The Story Behind the Photo

Starts with an “R”

by Ashley LaShell

Thank you for choosing my Starts with an "R" image as this month’s Story Behind the Photo.

This photo was taken in Issaquah, Washington at the Northern Pacific Depot. The railroad tracks were constructed in 1889. Today, one mile of track still remain. I drive by the tracks every day on my way to and from work. So when we got the assignment for something that starts with the letter "R" I knew this was going to be my subject. 

My photo was taken in the evening during golden hour using my Canon 7D mkll with an EF 24-70 L lens. The camera was mounted on a tripod as low as I could get it. The image was shot at 50mm, at 1/6 sec, f/7.1.

I had to do a slight crop to remove distractions around the border. There was a cute couple taking selfies just up the track who was completely oblivious of me.

I processed the photo in Lightroom. I did some minor adjustments such as, reducing highlights and blacks. Then increased shadows, whites, clarity and contrast. I also used the radial brush to increase the exposure in the center to draw the attention down the tracks.

Initially the photo was in color, but I felt the clumps of grass in the tracks was distracting and messy. I then converted the photo to black and white, but it didn't have enough contrast, so the photo looked flat. I then decided to try the B&W Sepia Tone Preset included in Lightroom. I really liked this effect of this preset because it made the image look old and historic.