Living, Barely - Cima Sub Shots - Part 5 of 5

After the day’s events and considering I was content with the shots I had taken already, I decided to head home. As I left the Ivanpah, California grade crossing, I knew of two trains on the normally sparsely populated Cima Subdivision of the Union Pacific Railroad. One was the eastbound vehicle train that kept me company while we both waited for the westbound manifest train at Ivanpah. The vehicle train was now well on its way to Nipton, California and east towards Las Vegas, Nevada. The manifest train was out in front of me somewhere between Ivanpah and Kelso, California by now…

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Living Lucky - Cima Sub Shots - Part 4 of 5

Up until this point my truck was soldiering on, doing it’s climbing the mountain thing when came that point that most, if not all, four-wheelers have felt at some time or another. My truck had lost the forward progress and it started to wiggle and began a worrisome and very discernible slide towards the right side of the road. “Shit, sand,” I exclaimed. Normally I would not want to stop my truck at this point because any forward progress works in my favor to get beyond whatever sand trap I might be in. However, my forward progress had ceased and I worried about the sideways slide that my truck was in. I stomped on the brakes…

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Living Large - Cima Sub Shots - Part 3 of 5

Eventually my frozen fingers thawed and I proceeded along my route towards Ivanpah, CA. I would have to go through Cima, CA in the process and I thought perhaps I should stop for the night and tackle Ivanpah in the morning with fresh light and fresh legs…

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Down at the Depot - Cima Sub Shots - Part 2 of 5

After getting my fill of grade crossing shots and as the sun sank below the horizon I turned my attention to the Kelso Depot. It was past closing time so I had the exterior of the depot and it’s grounds all to myself which is nice because it came be a quite busy place during the day considering it’s remote location…

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Better Late Than Never - Cima Sub Shots - Part 1 of 5

It was the Sunday before President’s Day and I had hoped to arrive mid-afternoon with plenty of time to find a nice spot to set-up camp. I know that I am getting older because I just don’t do things as fast as I once did - especially when it comes to physical chores such as prepping the camper and the truck for a trip. I left later than I wanted so I had to adapt my plans accordingly. My destination was the Union Pacific’s Cima Subdivision. In particular, I was targetting the area around Cima itself. By my calculations, if I hustled, and drove straight through, I might be able to catch some good light at the Kelso Depot. I headed out in haste…

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A Moment Alone - One of My Favorite Photos

I thought I would share a photo that I took in June last year that is one of my personal favorites because it is where I am in spirit, always:…

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San Timoteo Canyon Steel

A couple of weeks ago I was able to venture out and chase steel for a few hours. After careful consideration, I opted to head towards Union Pacific’s Yuma Subdivision. In particular, I headed for the western edge of the subdivision which traverses the San Timoteo Canyon and constitutes the western slope of the formidable Beaumont Hill. While the traffic levels aren’t as high as one might find on the BNSF’s Cajon Subdivision, the area is extremely accessible and offers some great scenery and sweeping curves…

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Amtrak Dual - Variations of a Photo

As I stated in my previous post, HDR Photography Visually Explained, here is a post showcasing an HDR photo which has been processed with different effects. I was trying out different techniques to sharpen my skills and different styles to see what appeals to me…

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HDR Photography Visually Explained

I am often asked how I captured the details when I show someone my photography. The comment that their “photos don’t look like that.” I then explain the process of capturing the details, through proper exposure, and the benefits of High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography. I though it might help to produce a post that visually details how to capture a scene in HDR an show that everyone can do it…

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Trains at Los Angeles Union Station in HDR: Part 2

Continuing from my previous post, here are four more photos from Los Angeles Union Station…

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