Motion and motion stopper.by
wingyComment by emorgan49: This is an interesting photograph and the more I look at it the more I like it. I even like the things I initially didn't like. Here is what I like:
The format (is that the word for the size ratio?) is very effective, the oblong being drawn out feels like the doplar effect where the image is actually being dragged/stretched out by the train.
The sepia color works well. It is night and night should be monochrome. ANy color, like a red light or green grass, would have been distracting to the image. I like the sepia better than B+W - it makes the scene a bit unreal.
I love the gradation of light from too dark on one side and too light (overexposed) on the other. It adds alot to the sense of motion - To me is is going from the dark into the light. Same for you? I definately FEEL the motion and I disagree with the commenters who thought it looked like a wall. Although they did get the sense of MASS that the motion carries with it. It feels powerful, like you better get out of the way.
I like the RR crossing sign and its eerie shadow. It never occurred to me that the shadow as well as the sign would be static in relation to the moving train and this is very well done. The sign itself almost looks like a person with those two big lights being the eyes and this person says STOP and holds out his arm. But the train can't stop. But the shadow is such a distortion of the sign that it looks like a gallows, or cross or something sinister. The two lights have become dangling arms.
This is a visually compelling image and there is something dark and disturbing about it too. The dynamic force of that train in the dark is sort of creepy and dangerous.
I can't think of anything that you should change because that would change the feeling behind the image. I think if people looked carefully at why they scored it low they would find that they were disturbed by the image. Good job.
from the critique club - remember that I am just an amateur and this is only one persons opinion (mine).
Photographer found comment helpful.