Had a bad day? Know someone who has?

...from a photographer's notebook

Detail from "He's Had a Bad Day"         ©Steve Ember

Has it been one of those days? You feel like the system's derailing your best efforts?

I know, I tend to anthropomorphize certain favorite machines, but…

Clearly, this CSX GP-40-2 has had a bad day…slow orders…sidelined for every @%&# priority freight…all he wants to do is get home after a long day.

My guess is 6468 has spent some time on those CSX divisions up in New Jersey or New York and maybe picked up some “attitude.”

So he puts on his best DeNiro or Bruce Willis snarl, and bellows out “Hey, derail THIS!”

Not to make light of the derailer…these devices are intended to divert runaway trains (or angry locomotives...). Oh, there I go again; but editing this image, from an Ektachrome I shot last winter, well, if you know me, it just cried out for “special treatment.”

By the way, if you’d like to cheer up someone who’s had a bad day, as I played around with this, I decided to whomp up a new Photo Note Card. It's called “He’s Had a Bad Day.” As all of my new designs are custom printed to order, you may order it blank inside, or you may customize it with your own message. For ordering information, please contact me via the e-mail address in the right column. And if you'd like to see my angry locomotive in higher definition, follow this link.

Image + Design ©2012/2013 Steve Ember

And now, everybody sing along!