Tom McCreary, APSA, MPSA
January 2020 - Case steam engine
Original 1
Original 2
About the Image(s)
This was taken at a steam tractor meet in Pawnee, Oklahoma. It was shot with a 18-300mm lens at 52mm, 1/400 second, f11 and ISO 320. I liked it coming toward me and the driver is visible. I first used dodge and burn to lighten areas of the tractor and to darken the grass around it.
There were a lot of other tractors there and some like the red one on the right side was distracting.
This round’s discussion is now closed!
6 comments posted
Good idea to get rid of distracting bright colors by switching to monochrome. I will save up the lesson. This is so helpful. Posted: 01/02/2020 21:58:06
Tom: The monochrome was definitely the way to go. I think you captured the strength and beauty of the engine by changing to monochrome! Posted: 01/03/2020 07:45:47
A steam tractor meet is interesting to me - never knew they existed. This is a nice shot as it give me a sense of place and personality. It feels as though the tractor is in motion due to the steam direction, while the driver looks in the opposite direction. Detail of the eagle on the front is nice too. I agree the red would have been too distracting. Nice image. Posted: 01/06/2020 18:53:23
The driver was probably looking at the equipment. These monsters do not move very fast. Oklahoma actually has two meets, one in the spring and a smaller one in the fall. It is nice to see that someone is keeping the old farming history alive. Posted: 01/08/2020 14:20:33
We have quite a lot of steam traction engine shows in Britain though we don't often go to them. They are frequently part of the annual county shows. They are impressive machines and can usually be useful for photos. I normally take the whole engine and then try for parts of them -like the wheels or the engine parts and then get the driver to pose pretending to load coal etc. There are always fans of the engines around and small children polishing the metal can be good. The backgrounds are a problem and mono is a good way of dealing with them. You could always try reducing the colour of the background and leaving the machine in vibrant colour but not for this group. Posted: 01/27/2020 14:54:12
A nice capture of this old tractor, and as others mentioned, a good choice to convert to eliminate the distraction of the bright red in the background. You may want to try selecting and darkening the white awning some if possible, too. I like that you captured the driver's face in this image.
My husband and I were just in the Texas Panhandle in August for the centennial celebrations of moving the towns there to the railroad when it arrived. Several of these steam tractors were used in 1919 to move entire buildings. After seeing a steam tractor sputtering down Main Street in the parade, I understood better why it took nearly a week to pull my great-grandfather's set of wagons 45 miles from Liberal, Kansas to the Texas farm. You're right, they certainly don't move fast, but they are a neat part of history. Posted: 01/27/2020 23:51:59
My husband and I were just in the Texas Panhandle in August for the centennial celebrations of moving the towns there to the railroad when it arrived. Several of these steam tractors were used in 1919 to move entire buildings. After seeing a steam tractor sputtering down Main Street in the parade, I understood better why it took nearly a week to pull my great-grandfather's set of wagons 45 miles from Liberal, Kansas to the Texas farm. You're right, they certainly don't move fast, but they are a neat part of history. Posted: 01/27/2020 23:51:59