BIG BOY4014 Steam Engine Locomotive and using Neo Editing and Presets

UNION PACIFIC BIG BOY 4014.  Largest Steam Locomotive in the World. 
Parked at College Station 10/8/24

 I used the Affinity Photo clone tool to carefully remove the people on the right and the cars on the left (see below).  I wanted to remove all modern-day artifacts but didn't have the time/patience to tackle the apartment complex.  I might end up doing it and updating at a later time.  Next I used Luminar Neo to edit a mystical look, dropped in a sky with a little character,  and added the preset Dirty Look.

Original.  Fujifilm XT-5 16-80 Fuji lens.

I took my daughters and one-year-old grandson to see BIG BOY at College Station. It was a clear, blue sky and the pictures were taken around high noon.  

I plan to print and frame this for the little guy.

Used the new Color Transfer edit option (tropical Landscape--match similar objects' colors) and a little Mystical edit. Also dropped in a different sky.

NEO Preset Monochrome Low Key 75%

Info links on BIG BOY.

https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/4014/
https://youtu.be/Hszu80NJ438?si=0kuSU_f5ivYFqOn3
https://youtu.be/5YMAqqCYe00?si=7_v60fgXwZ6gIbo1

Fujifilm X-T5 "Subject Detection Setting Airplane " to Capture Airplanes in the Skies

Taken in front of my church in north Austin around 6 pm.

Equipment: Fuji X-T5 with a Fuji 16-80mm lens.

I used the subject detection setting feature set for airplanes for the first time. This is found in the menu under Af/MF, Subject Detection Setting, then select airplane. You also can select Animal, Bird, Automobile, Motorcycle&Bike, or Train. I have added subject detection setting to the "Q" button (Quick Menu) for fast access.

The clouds over Austin today were amazing in any direction. So I left for work early, and threw my camera in the truck hoping to find a high point to snag some cloud pics. I pulled into the Hwy 183 walkover bridge at E51st. The next thing I heard a plane fly over my head! I was in the flight path of landing planes. What's better than sky pics? Sky pics with jets of course. Then I saw the Austin skyline. And finally, I thought the walkover bridge was worthy of a pic or two. But my favorite pic was when I got to church. Took that one standing in front of the church doors. No airplanes.

The moral of this story:

--BE PREPARED. Always bring your camera when you are driving. Keep a camera stand in the trunk.

--SLOW DOWN. Don't be in such a hurry all the time that you can't stop and take some pics.

--LOOK AROUND. You may have stopped for a pic of something that caught your attention, but there is often other photo opportunities hidden in the peripheral.

--POST REFLECTION: After your photo shoot always take the time to reflect on the event. Ask yourself, "What went right? What went wrong? And a really important question to improve your photography skills, "What would I do differently if I could redo it?" The primary purpose of this photography blog for me is to intentionally force me to think through the "Post Reflection" process and provide a place for me to record my findings. If others can benefit, all the better.

Now back to Airplane Pics.

The following pics are all in a sequence.  Flying towards me, then directly above me, and then flying away.  Using the object finder plane mode proved to be very effective. 

NEO:  I cropped a little and slightly enhanced contrast on these photos.  

Plane is coming towards me.  Sun is to my back/left.

Directly over my head.  Delta would be proud.

Now the plane is moving away from me.
The sun is to my front/right. Light source and location make all the difference. 

Skyline Downtown Austin, Texas

Skyline Downtown Austin, Texas

Focus Merge on a Matchbox CJ-7 Jeep with the Fujifilm X-T5 Camera

This was a focus merge in Affinity Photo. I used a Fujifilm X-T5 with a 16-80mm lens zoomed in at around 50 mm (I was about 12" away)and took 12 pics focusing on different parts of the Matchbox Jeep. Focus merge combines the pics into one file and then the work begins. You have to select the sharpest pic of the area you're working on and then clone it to the master file. This process allows you to get sharp focus at various focal lengths. I found it to be very time-intensive but very rewarding. The detail is amazing. Just look at the lent(?) on top of the front tire under the wheel well. Even in the shadow the camera picked it up in fine detail. The detail also exposed the sloppy paint job! What can you expect from a $1.50 toy?