"Photographer's Special:, 1881

[Speedster]

Hi gang;

Been working lately to put some of my stuff in context, and focusing on landscapes.  These renderings represent a "Photographer's Special" as they were known.  In 1881, the narrow gauge Denver and Rio Grande Railroad commissioned the famous photographer William Henry Jackson, to travel the line and shoot 16 x 20 glass plate images of the amazing Rocky Mountains (Colorado, USA) for marketing, and for half-tones and engravings for Harper's Weekly.  This of course to promote tourism and commerce. 

These specials were usually just a locomotive and caboose, and the photo jaunts would usually last several weeks.  Glass plates were processed in the caboose.

I was inspired to do these by a stunning backplate from CG Textures.  It was perfect, but I did do some radical tweaks in CS5 first to populate it with more trees, etc.

Loco, caboose and trestle in SolidWorks.  HDR created in HDR Light Studio, and then tweaked in KS Editor.  Not much PS post work.

Comments welcome as always!  1st image is small for the forum, with larger images at the end.

Bill G

[Dylan]

I like it. Excellent work. How did you do the smoke from the engine?

[Speedster]

7 layers in Photoshop, in different greys and blacks, the balanced with transparency.  It's "idling" on the trestle, so there's not a lot of smoke, or "chuffs" that result with each stroke of the pistons.
Bill G

[bzemer]

Amazing work!

[Buster2002]

Love the detail ,takes you back to. Different time ..
Thanks -
-LT