Magic sunset
by timlu

Comment by Structor:
Great composition and colours.

Magic sunset
by timlu

Comment by AllanL:
this could be a picture for one of those motivational posters: "Perspective - The sun is always rising." Well done!

Magic sunset
by timlu

Comment by AlexSaberi:
love the leading lines of the clouds.

Magic sunset
by timlu

Comment by missinseattle:
beautiful!

Magic sunset
by timlu

Comment by akina:
I can only think WOW in this photograph!

Branching tracks
by timlu

Comment by strangeghost:
Greetings from the Critique Club
by strangeghost

COMPOSITION
You mention in your photographer's comment that it feels like something is missing from the composition, and that maybe you should have tried a shorter lens. I take that to mean you wish you had a wider field. As it is, you have achieved significant depth. The stones in the foreground are all sharp and you've got good detail right up to the foliage. I like the way you've used the tracks to create meandering lines that lead the eye up and out the left side. The background is a little busy with the telephone poles and power lines. This might have worked better with a different location where you had less clutter, and maybe even a longer stretch of track to work with. I wonder what was right behind you as you shot, both from the standpoint of the above clutter comment as well as the lighting differences looking back the other way. As I write this, I'm scrolling up and down to look at your picture as I write, and I find that when I scroll in such a way as to clip the top centimeter or so off your photo, I think it improves (clipping the power poles and lines). I think the net effect is to let the rail tracks be the primary subject and lead the eye up and off with no distractions interrupting.

TECHNIQUE
Excellent job achieving the depth you wanted with your long shutter and lens stopped way down. You might have even pushed it one stop further; you have plenty of light and even some blown highlights (rail by the road and the tops of the railroad tracks). The grasses and trees seem a bit too yellow also, maybe knock down the saturation a bit or even shift the hue a bit to green them up.

OVERALL IMPACT
I think your photo might have had more impact with the above mentioned crop and hue shift. After writing the above two paragraphs, I read your voter comments and see that several others have also mentioned the crop issue. It's a good photo but clearly didn't "wow" the voters. You have a good eye for composition though. I'll look forward to seeing more of your stuff.

Branching tracks
by timlu

Comment by nsmith:
Very nice. Try cropping out some of the upper distracting scenery.

Branching tracks
by timlu

Comment by billtvshow:
Ah, very nice diversion from the norm, nice pic!

Branching tracks
by timlu

Comment by Elaine:
Over processed or the wrong lighting

Branching tracks
by timlu

Comment by cornettcag:
Lots of texture on the foreground metallic plate - I like it but it does take my attention away from the branching tracks.