Dangling from the windows of skyscrapers, perched perilously atop a hill... Instagram influencers do anything to get that 'perfect' photo and here's a couple who has just added to that list.
Instagram couple Jean and Camille, from Brussels, better known as “@backpackdiariez”, travel the world taking photographs. Their most recent one is that of themselves hanging out of a moving train in Sri Lanka to get a photo they captioned as “one of our wildest kisses”.
The image sees Jean hanging onto the train with one hand while Camille leans out of the carriage to give him a steamy kiss - with one leg even raised in the moment of passion. It's believed her brother, who was travelling with the couple, took the picture.
While plenty praised the picture, which shows lush foliage in the background with the distinctive blue train curving through the landscape, others weren’t impressed by the risk-taking involved in capturing it.
“Hope you don’t fall down next time you do this stupid stunt,” said one commenter.
Another pointed out that their actions might encourage others to follow suit: “Honestly it’s a beautiful picture but isn’t this very dangerous? What if someone tries to copy it?”
The post got more than 40,000 likes, despite the controversy.
On the couple's blog, they describe quitting corporate jobs in London last year in order to travel the world.
They officially started their Instagram in June 2017 as they travelled around South America on a five-month long trip.
They say they finance their travels with social media collaborations as well as some freelance work.
The post, which was put up in April, has attracted great criticism ever since.
One user commented saying, "And then they wonder why people die by trying to get similar pics..."
Another user added, "It has nothing to do with wilderness, it's pure stupidity. I hope no one will die trying to do the same but if this happens it will be all on you!"
One concerned social media user shared, "Are you really ready to die for a pic?" while another warned, "Seeing your other photos, you don't need to risk your lives to get a shot. Not worth it."
Experts have spoken out about the 'dangerous' selfies. They say it's all about the drive behind the need to stand out -- and win "likes" -- on Facebook, Instagram and any number of other social platforms.
"Around 80,000 images get uploaded to Instagram every 60 seconds," an expert was quoted as saying, "so there's massive competition. How do you get noticed? Well, you have to upload a photo people are really going to react to.
"It has to be something quite striking. You know, risky photos. They get a lot of engagement, so they get a lot of likes. They get a lot of comments."
According to a recent report, 259 people died between 2011 and 2017 while stepping in front of the camera in often dangerous destinations. In fact, India leads the list with 159 deaths in the period covered by the study.
That’s almost exactly 10 times the number of deaths seen in the country in second place, Russia, which has seen 16 deaths in the same period, followed by the United States, which saw 14 deaths.
