition! I love the tilt, and the train truly resembles a giant serpent slithering through the canyon. The different textures and colors of the rock are very appealing too, and the POV is wonderful. Those tiny rafters do a good job of conveying the enormous size of the canyon wall. All of the elements in this photo come together perfectly.

dareco (17136) 2007-09-02 1:05

This is so wild!! I love this picture. Very unique. Great POV! TFS

saxo042 (38078) 2007-09-02 1:47

Hi Dan,
A very interesting photo with the composition concentrating on the train (from the thumbprint I thought it was a snake). Good shot supported by a good note!
Regards
Gunnar

john_c (24666) 2007-09-03 9:31

Hi Dan,
Travelling the Fraser Canyon, one has an irresistible impulse to stop and capture such trains as they snake their way along. I like this zoom shot, with the hue of the river also accurately portrayed. The two rocks in mid-stream in my imagination are white water rafters...A good exposure level. This is a very long way from Singapore. Cheers, Dan.
John

PJE (20758) 2007-09-04 20:52

Dan the creative composition slant really helped make this a very interesting photo. I am glad you caught some rafters heading down the Fraser. Very effectively done Dan!

happypoppeye (4819) 2007-09-14 17:20

This is an interesting photo Dan. I'm not really into trian shots but I've looked at his one a couple of times. It's almost an abstract type shot, with the train slinking around th corners of the mountains, reminding me of a snake. The mountain tunnels seem to be hands, trying to pull the cars into the mountain. Very original. Composition is good, with the river below excentuating the curves of the train, or vice versa, not sure which. Again, all technicals are really good. I don;t think there is any question about your technical ability. It is spot on and anyone who has been on this site for any time would probably attest to that. Coming back to originality...I think this is the main reason for the 44 points. I've noticed that alot of your shots don't bring in as many points as they should...I think it is because of the originality alot. Almost all of your shots are "technically" perfect, but this one has originality, a tilted horizon, a scene not often seen...and no, points don't mean s**t on this site. They have no revelance on whether a photo is good or not, but they do show what kind of "wow factor" the photo instills in the average viewer. If the average viewer likes it, and likes it enough ot critique it, than the chances are it's good enough to sell or be considered a "sellable" photo...at least in the average viewers mind. And who buys the majority of photos? - the "average" person. Exactly. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think you after just selling photos, but you are good enough too...the point system on this site works in a crappy way, but it also says something about the photo...unless you were doing a s**tload of critiques the days before posting this...hahahaha :0)

Great work.
Original.
John

jcprovencher22 (150) 2007-10-10 8:12