GOBS OF NEW PICTURES! -- BEST TRAIN TRIP

This was where I stared my trip, from Union Station. I got on the right train at the right time. I was able to capture new images with some special access granted by the crew. This was my best sequence of rail shots ever possible. Given access to clear windows or open windows--I was able to bring you many of the following images without the usual serious glare and other problems.

SOME HUMBLE ADVICE AND THINGS I HAVE LEARNED
ALL these shots were done with my digital SLR in MANUAL modes and they were done, with NO time in the "Digital Darkroom" (Photoshop or other Photo edit programs). Not that I don't like to, or look down upon using it often--or how much of an enhancement to your pictures it can be. So do not take that wrong--it is great and most Photographers myself included could not get by well without these programs. Requirements for people shots, art, or many touch-up reasons are all legitimate to use Photoshop or a similar program for and makes you no less a photographer. I just like the manual way--and some people have been impressed by that. I think it all boils down to what I tell people--you should learn on a 1960s all mechanical all manual 35mm film SLR. The only thing that was electric is the light meter. I am just proud that I was quick enough on the controls and other things to get these shots as they are with only my name stamped on them. A note here--you can ask any Photographer and you will probably find out that "full-auto" is a mode only used in a very quickly needed shot with no time to set changes. There are so many variables--a computer simply cannot think well of the arts of lighting and colors needed to make it as pleasing. Even shooting modes are more complex to me then manual. A great deal of in camera on site settings can take away hours on the computer after shooting full-auto shots are overexposed or under or otherwise a mess.. I guess it's a preferred technique. RAW changed everything for the good in my opinion, I now shoot all my pictures in RAW+JPEG mode. The JPEG files are under 200K each. That way I can have a "demo" file that is still good enough to show off and put on the internet very well but not fill my HDD with HUGE RAW flies. An indexed CD system makes it possible now to find each picture I want in my CD archives. Until I figured that out, the mess is just so large that finding some of these pictures may take too long to be worth it. I have a huge problem with files before I figured out this method. It is VERY IMPORTANT to get that down or you will fill your hard disk with tons of files and finding a certain one might be too hard to be worth it. Even if you buy another external HD every other month--you will end up with a mess. Indexed DVDs or CD-Rs are the way to go. (Update 2011--) I used to think this--until I had over 1000 DVDs and a house fire! Needless to say I lost everything on the DVDs and CDs but I was able to recover a large number of my external hard drives. It was incredible after being burned and soaked they survived. With hard drive space now cheaper then DVD space--I think because technology has moved so fast buying a new external HDD 1TB or so every so often is the best way to backup your pictures. Of course you should make backups of those somewhere, but in terms of trying to find a single picture--nothing beats a few USB HDDs. And as the technology changes, you can simply copy those drives into whatever new media comes along. Hard drives have become my medium of choice for keeping and backing up my photos since 2009.


A house if I recall probably some where near Klamath Falls. Historical stuff is everywhere from junk to neat old houses. Don't worry--I'm not planning to do a boring show here.


A trucker, I bet he has no idea that his reflection out here in the desert of real water and mirages could ever make such an image.

I think I took this one on the Gray Hound bus. To depart from Union Station in Portland, I must take the bus to Portland from here in The Dalles where I spend most of my time.

This was not our locomotive, but it definitely has a personality of it's own.


A more modern caboose. I saw quite a few of them. Some of them older and not, this time I could only keep up with the train to a certain degree and so only a few of the shots turned out ok.

Here is one of my cool views--in the back with the crew I shot right out the back of the train.
Sometimes you can do it without asking and sometimes you can't even get back there or when you do the glass is so bad it's useless to try. This was an incredible opportunity.


We went through several mountain ranges. I THINK this is Mount Shasta but I cannot be certain. With my special access and abilities on this trip--I was able to shoot about 100 shots of this and other passing mountains in Southern Oregon or there about (I think). More Mountain shots are below.


A real old train car. This could be older then the 1940s or only as new as the 1960s.
I tend to think it is pretty old. It was parked just along side of the tracks in a backed up place somewhat out of view. This was not a train display or some kind of collection. Because rail cars are so difficult to get off the tracks---sometimes they just leave them in old dead end tracks like this. I have seen a few old Pullman cars like this in other secluded places.


A better picture of the Covered bridge. It is either the largest, or the only covered bridge in Oregon. Or both--I forget.

Old junk is everywhere out there in the desert, I have more shots like this but I got 1000s of pictures to go through to find them. I took these shots a long time ago--and all these pictures is an example of the huge backlog I have of pictures to post and work on. I love to take those pictures and see they did well---but taking all the time and effort to put them on my website is takes allot of time. I also fear people will miss some of my pictures, but as I say-this is not an "all bug" site at all. And recently I have wanted to show the other kinds of pictures I take but often don't post.


I would have a great time if we could have stopped. There is so much interesting old stuff out there that you don't see every day or get a chance to go to in local towns. If you can find a crew member nice enough--they may open the window downstairs for you to catch pictures like this. I got lucky on this one trip. As you have probably seen from more recent train shots--glare and heavy glass problems cause serious problems with pictures. I had very clean windows to shoot from in certain areas as well. I have been unable to have this kind of trip with awesome abilities since.


"All junk goes to Heaven"

The desert out there is littered with old cars, trucks, farm gear, broken down buildings and other interesting stuff. It is too heavy and too much to get to the land fills or recycling I guess because there is so many farms that have LOTS of it. I passed several junkyards as well.



"Home on the Range"

This Ranch was one of 100s you pass as you come up from California. The delays have caused people to get nearly into fights with the crew and a constant complaint by other people--for me--they give me a chance to take more pictures. Because I have had a wide range of picture abilities where normally it would be dark passing many of these sites if the train were on schedule. The delays due to other train traffic should be estimated at least 6hrs on EVERY trip.

Recently Amtrak has been talking about changing schedules to figure out how to fix this problem. My advice is--if you have to be anywhere in 24hours--ride with lots of space, lots of potential friends, and plenty of places to lay down take Amtrak. If you want to spend more time in security and other lines at the airport then you spend in the airplane you will be on time but you won't want to even bring your nail clippers even if your an old lady. Amtrak is an awesome adventure. Family or friends can track your delays now--so they don't ever spend hours at the train station waiting for you. Amtrak.com or calling 1800USARAIL you can check the expected arrival time of any train as it happens. On the internet it is very easy. All kinds of wired stuff happens so it's great for photographers if you get lucky like I did on this trip.

If you need to be somewhere on time--fly or take the Bus. IF you want beautiful views or to meet people and plenty of room between you and anyone you don't want to sit next to or want to sleep--take Amtrak.


Click on this picture to find your old car.


"Just what the heck is this?"

Some kind of shack. You never know what's out there in the desert. Dad and I drive for miles and find stuff like this. Who built it and what it is for I Have no idea. Click on it to see some detail. Be sure to comeback to my site with your Internet browser arrow keys back to my site. < -- "Just what the heck is this?"

Some kind of shack. You never know what's out there in the desert. Dad and I drive for miles and find stuff like this. Who built it and what it is for I Have no idea. Click on it to see some detail. Be sure to comeback to my site with your Browser arrow keys back to my site. < -- These pictures are hot of the camera. With my digital SLR I was able to shoot far faster of course and this trip was one in more then 100. This is one of many mountain shots. They will get old if I keep posting them. I have at least 1000 pictures I want to post (publish) on this site from recent bugs to older shots like this that never made it. It is fun to take pictures but it takes a long time to post them. What a neat place this would be to go hikeing. My dad and I enjoy places like this and the high desert. Finally I have all the photographic power to do really awesome trips. When my dad has time again, I hope to bring some pictures of what is out there and what we see on these trips and long hikes which I surprizeingly and thankfully can still do dispite my physical illness. Not as well--but I still can. I am very glad that God would let me not only let me live but still be able to hike and explore as well. I am a very lucky man. I have only used words about my pain and how people think I'm fine and just making it up because I look so normal and strong most of the time publicly.

A new lens combo I built will soon bring better insect shots. It's a medium range macro system rather then the very close up that sometimes makes it difficult to photograph a medium sized moth or other larger insects.

"Clear Horizon"

Shots like this are normally not possible on Amtrak. If you go back you can find my newer shots and see the difference.



Another view, I was so lucky to get this access and chance on this one train trip. I did another similar one with those snow pictures if you go back to last winter under "all pictures". But views like this often require permission or finding a very rare very clean spot in the glass.

I'd like to hear what people want to see---opinions good or bad and of any kind are welcome. I want to know more about what people want and like because I am going to possibly start seriously selling pictures. I try to find stuff that is as new as I can get, and views that are "off the beaten path" like many of the shots on my site. I like to know more then my family and friends can really tell me. I could take a picture of a dead busted up bug and my family might well tell me it's more or less "good". That is what family is for. . So other then my friends and a bit of honesty from my family I want people to know that I have no bubble to be broken here. I want to know if people like the pictures I do--and which ones resonate the best to everyone. Tell me if you like any picture here. New stuff or all the 100s of others under “all pictures“
going back to over a year now. . Your comments and compliments have been very helpful and are always welcomed and appreciated..

I am creating a method to take pictures of insects which will make the bugs near my lights look better. I have been trying to find a way to take pictures of these insects in a more natural setting. I have a new idea on how to do this with the attracted bugs.

THIS IS NOT THE END OF MY WEBSITE!
THERE ARE 100s MORE PICTURES TO SEE! MANY PEOPLE DON'T FIGURE THIS OUT. SEEING THE REST OF MY PICTURES HERE IS VERY SIMPLE, PLEASE READ HOW HERE! Go to "all pictures" at the top of my website and click on each month starting with last month. Go up month by month and scroll down to the bottom until the very first month and you will have seen my entire website. I can't put 100s and 100s of pictures on one page or it would take days for even a fast computer to load my website. So I had to break it up into months. There are tons of pictures NOT ABOUT BUGS as well as articles. PLEASE DONT MISS IT--you will be glad you did not!