254 - Waiting For A Train



Not a great day, photographically. I took some shots of insects in the garden, and later in the afternoon I tried some landscape shots. The light was not right, I was already in a hurry and all that kept my inspiration low. I had already decided for a very tight crop on a grasshopper.

Then, in Velden, waiting for the train, I saw the wall of the station building (I guess from the 1950s), the window and the cart. I see them every week, I have even taken some photographs, but this time I decided to use them.

I’m glad I did. Velden is one of the glamorous tourist centers on WΓΆrther See, and more so since the new luxurious hotel in Velden’s castle with its apartment complex has opened. But of course the guests who stay there don’t come by train, and so Velden’s train station radiates the sleepiness of the province, the charm of the 1950s, static and slow.

And so is this image. I have dabbled in RGB again, taken the blue channel and overlaid it in “Soft Light” blending mode for contrast with a mask on the window and the cart, did some color adjustments and in general brought detail from the highlights into the mid-tones. The whole method is pretty old-fashioned, just as the whole subject.

The Song of the Day, “Waiting For A Train” has been sung by many people in the country scene. We go for a Southern touch here and therefore it’s again the venerable Dr. John on his 1983 album “The Brightest Smile in Town”. He has extended the traditional lyrics a bit (or he sings the original?), so what you hear in the sound sample, you won’t find in the lyrics that I’ve linked to, but it’s still that song.


There are 7 comments

pnfphotography   (2007-06-25)

Hi... I really like the composition in this image and the color is an added bonus. There are several textures in this piece as well. Very well seen and captured.

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Corey Bienert   (2007-06-25)

I like how you describe how you edit your pictures. It gives me some new things to try out.

Great Image!

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Thomas   (2007-06-25)

I completely agree with Corey. Thanks for sharing the info - and your pictures of course! Beautiful picture of a seemingly everyday scenery...

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andreas   (2007-06-26)

Thanks. Goodness, am I tired. It is 4am, I've spent ages riding the not-too-lively-any-more horse that is today's image, "Vereda Tropical", and now I'm exhausted. Well, one and a half hours sleep are before me πŸ™‚

Andreas

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Ted Byrne   (2007-06-27)

What's the allure of windows in walls? I have so many that I've actually tried to swear off taking them... but every time I find that my lens, like a dowser's rod, gets tugged back.

Maybe it's because I want to be able to make an image of a window in a wall that is as pellucid as this? Yeah... that's it... I want to capture this sort of geometry covered in a patina of retro-aging. In the pellucid light of summer.

And I also want everyone scampering to their dictionaries to figure out wuddahell pellucid is.... Heh heh heh....

Great capture.

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andreas   (2007-06-27)

Haha, right before your last paragraph I asked myself what the hell ... πŸ™‚

Thanks all

Andreas

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Chad Oneil   (2007-06-29)

Great image!

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