Last week I took a photograph of a father and his young daughter on a London bus. I decided to develop it in black and white which to me rendered the image more nostalgic and timeless, with less distractions, so that one can focus more on the subjects and the beauty of the girl’s hair as she gazes out the window:
I decided to think about on other photographs I’d taken on public transport using the same relatively new camera – a Fujifilm X-T2 that I am still getting to know – and have gathered a selection of them here. First I remembered that I’d taken some shots on the New York subway on my recent visit. In the photo below the energy is rather still; everyone seems quiet, solitary and absorbed, it is only really the newspaper that locates the image in New York. I liked the colours in this one, especially the green lights:
The next image feels more American, and more identifiably New York. I took it partly because of the public art – the mural created by pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. You can find it at the 42nd Street entrance of the Times Square subway. I also liked the activity of the passers by, but in particular the shaggy pink jacket worn by the woman in the centre of the photograph:
Here are a couple of images featuring a woman whose long, silvery blonde hair I really liked, travelling on a tram in San Francisco:
Below are a couple of images taken on a vaporetto boat in Venice. The first is a kind of still life relating to memory and residue; some coriandoli or confetti left on the seat of a vaporetto boat during the Venetian carnival:
In the next photo a silhouette is framed by architectural facades along the Grand Canal. The abstract, illusionistic feel is partly due to photographing through glass:
Now a couple of images taken on London Transport with an iPhone. In the photo below I was struck by the reflections and surreal transparent qualities; it was taken on the same bus route as the first image in the blog post:
When I photograph people on London transport I have tended to use my phone for a number of reasons. As in the photograph above it is quite good for capturing reflections. I also feel more anonymous and unnoticeable and therefore more likely to get a candid photograph. On the occasions when I have people for consent they are also less intimidated by a cell phone than what is perceived of a proper, professional camera. My photographs on the tube tend to focus on details such as fashion items and accessories, though I have also taken impromptu portraits such as this one of a mature couple sharing an art magazine:
