Winter is coming...

I'm hoping this photograph makes you go Brrrgh, followed by, he's not that old is he? ;-)  Well, no, I'm not thank you :-)  Its a photograph captured at Toddington on the Great Western Steam Railway (GWSR) not too far North of Cheltenham one winters day in 2008..

Great Western Steam Railway (GWSR). Toddington signal box

Despite it being mid afternoon a blanket of frost still clung to most things, hence the trees, grasses have a white coating.  I do remember my hands being rather cold and thinking about the nice warm fireman's plate of the locomotive not too far behind me.

The original image was shot in colour on a Canon 1D Mk IIN, but the outcome was a monochromatic brown/grey thanks to the weather conditions.  Colour just didn't work.  I tried a black & white variation but settled on this flatter grey/brown version as it was closer to the colours on the day and also gave the photograph that old feeling.  I've also kept it dark to accentuate the cold feeling and the light reflected from the cold steel railway lines.

I primarily like wilderness landscapes not necessarily heritage railways, not that I have anything against them tho.  They are just not the first subjects that come to my mind.  Anyhow in this case I think the two came together...  That cold almost desolate feeling of an age long past is to my liking :-)