Photography
I am not a professional photographer. As a dedicated amateur photographer, I have specialized primarily in Railroad Photography (the bulk of my photography), Scenic and Travel Photography, and Bird Photography. I have also accumulated a collection of funny or head-scratching signs I have seen over the years. Each of these categories appears in a separate gallery (galleries are still under construction).
Although I strive for artistic merit in my photos to the extent possible (e.g. I pay attention to composition and sun angle, although I don't always shoot with the sun behind me!), I consider myself primarily a documentary photographer. As such I try for realism in my photos. I do considerable adjustment (mostly Photoshop) on my photos to improve their appearance, but it is always with the goal of more accurately reflecting the actual scene (or perhaps my idealized memory of the scene). I do not use unrealistic colors or other effects for "artistic" purposes. And I never add things or remove fixed objects, even wires (except sometimes by cropping). Photos are, among other things, historical documents. When I look at photos from 100 years ago, sometimes the ancillary details are the most interesting aspect in creating the ambiance and reflecting the time and place of the photo. If anyone 100 years from now cares to look at my photos I want them to have the same reaction.
For railroad photos I have two overriding philosophies: (1) Try to place the railroad in context, and (2) strive for variety. As a result of (1) I often shoot from farther from the tracks than many rail photographers (but because of (2) I don't always do this!) I see many technically good photos of trains which could have been equally well taken in California, Texas, Nebraska, or Idaho; I prefer that my photos have a "sense of place" (and of time too if possible).
I have only fairly recently begun trying serious bird photography (or, maybe more accurately, I have only recently had the right equipment to take decent bird photos). Almost all my bird photos are common species; I have photographed only a few exotic or rare ones. This is more out of necessity than choice, but I make no apologies about it, since many common species are just as beautiful and interesting as rare ones. I don't have decent photos of nearly all the bird species I have seen, but I do have photos of more than 150 species. My life list is over 600 species, which sounds impressive, but it is not because I am any great birder (I'm not), but rather because I have done bird-watching all over the world. It is quite possible that I have misidentified species in some photos, and I welcome corrections.
Concerning bird photography, I always try not to disturb or frighten the birds I photograph (of course, sometimes I inevitably catch birds by surprise). Some birds are skittish and fly away before I can get close enough for a photo or even to identify them; others are pretty tame and allow a close approach. Birds in towns or other places frequented by people tend to be more tolerant than ones in more remote places. A long lens and patience are very helpful in getting good photos without disturbing the birds.
Photos within each gallery are searchable. I have tried to make the galleries convenient and user-friendly. Each photo has search labels attached, and clicking on a label will call up thumbnails of all images satisfying the criterion. Then click on the desired image for a full-screen display. There are also captions on each photo, which at least record the location and date (something every photographer should do, at least for documentary photography). For best results, I suggest going to full screen mode and hiding the toolbar.
It will be a long-term project to get all or even most of the photos posted here that I want, so check back. Many of the photos are already posted on my Bruce Blackadar Photography page on Facebook.
All photographs are copyright by the photographer. I do not sell my photos, but higher-resolution copies are available for publication or other public use upon request.