Law & safety when spotting

Selling Railway Photos: The Rights You Actually Need

From hobby shot to licensed photo: which rights come together when you sell railway photos, where brand logos and people become a problem, and how to word a licence properly.

Sharing Photos Without Trouble: Your Rights on Forums, Instagram and Groups

Forums, Instagram, WhatsApp groups: which usage rights you give away when uploading, why forwarding other people's photos is risky, and what a proper photo credit looks like.

Drones Over Railway Property: What's Allowed and What Gets Expensive

Aerial shots of trains look spectacular — legally, they're tricky. This guide explains where railway property is off-limits, what to check before take-off, and how to request permission.

Applying for a DB Photo Permit: When You Actually Need One

A quick snap from the platform or a film crew with a tripod – somewhere between the two lies the line where a permit becomes necessary. This guide explains when a DB photo permit is required and what a request actually looks like.

Walking on Railway Tracks: What Penalty You Face and Why It Can Be Fatal

Walking on railway tracks is banned and life-threatening. How the system of penalties is structured, what actually happens physically – and which legal vantage points give you the same shots.

Property Rights at the Station: Where You May Stand and Where You May Not

A station has boundaries you can't see. This guide shows which areas are freely accessible, where the owner's house rules tighten, and where it simply gets dangerous.

Number Plates and Numbers in Photos: Blur Them or Not?

Blurring number plates is compulsory? Not quite. Why car number plates, fleet numbers and UIC wagon numbers need completely different treatment.

Police Checks While Spotting: How to React Correctly

Whoever approaches you at a station has very different powers. A guide to staying calm and behaving correctly during a check, an ID request or an exclusion order.

People in railway photos: what you're allowed to publish

From the crowded platform to the cab shot: 12 typical picture situations rated traffic-light style – and the one question you should ask before every upload.