There’s a small lurch as the wheels slowly begin to turn and the view out the window begins to change. Traveling on a train is great entertainment especially when rolling through Sycamore Canyon on board the Verde Canyon Railroad. Red rocks slide by as do glimpses of water flowing gently through the winding creek bed.

black & white train photoVerde Valley Railroad train. Illustrative Art setting pushed to black and white with the white balance setting.

And best yet, I get to play with more settings on my Lumix GX7 as we squeal and clatter along the rails to Perkinsville and back. The more I play with this computer, and yes it is a powerful computer in my mind, the more I like it. Didn’t realize I would enjoy the soft… or the dynamic black and white. I already know I like the in-camera panoramic stitching. (but I don’t use it on this trip because it’s hard to stitch while on a moving platform… or is it?? something I’ll have to experiment with in the future!)

perkinsville train stationThe semi-abandoned train station in Perkinsville.

Because I have this time to mess about with picture settings and play the ‘Let’s see what happens if I do this’ game. I’m finding new looks that I want to program in the camera. It is becoming an another tool in my artistic arsenal to share images. I encourage you, no matter what camera you own to go in and play with the settings so you can find and learn the full capabilities at your disposal.

artistic rendition of trees along the verde canyon railroadPushing and playing to learn new ways to artistic expression with the Lumix camera.