Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Photo: Looking Down, Looking Past

When you're using a zoom lens, it changes the camera's view of the world - what you see is not necessarily what it sees anymore. Sure, it brings what's far away into a clearer focus, but it likewise distorts what's nearer at hand. The National Post had trouble grasping this concept back in 2009 when the streetcar right-of-way on St. Clair Avenue West was set to open. It's the same way a 134 foot long train can look barely bigger than the average bus depending on what angle you're looking at it from.

With all that in mind - I took this shot from the railfan seat at the front of a Mark I SkyTrain last week, on one of those exceptionally rare nice winter days. If I recall correctly, this section of track is just past Nanaimo Station, and despite appearances, TransLink has yet to convert the SkyTrain into a roller coaster. To normal human eyes, that descent is so smooth and gradual it's difficult to even notice.

I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. This applies worldwide. In case this is not legally possible, I grant anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.

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