Initial Impression : The photo strongly evokes a sense of age, of ramshackle development, and of neglect. The sepia treatment enhances this sense.
Composition : Placement of the tracks in the photo draws the eye nicely. The way the poles and electrical lines sort of spiral out from there works well. I really like the sign. There is a bit of a sense of emptiness to the composition. That emptiness works to support the overall effect of the photo. The crop is very goodt.
Lighting, Exposiure & Processing: The focus seems just a tad soft, perhaps it is a consequence of other factors. The lighting is even, but it is a little flat. One of the consequences of flat lighting is that textures are subdued and hard to read. My guess is that more aggressive unsharp masking and some work with curves in Photoshop might bring out texture better. I like the darkness in the sky and the way the clouds work. I understand the motivation to make it look old and moody, but my personal sense is that the whole photo is hurt a bit by there not being some brighter highlight areas in the photo.
Overall: It certainly fits the railroad theme of the challenge. It is an interesting location and this is an appealing treatment.
This is, of course, just my opinion; I hope you find it helpful.
Best of Luck,
Steve Brubaker
The use of the texture creates an interesting effect here - like the paper itself is just behind the pole, and the shadow of the line running between the poles is falling on that paper.
If I were choosing a texture for this shot I wouldn't have chosen water color paper or canvas. This looks like more of an old photo rather than a painting. It's a nice composition though, and I think the sepia works.
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