This afternoon, I watched a Today Show story regarding taking selfies on railroad tracks. I was glad to hear this issue addressed by the national media. Every year, I see photos of people on railroad tracks. The logic says that they will hear the train in time to jump away. That does not work well if you cannot hear the train until it is too late.
I enjoy photographing trains and seeing them as they pass, but I never lose respect for them. I do not go up close to a train. If I want to get a close up—I zoom in. If I miss the shot, I miss the shot—it is not worth losing my life over. If I must cross a train track, I do it with care—because you never know where the train may be. A fast traveling train cannot stop in time. Sometimes it takes a mile for the train to come to a complete stop. More accurately, it will take a mile from the moment the engineer sees the danger and applies the breaks before the train will stop.
Railroad photography is an enjoyable hobby—and I certainly do enjoy it. However, it is not without risk and you must always think of safety. If you want to take a photo of a train, take it from a distance. The better photographs of trains are those taken from a distance. I would recommend about 50 yards or more to get a quality shot.
Stay off the tracks when taking selfies—any photo you take simply is not worth your life.
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Photo from Unsplash.com