22nd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Artistic
VENT

COLORS: OPERATION LIFESAVER. I found some abandoned trains oddly stationed behind a building. At first, I caught a glimpse driving by but decided to continue without stopping. It was cold, and I was in the middle of nowhere, in a town that I'd have no chance of escaping had my GPS failed. I drove for at least about 20 minutes past where I'd seen it, and the further I traveled, the more I thought about how peculiar it was to see something so colorful in a town so dull; before I knew it, I'd made a U-turn and was heading back. The boxcar I'd seen was bright orange and sat secluded behind derelict buildings connected to three other cars, each with a unique color. They were the only three cars on the track, and seeing them up close made it seem like I was staring at another artist's exhibition. The words "OPERATION LIFESAVER" were spray-painted on the orange car, and those words made it seem as if there was a bigger purpose behind my return. My hands were freezing, and I'd forgotten my DSLR at home but stayed there for an hour taking photos of those railroad cars.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 02.2022
Date Uploaded: 10.2024
Photo Location: Blissfield, Mi, United States of America
Camera: iPhone 11 Pro Max
Copyright: © Jameel Bey