Absolutely Steaming!

Back in the early 1980s we used to regularly visit the steam railway museum at Steamtown, Carnforth.

They had a shed full of old locomotives and carriages, a couple of really famous and one later-to-be famous engines normally standing in the sunshine (ah, remember those days...) outside the sheds.

The famous ones were the Nigel Gresley, easily mistaken for the more famous Mallard and of course, the ultimate in steam locomotives, 4472 Flying Scotsman.

The later-to-be famous locomotive was painted a dull black but is today better known in its red livery as the Hogwarts Express.

I was a keen member of the Blackpool and Fylde Photographic Society in those days and entered the photo above in one of the many competitions. A visiting judge said the locomotive was excellently placed but what a shame I couldn't have waited until the wind had stopped blowing so the reflection in the puddle would have been clearer.

He did admit that had I done, the train would have no longer been there but perhaps I should have waited as the train at the museum constantly goes back and forth along the line, passing the puddle on every occasion. Twit!

Did he not think I might have done exactly that and that the photo I entered was the best of the bunch? Well perhaps not because, in the days of film cameras, taking photographs was an expensive hobby and you thought about every shot! I was at the time, though, taking photos with a view to magazine publication and that meant forgetting about the expense of film in order to get that ultimate shot.

It makes me think now though, when people are so clearly shocked by Simon Cowell telling them they can't sing (when it's patently bloody obvious they can't sing) that a good bit of honest criticism is a rare thing. Politically incorrect you know. And other such piffle. Friends encourage them by lying through their teeth and saying "Yes, you're really good, you should be on telly!"

Have a look at comments on Flickr for instance. I've seen photos on there with scores of comments from admiring friends saying how great the photo is and offering all manner of meaningless awards. I look at them and want to add a comment saying "But it's wildly out of focus for Heaven's sake!!!" Try it...and see the abuse you get...

Larger Versions of the Photos: train and puddle, tank engine