Sunday, September 13, 2009

The Magician's Rod

Click to enlarge
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When I processed this image into black and white the soft, almost dreamlike, quality of the result seemed to imply that sense of magic and wonder the railroad used to hold far more than the industrial blight it so often connotates today.
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What do you think? Is the romance of the railway dead? Did it ever really exist or have our rose-colored glasses exchanged the black coal smoke for the haze of dreams?
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22 comments:

Marie said...

Lovely in mono.

Anonymous said...

I agree - it has rare quality.

Kate Coveny Hood said...

Personally - I love trains. I just wish it was a more affordable transportation option. And your picture is lovely.

Daryl said...

Wonderful... I can hear the train coming, those tracks are humming ..

Gry said...

Nice! I like the tunnel of threes

Carver said...

That's a beautiful shot. I am a romantic but I can see both sides. I think the past is often romanticized when the reality is much harsher.

Miranda said...

Great shot!! WOnder where it leads. It's true, like Kate says, its soo expensive. Would love to travel by train.

Danton said...

I love to travel on trains. Always certain it will stop on a designated station. Lovely mono.

Dirkjogt said...

This picture does it fantastic in B&W

anymommy said...

I don't think the romance is dead, I wish we turned more to trains v. planes. It's a beautiful photo.

Liz Hinds said...

I think it existed. I used to love the old trains with corridors, just like in all the best films!

Anne said...

This one was REALLY good :-))

Libby's Library said...

This may be one of your best photo's!

Regina said...

Beautiful shot!

Anonymous said...

"Steel rails chasing sunshine round the bend, winding through the trees like a ribbon in the wind..." (a little Alison Krauss for you :-) I think part of the romance is that it connected people when little else did...like postal mail was more romantic when it came once a month and by pony express...and letters came from people from whom you never otherwise heard. And they're just pretty and mysterious, how they wander off through the woods without shoulders, billboards, highway signs, etc.

Unknown said...

Love the old feel to this

Mojo said...

I love the feeling of motion... and age... and an older wisdom.

Kilauea Poetry said...

This is wonderful and better enlarged! Fantastic in mono-

Janet said...

I love train tracks...ahhh, the journey!

Dragonstar said...

This is magical! Sorry I'm so late returning your visit.

"Sunshine" said...

Hey Robin--I haven't been on nearly as much as I used to, so I'm trying to catch up on your photos. I love railroads, and for a long time I've wanted to get a good railroad track shot. Kind of like this one, actually. I love it.

michael bird said...

Makes for a great b&w. I feel mostly a wistfulness, so maybe the romance is gone? My wife and I when we were in college (not married yet) would walk the railroad tracks to town and back so the romance for me (us) comes from a slightly different remembering.