Bruce Michelotti
August 2026 - The Edison
About the Image(s)
I shot this train at Greenfield Village outside of Detroit, MI. It was built in 1875 and rebuilt in 1932 and is stylized as a Post Civil War era classic. It does carry passengers on its 3 mile loop and will fill up the station with steam before it sets out on its journey. The engine is called the Edison, named after Thomas Edison.
Shot with a Canon full frame at 58mm. 1/15 sec., f/32, ISO 100.
I did add brightness to the front light to make appear that it was illuminated (it was not).
I thought the conversion to monochrome fit the subject.
10 comments posted
Such a nice photo of the train I thought I would try to clean it up. It entails tedious alteration but wondered what it would look like without the Trees and Branches and a new morning sky. .Nice story, great focus and tonal qualities. Posted: 08/07/2026 20:02:47
Thanks for the alternate look Harley. It looks like it is on its way to the Pacific coast "back in the day". You did a great job cleaning up all the trees and fences. Posted: 08/10/2026 12:42:11
I was about to say what Harvey has taken care of which is to replace the background which was so distracting. Posted: 08/13/2026 01:51:24
Thanks Lane. Posted: 08/16/2026 14:41:47
I like the diagonal aspect to this image. It's bringing the train to us. The 1/15 was a bold choice here. It shows the wheels in motion, which is a nice touch, but the rest of the image also suffers in sharpness. I love the back story on the train. This was a good image for the monochrome treatment. It really fits the mood and subject. Being on the west coast, the distance between Michigan and Wisconsin is relatively close....How about we swing by Greenfield Village after Racine while we're on our group trip? I'll buy the coffee! Nice mood piece, Brice. This sets a nice scene. Posted: 08/14/2026 13:09:31
Thanks Andrew. I am not 100% sure the train is a bit blurry, rather I think the steam may be contributing to the softness.
And, YES, if you are nearby let me know. I will be happy to give tours of the area. Posted: 08/16/2026 14:45:21
And, YES, if you are nearby let me know. I will be happy to give tours of the area. Posted: 08/16/2026 14:45:21
The composition is spot on as is the exposure. The image is good as a B&W and you have all the tones. I am surprised that this is 1/15th second. It is quite sharp to my eye. Was the train moving? I am ok with the background. Harley's suggestion is dramatic and brings to mind a train crossing the great planes. You gave this a good bit of thought and it shows. Posted: 08/20/2026 17:26:31
Thanks Mark. A train across the great planes was exactly my thoughts when I took this. Yes, the train was in motion. Since it was moving slowly and coming towards me I was able to get a shot at that shutter speed. I was hoping to get some softness in the steam with the slower shutter. Posted: 08/22/2026 16:10:38
I adore this photo. Trains always fascinate me and I think you captured this so well with the train heading straight for the viewer. You left enough space on the left to give the train room to move through the frame. Your tone was good - giving the image a sort of retro sepia quality. I also like what Harley did to remove the trees behind it. They are sort of useless in the picture. So, getting rid of them was a good move. Posted: 08/22/2026 17:17:13
Thanks for your comments Jill. Posted: 08/22/2026 20:09:22