Train Station in Sterling, Kansas
All Aboard!
The train station at Sterling, Kansas, stands out against a gray sky. But things were not as bleak as this photo might make them seem.
Recently, Jaylin and I spent a day in the town of Sterling, Kansas, so that we could visit a school there. We got there a little early, so we took some time to drive around the town and see what we could see. Being the train kind of guy that I am, one of the first things I spotted was the train station. So we pulled our car into the parking lot so that I could get a quick photo.
I really don’t know anything about this train station. Is it still used? Do trains still stop there, or do they just go right on by? Is there any historical significance? I am guessing that there is some sort of history behind it. After all, train stations were the focal point of activity in their day. It would be interesting to know more of the story of this station. Maybe some other time.
I did like some of the cool details of the station, so here is a closer look:
I like the “Sterling Elev 1640 ft” sign on the station, just like you would see in the old days. That is about 11oo feet higher than our home, by the way. Plus, there is the additional “Sterling” sign by the tracks. I also like the old style lighting fixture hanging from the canopy over the platform.
I like it when places hold on to their old railroad stations. They are always interesting to see!
Not What It Seems
I should let you know that from what we saw of it, Sterling was not a cold, dark town, no matter how this photo might look. I took this photo rather early in the morning on an overcast day. It was very windy that day, and it stayed cloudy all day with a few occasional snowflakes in the air. That happened to be the weather when we were there, but I know it is not like that all the time.
Contrastingly, all of the people we met there were nice and very friendly. I was definitely impressed with all of the people we came in contact with. It definitely had that friendly small town feeling, and I am happy that we had the opportunity to visit. Even the cashier at the Dollar General store we visited was pleasantly cheerful.
Friendly places are good to find these days, but they seem to be hard to find lately. Do your place to make your place seem friendly!
Bible Verse
All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast. - Proverbs 15:15
About the Photo
I actually made this photo look a little darker than it did originally. So some of the darkness here is actually my fault, or at least my choice. Because the clouds and much of the surroundings were already gray, I decided to run with that.
You might think I used a selective color technique on this photo, and you would be mostly right. However, this is not quite true selective color. I did leave a little of the blue tint in the gray clouds instead of dialing that all the way down. I went back and forth about whether to leave the blue in there or not. In the long run, I decided I liked that subtle hint of blue along with the red/orange bricks. That made it look a little less threatening.
Also, the detail photo is actually just a crop of the main photo, in case you were wondering. And the main photo was cropped from the original photo to remove a car that was off to the right. That car was a slight distraction until I removed it. So the detail photo is actually a crop of a crop. In case you were wondering.
Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Luminar AI. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens
Date: January 15, 2021
Location: Sterling, Kansas
