A very sad accident. In light of that, I find that your photo really tells a story. It works as both photojournalism and, for lack of a better word, art.
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Nice photo, very ominous and moody. Also, to clarify, I believe the deepest part of Harlem River in that area is 26 feet, while the Hudson does not exceed 70 feet anywhere nearby. Perhaps the employee meant 20 foot depth, still a dangerous situation.
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Tragic scene, but still appropriate to also look at it as a photograph and to say well captured, Dennis.
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| Posted by 3751fan on December 2, 2013 | |
Its sad, My prayers are with the family's of the people who are affected by this wreck
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The train was going 82 mph when it hold have been going 30 mph.
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Do you really think it is appropriate to post pictures of an accident in which 4 people died?
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I would like to say I understand anyones concern regarding this image and I want it known that I thought hard about this before posting.
I feel it obvious to most people that is was not my intent to promote a malapropos interest nor am I gaining financially in the suffering of over 150 people.
The reality is death is a part of life and we should approach and examine it just like any other aspect of our lives. As a veteran engineer once said to me, “Where there’s a railroad, there are accidents.” Thus this is a part of the total railroad scene and deserving the same amount of attention.
I of course know that wreck images on RailPictures go ballistic in numbers but it was my hope that some of these people would see my (hopefully) artful image, cause them to contemplate the tragedy, perhaps say a prayer for the victims and even consider their own impending inevitability.
I feel that sweeping the issue under the rug, assiduously avoiding the despair of this accident because it is unpleasant, dishonors the people who have suffered and perished.
If I was exploiting the death of these people for monetary gain, I would concede the point. However, I would then assume that this question was also poised to the New York Times, the Dailey News, CNN, ABC, CBS et all, as ones who actually gained financially from the images of this tragedy.
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| Posted by John R on December 4, 2013 | |
Haunting....
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| Posted by on December 4, 2013 | |
I really do not see the need to capture "art" as it was said where four people lost their lives and many more were injured and scarred, both critically and mentally. This is simply not "art" but rather a tradegy, period. There are many times where I've seen an accident on the highway and say "wow, that's crazy!" but I know better than to snap a photo out of respect for the loved ones that will have to deal with the horro for many days to come. It's just plain and simple respect, no need to "express yourself" with artwork.
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As a former locomotive engineer, I'm not troubled by the picture. I don't see it being "artful" at all, only informative. As long as no victims are shown, the families can look at the picture or not. Although no one was seriously hurt in the car that I hit with my train, back in the early 1990's, it still haunts me when I see train accident photos or even hear of a car being hit by a train. What about the safety practices of the railroad that allows "pushing" at excessive speeds? Was there a spotter/conductor in the lead car and were they in communication with the engineer?
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| Posted by Runthat on December 5, 2013 | |
There is nothing inherently "disrespectful" or "distasteful" in this photograph. It is informative and thought-provoking. Some people just need to complain about something.
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Maybe I should have put in bold "for lack of a better word" before the art in my post. Obviously one would not want to call a tragic event art, or use a tragic event to produce art. Regardless of the fact that television and movies glorify murder and violence, and that can be called a form of art. But I digress. I was merely stating, and this is coming from a former award-winning photojournalist, that the photo did not cross any lines. It was photographed in a tasteful manner that told a story and was aesthetically pleasing to the eye at a technical level. That is all. One need only look at the photo of the Hindenburg catching fire to understand.
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If you go back to the turn of the 20th century, you will find many old postcards of railway accidents. Many have people standing in front of the wreckage posing. In those days, it was how these events were recorded. Posting a photo nowadays is the modern way of reporting a newsworthy item. There is nothing inherently morbid about this. If bodies were visible, then it would be a different matter. Accidents are a fact of life, they will happen no matter what safety measures are in place. One thing they can never anticipate is human error
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