Cracking the whip on cloudy days

[amtrak07t]

A few months ago, it was fairly easy to get a cloudy day photograph accepted...as long as you didn't blow out the highlights.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphot...=568726&nseq=7
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphot...552864&nseq=38

Now it seems as if I'm being dinged left and right for cloudy weather, which sort of seems out of the ordinary.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewreje...57&key=4820230
http://www.railpictures.net/viewreje...83&key=2819866

Of course, I'm not arguing the rejection. It's easily justified, but it seems like both of the accepted photos would be rejected had I submitted them in the past two weeks or so. Anyone else notice this?

[conrail1990]

The SWP photo I thing should be accepted Personally. The Amtrak heritage unit, not so much. Its way to dark and the cropping is bad.

[ShortlinesUSA]

Seconded on the cropping issue with the Amtrak shot. I think cloudy may have just been a generic and quick rejection while going through the pile.

I'm on the fence with the SWP shot. The light is not the issue, IMO, and if truly was a cloudy rejection (that is, the screener saw that as the only issue and this photo otherwise would have been accepted) I would disagree. However, even though as a hardcore shortline fan, something on the composition in this one isn't working for me. Possibly too much of the rear of the lead loco blocked. But it didn't make me leap out of my chair and shout "BS!!!" as a rejection.

Cloudy seems 50-50 to me on rejects. Probably just a matter of who sees them. The Cassandra shot is wonderful, IMO, and I'm glad it's in the database. Very artistic, and minimal sky involved (although good texture to what's there) shows a well-executed cloudy day shot.

[amtrak07t]

That Amtrak shot was still better than my other shot taken a week ago!
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphot...=576381&nseq=1

Side note...anyone know how to properly attach photos?

[JRMDC]

SWP: dark is one thing, important dark is another. You have a potentially interesting scene under the station roof, but it's a little dark to fully appreciate it. I'm not saying I can't see certain details, because I can see everything; I am saying that there is a difference between "bright overcast dark" and "in the shadows dark."

Amtrak: has a dark feel to it. It isn't wrong, but with the sky mostly hidden, so the setting is mostly the dark woods, it feels much darker than the Jersey Central shot even though I am thinking they are both exposed and processed in about the same way.

If it doesn't matter to you much, I am thinking if you increase exposure/brightness by a half stop and both get in.

[Mberry]

This is nothing new IMO. Cloudy shots getting on or not is at the whim of the screener.

[troy12n]

The first 2 would have gotten on if the light was better. But it's not, so no...

Using some screener that accepted something they shouldnt as criteria for your shots getting on is bogus.

[JimThias]

Originally Posted by amtrak07t

Now it seems as if I'm being dinged left and right for cloudy weather, which sort of seems out of the ordinary.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewreje...57&key=4820230

Cloudy is a must with shots like this. There must be something more specifically unappealing about it with the screener.

PhotoID: 432756 Photograph © Jim Thias

[3375]

Brandon, with your Amtrak 145 shot; no chance. Or if you're going to attempt sheer white sky photos on here - get creative and try to not include as much as sky as you possbily can. Go look through Robert A. Shook's photostream (aka the RP wedgie king), and you can get a general idea of what to try, especially at a location he has frequented constantly over the years.

Brian

[JimThias]

Originally Posted by 3375

Brandon, with your Amtrak 145 shot; no chance.

In post #4 above is that accepted AMTK 145 photo.

[amtrak07t]

Originally Posted by JimThias

In post #4 above is that accepted AMTK 145 photo.

Yeah, they did accept it. It seems that they will accept a cloudy photo if you cut the majority of the sky out, even if it is an overcast. Yet, if there's adequate contrast among the clouds, they'll reject it about 70% of the time.
Now, I may be in the majority, but I'd rather have a better composed cloudy day shot than a 3/4 wedgie with good lighting.


Freddy Shook is one of my personal friends!

[amtrak07t]

I eventually resubmitted the SWP shot and it was accepted at some point. I brightened it, thanks JRMDC.


http://www.railpictures.net/photo/581011/
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/581011/