The Train Series

A few years ago I created a photo illustration of a train:

Steam Locomotive Illustration

(See Composite for more information on how the train illustration above was created.)

That image has been published several times over the years so I wanted to create some more.

I don’t have many train photos. I take them sporadically as I travel. The one below is from Toronto. It started out very plain. I tried to stylize it to add a bit of drama and interest.

CN Rail Illustration

The smoke was the hardest part. I created a custom brush and just played with multiple layers and blends until I got something I liked. This can be a time consuming process. The image can become quite complicated. Here is the Photoshop document with all layers:

I let this one sit for a while but finally sent it off to my agent at All Canada Photos. Then I started to look for more raw material to continue the series.

In 2013 Lori and I travelled to New Zealand for a 6 - week trip. It is a lovely country. We visited the Kingston Flyer, a steam engine train on the south island. The images are okay but I wanted to bring them closer to the style of my other train images. That was my intent. I ended up with something a little different.

The Flyer Illustration

The Flyer Illustration

The Flyer Illustration

The Flyer Illustration

The Flyer Illustration

It’s always fun to play and explore with my images. I never know where I will end up.

Time

Jet and Road

Do you notice how fast time goes? Blink and years have gone by. It must be an age thing. I was talking to a colleague about my past life in the computer industry--something that happened more than 20 years ago.

Someone once said to me that time continues to speed up as you age. It makes sense when you think about it. When you are 5, one year is 1/5th of your consciousness. When you are in your fifties it’s 1/50th. I guess I shouldn’t complain. I’m glad I’m still here; there is so much more to do. Sometimes though, I want to slow it down. I want to savour it more. It’s hard to really see anything when it is speeding past you.

Sambaa Deh Falls, NWT

I try to do “time management”. I make “to do” lists. It helps but when we go at full speed you tend to feel frazzled at the best of times.

Speeding Locomotive

I have started to think about what comes next. Not that I’m that close to retiring. I still have years to go. With the accelerated pace of my life, that day seems just around the corner. I could do this for a lot longer. But maybe I should start to think of other things I want to accomplish. Other things that require slowing down and savoring the moment.

Brown Bear