magnetoman Loc: Purbeck, Dorset, UK

...'Weren't me mister, honest!".
This is set in the Great Western Railway Broadgauge transfer shed at Didcot Railway Centre, UK. The transfer shed was a necessary evil in the days of mixed gauge railways in the UK. Goods and passengers could start a journey on, say, 'narrow' gauge track (later known as Standard gauge), and would need to transfer to broadgauge at some point in order to complete the journey. Eventually broadgauge lost out to standard gauge, much to the chagrin of Isombard Kingdom Brunel, who firmly believed the advantages of his broad gauge outweighed the additional associated costs. At seven feet, broad gauge did offer stability.
Most of the characters in this composite have appeared here previously and are provided by The Ragged Victorians re-enactment group.
The composite is fairly straightforward but provided some practice with perspective warping that I've not tried before. There is without doubt a degree of 'artist's licence'! Your critique and suggestions appreciated. You will need to hit download to see the intended colours - sorry about that.

(Download)

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Love it. Makes me want to reread some Dickens or similar. That is the kind of thing a museum shop might sell as print/calendar page/or on a card. I think I would favor colors about halfway between the UHH thumbnail and the download.
I am a sucker for old trains and period costumes. I am a member of the Operations Department of a large Railway Museum and we do special events - some years we have an "Iron Horse" special the weekend after the city of Riverside CA has its annual Dickens Festival. So all the re-enacters have their costumes at peak. After Covid fades away we may do it again. Come to think of it our Dec "Polar Express" and occasional "Civil War" (US 1860's) events often attract the Dickens and Victorian Era groups. :

magnetoman Loc: Purbeck, Dorset, UK

Thanks for the thumbs up Robert, glad you like it.
I think you’re right colour-wise, a straightforward adjustment to make as I’m sure you know.
It sounds like you have some pretty good photo opportunities with re-enactors. These folk take such a lot of trouble with their costume it’s a pleasure to work with them.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

You are welcome.
Yes the re-enactors are great.
I forgot the "Iron Horse" is actually the "Iron Horse Steam Punk and Family Carnival" if I remember right - organized by an LA area Steampunk group. I hope they come back after Covid - it was always fun. There is a lot of spill over from the Dickens, Victorian and US Civil War groups to the Steampunk events and a lot of people belong to more than one group. The Dickens and Victorian people just add some brass, leather etc. with some weird swords or guns to become Steampunk. Well some of the ladies wear less costume and some guys look like 19th century Super Heros. A couple of years we even had a computer tech who was into Steampunk with a booth where he sold customized "Steam Powered" laptop computers with lots of brass fittings etc. added
In the past we have had a small group that does Late 19th/Early 20th Century "Barber Shop Quartets" do occasional events or just join one of the bigger groups and a lot of singers and musicians show up and perform all over the museum (nearly 100 acres with 4 areas that have park or tree groves where people can set up).

Some of the younger crowd who do CosPlay come out sometimes also. Our daughter did that scene for a while in highschool and college but she is now a third medical student and only dresses up as a doctor.

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

Outstanding.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Wow, the composite is seamless. I originally took it for a staged photo before I read the description

magnetoman Loc: Purbeck, Dorset, UK

Sounds great fun Robert - I often shoot Steampunk events too, sometimes at the same venue as above. If your daughter fancies emigrating we have a doctor shortage over here, she’d be very welcome! Good to hear from you.

magnetoman Loc: Purbeck, Dorset, UK

Thanks kpmac.

magnetoman Loc: Purbeck, Dorset, UK

All separate images of the characters Curmudgeon, I shoot from all angles and pretty constantly - and probably take more rear and side view shots than most so I can put something together later. I’ll find a shot of the actual shoot later on and post it so you can see how we can get a bit tight for space. The scene here is slightly fictional as the platform is actually paved nowadays, the boarded platform is drawn in Ps.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

It can be fun, especially seeing little kids and others who have never ridden on a train get their first ride. A little kid who has only seen them in pictures and on TV or from a car as they go by really reacts when they get to walk up close to a locomotive and realize how big it is. Most kids today regard trains as those things that make you late sitting at a crossing watching a million freight cars go by. The biggest fun we have is the annual Thomas the Tank Engine Festival that we have every November during the week of the US's Veteran's Day Holiday. I missed being the announcer this year because I hit the hospital with a major multiple day attack of vertigo - and then not allowed to drive for two weeks to make sure it was gone. So I didn't make the festival.

I don't think Jasmine would be into that, she is Southern California born and raised. Just the trips to various med schools around the country for interviews and visiting my home town in Kentucky were culture shocks for her. Third year med school and she seems to finally be used to Virginia. And I don't think you would want to be her patient, she is aiming at Orthopedic Reconstructive Surgery. I told her I want to live long enough to call her Doctor Kitten but most definitely never wanted to need her services.

PattyW60 Loc: Northwest Illinois

I love this! It just feels magical! Thank you for sharing your incredible talent and vision!

Patty

ecobin Loc: Paoli, PA

I would never guess that it's a composite. Excellent work!

NJFrank Loc: New Jersey

What a wonderful composite. It could easily in my opinion pass as a staged shot for a movie production on a movie set.
My only nitpick and that is all it is a nitpick the shadows around feet of the people in front seem a bit too dark.
I can only guess at the number of layers needed to complete this composite.🤔
You never disappoint.

magnetoman Loc: Purbeck, Dorset, UK

Glad you’ve enjoyed it Patty!

magnetoman Loc: Purbeck, Dorset, UK

Thank you ecobin.