In the age of digital cameras and YouTube there are millions of railfans photographing and videoing almost every square inch of rail in the US. A lot of those images start to look alike, even to a buff to me.
When I go out railfanning these days, I find myself searching for the less obvious, the historical, or the unique. Something different than the me too shots of the next train, or a special paint scheme.
I believe that we are each capable of creating something "better".
Taking what we "see" with our camera and making it into something that tells an entire story visually.
The end result isn't "photography" per se, but more digital art. I've never had any talent with a paint brush or drawing, but I've found a way to express that desire to create. It is my own way to be an "artist", something I never thought I'd call myself.