Tricks with a backdrop

I was looking at photos of the old layout, and realized that different lighting and camera angles of the same backdrop gave me completely different effects. For example, this lighting, which was concentrated on the E8, gave me a misty, cloudy effect:



Notice the dark spike of a tree on the backdrop sticking up just behind the E8's cab. That's a reference point for the next picture. This is the same backdrop under a little sunnier lighting, from a reverse angle:



The dark spike is now accompanied by a lighter dead-tree spike. Now, notice the coal tipple on the right hand side of the image, which will be a reference point for the next photo. Also notice how rounded the mountains are.



Using a telephoto (above), I foreshortened the scene. To the upper left, you can still see the dark spike seen in the first photo, and the tipple of the previous photo. But the mountains have become much steeper, and a totally unplanned fog has crept into the top right corner.

You can detect the fog (below), but not the sharp peaks in this wide angle photo, where the tipple now is to the left:



Finally, The backdrop becomes just an abstract color in this shot, again with the light concentrated on the close-in scene:



Same backdrop, many different effects. It does tend to drive editors crazy, though. I happen to like playing like this. Most articles I see (except Lance Mindheim) portray very sunny days--a minority of days in New England.

 

That is masterful.

 

Very interesting results. That is one beautiful layout!
Bill

 

Thanks, Mark, but nah, it's just mostly being a trickster. Some of it is luck, pure and simple. The majority is a willingness to experiment, try new things, sweat under hot lights, and expose a lot of film (for these shots). I have not yet made any significant effort to shoot the new layout with my digital camera. It's coming soon.

 

Thanks, Bill. It came down in 2002. I'm hoping the successor, which is much larger, will be much better. My wife and I are still building it, so I haven't taken the time (and sweat) to photograph it well--that's coming soon.

 

Very good photography of a neat layout Pete

 

Makes me think I am in the Appalachian Mountains (northeastern USA) somewhere. Coal country.

 

Flash,

The backdrop is actually a photo of the former Purgatory (now Durango?) ski area in the San Juan mountains of Colorado. I Photoshopped out the ski lodges. It was a great hike, and the scene certainly serves for Pennsylvania.

 

I'll try it. Thanks for the idea.