After working at a newspaper for seven years, the excitement of seeing your name in print sometimes starts to wear off. However, in the last few months I have had the privilege of seeing my work in a number of national publications. Here’s a rundown of where some of my stories and photos have appeared in print recently.
Train Wrecks Vol. 2: One of the biggest stories I have ever covered was the aftermath of the Lac-Mégantic, Que. oil train disaster in 2013. Over the years, I’ve written dozens of stories for Trains Magazine and its online news service, Trains News Wire about the tragedy. Earlier this year, I was asked by my editors at Trains to author a cover story about the disaster for Train Wrecks Vol. 2. I think “Railroading’s Titanic” might be one of the most complete looks at the incident; not just how it changed a community, but how it changed an industry forever.
Railroads Illustrated Annual: While most of my railroad-related work has appeared in the pages of Trains Magazine, I also occasionally write for White River Productions’ publications, including Railfan & Railroad and Railroads Illustrated. This year, a story I wrote about BNSF Railway’s crossing of the Continental Divide was the cover story for Railroads Illustrated 2018. One of my images was even selected as the cover.
Atlas Obscura: This is without question one of my favorite sites on the web. Atlas Obscura publishes stories about the “world’s most wondrous places” and they always deliver on that promise. Last year, I was super excited to work with them on a story about a century-old firefighting tool that is still used today. This year, I had the chance to work with them on a piece about the restoration of the world’s largest steam locomotive.
The National: I’ve been trying to get better about sharing my photography work on Instagram and this fall one of the images I posted was spotted by The National, Amtrak’s on board magazine. The editors there selected it for their “Moving Pictures” section in the November/December 2018 issue.
The Washington Post: The most exciting development this fall was that I had my first story published in the Washington Post in September. “In the Southwest, it’s still full steam ahead” is about the incredible Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad in Colorado and New Mexico. I had the privilege of visiting the C&TS and cannot recommend it more.
By the way, If you like what you see, don’t hesitate to reach out because I am always looking for new publishing opportunities!
Categories: Photography, Writing
Justin Franz 