Good Train, Bad Photo?

If you feel like most of the pictures you take of trains seem to lack that certain flair, don't feel alone; the world is built on photographers like you and me, who make our livings in careers other than photography. This means I need all the help I can get when it comes to getting photos to look good. Yes, I've had a camera in my hand since the mid 1970s; doesn't mean I'm good at it though. I continue to struggle with composition and adequate lighting, the latter being almost impossible to find in the Pacific Northwest. But nothing compares to the frustration one can feel when confronted by a photo they like which contains unwanted elements, namely overhead wires.

Wires can ruin an otherwise well-proportioned shot of anything. But what does a person do when it's just not okay to whip out the Stihl and saw the poles down? They get a copy of Wire Pilot for starters...that's what! The folks at Color Pilot offer Wire Pilot software to remove wires from digital photos. The site shows great shots marred by those pesky wires, and the demo shows just how easy it is to remove them. Best of all? Its free. Color Pilot does offer other software to buy, but this one costs nothing.

For years I've been skeptical of digital photo editing. It's hard being certain that something free could help salvage otherwise useless photos. But we know there's only one way to find out if Wire Pilot is worth anything, and that's to download and try it.

Well I'm convinced now that a lot of my photos can be saved by this software. I took the photo portrayed in this post (above is the original), and used Wire Pilot to see what it could do. I was impressed with the interface and the result. It's simple to use, doesn't take a lot of resources to operate, and ends up doing a darn nice job of removing wires! The most amazing this was that it was able to continue the look and feel of clouds that were behind the wires. I don't ask how it's done, but I sure appreciate what they created!

Major photo editing is one of those things that some people take issue with, because it's taking what's "real" and creating something that is "pseudo-real." I struggle with the ethics of it too, but have concluded that for my own use I'm all for taking advantage of digital tools to make the photo better. I draw the line at posting one of these heavily edited photos to an online database like Railpictures.net or RRPictureArchives.net. But for my own websites, or snapshots, I'm willing to work with a photo that otherwise would not be published.

Give it a try sometime, with one of your digital photos that needs help. It will be worth the effort!

Horn replacing Train Whistles in Steilacoom

Here's a solution to train horns that is...well...just as loud as a train? Doesn't sound much like a solution!

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Horn replacing train whistles for the sleepless in Steilacoom

By The Associated Press

STEILACOOM -- An automated horn will replace train whistles at a busy rail crossing in Steilacoom.

The town council voted for a $130,000 train warning system that will direct the horn at traffic.

Whistles from the 50-to-60 trains that roll through Steilacoom each day have been disturbing residents, especially at night.

Officials say the noise from the train whistles can be heard over 31 acres. That's about 70 percent of the town's 6,200 residents. The automated horn will be about as loud, but it will be aimed at the roadway.

Copyright (c) 2007 The Seattle Times Company

www.seattletimes.com

Welcome to Washington Railroading

Welcome to WARail! This blog is written for railfans, by railfans, and discusses the sites and sounds that make up the diverse pattern of rails that spans the State of Washington. Much of the culture and mobility of this state can thank the railroad for establishing ways to get around and move goods. The look of the rail industry is also very different in each corner of the region; the Central deserts, the high plains East, and the rainy urban West. Mountain railroading is also alive and well in Washington, with two busy mainlines crossing the Cascades. The land is also criss-crossed with the ghosts of "Fallen Flag" railroads like The Milwaukee Road, clearly evident in the track beds of a bygone era.

While today there are only two "Class 1" or major railroads in Washington, the state has tracks and routes that belonged to a teaming list of road names - most now lost to history. The railroading history here is vast, and the track miles sometimes seem endless.

WARail is here to tell the stories of Washington Railroading from a railfan's perspective. This includes commuter rail lines, light rail operations, and "Short Line" railroads. We also monitor new stories that impact tracks old and new, and provide commentary on interesting photos and trackside photo opportunities.

So thanks for stopping by; we're glad you came!

Kurt Clark