Merry Christmas!, a photo from Falkirk, Scotland

Photographer's Note

Merry Christmas to All!

When I saw this picture which Marion had uploaded, I remembered that I still had some pictures from three years ago of "Santa's Polar Express" at Bo'ness, so here's one taken during a great day out we had with our young grandchildren.

The Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway is run by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society and each year, during the run-up to Christmas, they run "Santa Specials". All tickets cost around £9 and for that you get a return trip up the line, a distance of only a very few miles, but Santa comes on the train and gives gifts to all the children (quite good gifts too for the money) and all adults get a hot mince pie and a cup of tea. It's good fun for the children and a little pang of nostalgia for the grown-ups.

Incidentally, the funny hats which people are wearing are paper "antlers" - everyone has to wear them on the train!

You can read more about this railway and the SRPS here.

Shot in RAW and converted and edited in PSE9.

carper, bayno, SnapRJW, Kofman, RhodieIke, macjake, delpeoples, williewhistler, Didi, InasiaJones has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

carper (96) 2011-12-23 5:33

it's a good shot John,
marvelous point of view, good balance and a clear photo job here, well done. I wish for you a very good Xmas.
regard jaap

jester5 (1620) 2011-12-23 5:48

Cracking photograph John.Lovely use of the light and good sharp image.Think I saw Santa in the waiting room with a sherry LOL.
I hope you and your family enjoy the festive season and perhaps I'll come first footing your end of the border;)

bayno (16213) 2011-12-23 6:34

Hi John, what a beautiful scene, I've always loved trains as a theme, make me think about the future of travel and adventure, this old locomotive is wonderful and you have taken in a masterly way, the smoke that surrounds it is spectacular and the people on the platform that enriches the scene ... maybe he would have been beautiful in B & W, nice shot, warm regards, Valter..and Merry Christmas to you and your family

SnapRJW (18784) 2011-12-23 7:45

Fantastic Christmas shot John - The atmosphere is tangible. Magnificent! Merry Christmas Rosemary

saxo042 (31802) 2011-12-23 8:17

Hi John,
A very good picture with this Christmas train. The steam really imitates the Santa´s beard but the dirty smoke doesn´t look that good... Seems like a very pleasant trip here even if you have to wear antlers.
Kind regards and a Merry Christmas again
Gunnar

annjackman (13227) 2011-12-23 9:46

Hello John,
I love this shot as it celebrates all the fun of Christmas. The children must love this. The steam is billowing out giving a great atmosphere. Superb quality,
Oooh - what fun.
Happy Christmas to you and your family.
Ann

prasun984 (5590) 2011-12-23 21:16

Hi John,
lovely shot from a rail station with a top viewed POV...like the play of light on the smoke which is coming out from the train...also like the awaiting passengers in the platform...
nice color contrast & sharpness also...
wish U Merry Christmas also...

Prasun

emka (58194) 2011-12-23 23:59

Hi John,

Wonderful!! It looks like from fairy tale book or children's movie. My granddaughter favourite is the locomotive Thomas and his friends, It could be there. It looks like painted, specially this smoke, fabulous.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!!

Malgo

npecanhuk (53913) 2011-12-24 5:07

Hi John!
What a wonderful picture!
You caught such a beautiful and lovely moment with the presence of that train and those folks!
Sharpness, exposure, colors, chosen pov, dof, vertical format and composition are all excellent!
TFS - congrats,
Merry Christmas,
Neyvan

RhodieIke (9207) 2011-12-24 5:46

Wow John, Santa's Polar Express, this is fantastic, great capture the steam just puffed in the right place to allow us to see the super Steam engine. Splendid scene and looks like great fun, with most donning funny hats to enjoys the festivities. Excellent Pov, Merry Christmas to you and your family, Seasons greetings, Iain.

macjake (39235) 2011-12-24 5:59

Hi John
A funny, and well timed photo for the season.
Love trains, as they are beautiful subjects to photograph, the uglier and older - the better!
The steam here is awesome!

Merry Christmas to you and your Family!
Craig

agjika (4015) 2011-12-24 10:58

Merry Christmas John,
Lovely photo of Santa's Steamer! There are two main elements two this shop, the steam and the composition and they are both superbly captured.

Great light and mood.

Greetings

Aleks

jadesgran (3285) 2011-12-24 22:04

Hi John
Firstly `A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU`
This is a great pic for Christmas.Love the antlers the passengers are wearing.Great capture of the steam.
Best Wishes Gladys.
What time is the ham being served?We`ll be there!!!!

batalay (32864) 2011-12-25 0:55

Hello John,

This is a train that I would like to take myself, while using my grandchildren as an excuse to board the train. Santa's Polar Express with smoke and steam billowing could have been a feature shot in the National Geographic, especially with the antler's worn by individuals in the lower right.

I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas ("Happy Christmas" in the UK) and a New Year marked by health and happiness.

Bulent

delpeoples (45006) 2011-12-25 5:06

Dear John

Happy Christmas to you and your dear ones, hopefully Santa has been good to you this year and you're sitting down now to a hearty Scotish Christmas lunch, and will eat and drink way too much. We've had a huge day here, it's been stinking hot, so hot in fact that we ate cold seafood, cold ham and salads. And the beer was ic cold too...yummy! This photo looks like something off the front of a biscuit box. And were it not for the modern clothing, is so timeless. I'm also very fond of the idea of people wearing antlers (although usually prefer it when wearing goatskins and sacrificing a chook). So thanks for sharing and best wishes to you all. I leave for Malaysia soon, so not sure how often I'll be on TE. If I don't get to say it before New Year, thank you so much for the opportunity to view your beautiful (and always improving) photos, read your critiques that you put so much time and humour into, the opportunity to learn from your critiques and of course to have your friendship, which means so much to me.

Un abbraccio a te ed alla tua famiglia
Lisa

Ricx (13441) 2011-12-27 7:14

Hi John, A train with a father Christmas beard.. even got that red nose . with little kids standing around as if awaiting for their presents.. you have captured it well. and as always with a sense of humnour.. Hope you enjoying your few days off before you start the "rush" of your first year of retirement.. Rich

williewhistler (7299) 2011-12-28 3:55

Hello John,
I don`t know why, but this reminds me of the Xmas that I wanted as as a child and never had!Must be all that lovely smoke and steam billowing about I suppose,it certainly adds a fine sense of atmosphere.
The whole scene is beautifully photographed and most appropriate for the time of year.
Best regards Les.

Royaldevon (17791) 2011-12-29 2:10

Good Morning John,

Steam trains always demand attention... well, maybe more to us 'oldies'! They resonate power!

Your pov is excellent for gaining the best possible effect from hissing steam. It conjures up memories of magic, when things appeared in a puff of smoke! Maybe that's where J.K. Rowling got her inspiration! The perspective is great and you have included lots of clear details which really capture the mood.

All the best to you and your family for the New Year,
Bev :-)

Glint (5573) 2011-12-30 13:02

hello John,
I have already seen this and admired it. It has so much charm and a nice festive feel to it.Nice light and well composed. I feel I'm there.
Best wishes for the New Year,
Bev

holmertz (26980) 2011-12-31 4:46

Hello John,
I get the impression the dark smoke signals "No Santa yet", while the white smoke says "We have a Santa!". I just wonder why they couldn't make up their minds. In any case I find the idea of Santa Claus arriving by steam engined train more attractive and more likely than the thought of him assisted by flying reindeers.
You found a good angle for this attractive and entertaining picture and I wish you and all those close to you a fine 2012.
Kind regards,
Gert

CLODO (24734) 2011-12-31 6:59

Hello john
2011 is leaving with bad news (dark smoke) and good ones figured by the white smoke.
Good POV and decisive moment, plus the attractive tourists waiting for the train stop.
All the best for 2012
CLODO

Silvio1953 (98217) 2011-12-31 7:27

Ciao John, lovely animated composition with fantastic old locomotive, excellent clarity and wonderful colors, very well done, my friend, Happy New Year 2012, ciao Silvio

Didi (48934) 2012-01-02 9:37

Hi John
Interesting steam view. Very good composition of the scene.
Only the sound is missing.
Best wishes for the new year

InasiaJones (29347) 2012-01-15 22:48

Hi John,

I guess we all have photos we would like to realize on our "to do list", and steam trains surely appear on mine.

They convey so much appeal and their design is usually splendid.

Your image is a powerful one, as it goes beyond the simple representation of the train. The angle of view is a key element of your photo, as it presents the whole context, something you couldn't have achieved as successfully if you would have been at the ground level. It also allows to distinct the train through the steam.

Your composition is carefully constructed, with the train resting on a line of third and being framed by the structure. The village in the background provides a timeless quality that suits the subject.

Beautiful light, good timing (for the steam) and efficient composition.

Cheers!

André

Photo Information

Copyright: John Cannon (tyro) (13111)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-11-29
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di-II LD SP AF, HOYA 67mm HMC SUPER UV(0)
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/250 seconds
More Photo Info: view
Map: view
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2011-12-23 5:28