Assignment - Travel.

Statement of Intent:

Through work I will be attending an exhibition and a meeting in London. My aim is to use these opportunities to capture images that represent rail travel both surface and underground.

Travelling on the London Underground will also provide a challenging environment with both movement and low light levels.

Safety aspects:
Minimal safety aspects to consider for travel on the surface rail system but London Underground may be a different matter due to having a higher level of security.

Rail Travel & the London Underground:

Lens used: 14-42mm & 40-150mm : Hand-held to capture spontaneity : Manual focus.

Outdoor Platform Settings: 1/250 @ F4.0 - 5.6 : ISO 200

On board train: 1/40 @ F5.6 : ISO 100

Image of notebook recording camera settings and considerations

Mix of images to depict rail travel including movement and people reacting to their environment. From my research I am focusing on images captured by both Ian Tindale and Paul Russell. Ian Tindale took images of the London Underground and surface rail systems using the lines of movement and light to dark to draw your focus through the photographs. Paul Russell concentrated more on the passengers capturing the mood of the moment.

Farnborough Station taken from overhead bridge.
View over the rails to draw the eye along the line.

Alternative view to challenge balance of viewer!

Approaching train: Image focused on awaiting passengers

Waiting couple: Image lost in shadow &
 may be improved using photoshop? 

Waterloo Station:
Seated passengers captured in central third of image.
Range of surfaces & activity of individuals.
(Reference: Paul Russell)

London Underground Escalators images:
A number of shots where taken of the escalators going into London Underground. Difficulty was the very low light levels and the constant movement of both myself and passengers travelling on the escalator.

Lens used: Predominantly 14-42mm : Hand-held to capture spontaneity

Underground Settings: 1/4 - 1/6 @ F3.5 : ISO 100

Due to the low light levels my focus was on capturing movement of passengers and the escalator. Focal point was either the escalator tread or the end of the escalator thereby forcing a blurring of the image enhancing the effect of movement. Decision not to use flash as the atmosphere would be lost.

Same escalator taken @ 1/4 shutter speed.
More detail available.
(Reference: Ian Tindale)

Down escalator @ 1/6 shutter speed. (14-42mm lens)

Distance emphasised by light and reflection.
(Reference: Ian Tindale)

Down escalator @ 1/6 shutter speed. (14-42mm lens)
Focal point @ base of escalator.

Same escalator @ 1/4 shutter speed.
Better effect as blue safety sign not close to lens;
movement emphasised by blurring of passengers.

Waterloo Station escalator (ISO 200, 1/25, F4.0)

Escalators closer to the surface offer high light levels thereby allowing faster shutter speeds. Using the higher shutter speed loses the sense of movement but allows more detail to be captured.

 London Underground Platform images:

Capturing images of waiting passengers and movement across/along the platform. 

Lens used: 14-42mm lens predominantly : Hand-held to capture spontaneity
Underground Settings: 1/4 - 1/6 @ F3.5 : ISO 100

Tube train doors opening:platform passengers

 waiting.

Passengers leaving the carriage: 1/6, F3.5, 40-150mm lens.

Departing train: relatively empty platform.
Single passenger arriving at pace. (14-42mm lens)

Empty tube platform (14-42mm lens: 1/6: F3.5)
(Reference: Ian Tindale's use of ceiling lighting to enhance perspective)

Being positioned close to the tube wall the image gains the effect of distance. The London Underground logo on the wall is in contrast with a single passenger in the distance whilst the lighting and reflection offers a tranquil environment.

Egressing passengers offer a busy environment

Tube train leaving: speed emphasised by
using slow shutter speed.

Decreased "F" stop allows a brighter image.

Passengers clustered waiting to board (14-42mm lens: 1/6: F3.5)

Due to the structure of the London Underground there is often the ability to view the alternative platform across the interlinking walkways. The series of images captures the flow of passengers towards the departure platform and away to the exit.These photographs were taken during the middle of the day when passenger numbers are low but it does provide the visualisation of the structure and vibrant colours despite being underground.

Train on opposite platform ready to depart whilst passengers scurry across the image heading towards the exit.The train carriage is in crisp focus whilst the passengers are blurred and merely images of movement. Image captured due to the slow shutter speed.






Similarly, a single passenger entering the carriage on the opposite platform whilst another passenger enters the shot from the right. Both passengers are blurred images against the crisp focus of the surroundings.

Distance is emphasised by positioning the camera close to the wall thereby drawing the eye. There is also the added benefit of having a reflective surface

Images of Passengers:

Images capturing passengers whilst travelling. 

Lens used: 14-42mm : Hand-held : Manual focus.
It is difficult to capture images of people whilst travelling without them being aware that a camera is being pointed at them! My first photograph was taken on a surface train travelling to London. There was a great deal of bright sun creating areas of intense light and deep shadow. The difficulty was with the passenger sitting in shadow with the camera picking up the large areas of light from the seating. My objective was to use the seating to reduce the impact of pointing the camera towards the subject thereby maintaining the true image. This photograph captures the moment but is over-powered by the large area of intense red seating in the foreground. The subject is sitting in shadow and wearing predominantly dark clothing and is therefore not providing any detail. The dark trousers and intense light does however produce some dramatic shadow effect.

Young Executive Messaging: 1/40, F5.6, ISO 100, 14-42mm lens.

Photographing passengers on the London Underground also offers its challenges! There is a great deal of movement to contend with whilst not having much light it means that you are limited to either slow shutter speed or limited depth of field. This photograph manages to capture a relatively crisp image despite the natural movement of the carriage. The main focus is on the initial passengers leaving the foreground and rear of the carriage out of focus. The noise of the train drowned the sound of the shutter but I had to hold the camera in a covert manner rather than to my eye as this would have drawn attention. This image captures the mood but due to the extreme limitations of light and movement would not allow any degree of enlargement.
My image is similar to that taken by Ian Tindale (Reference: Research Blog) but I feel does not capture the same "mood". In Ian Tindale's image his photograph has been taken along the mid-line of the carriage from a low reference point. This enhances the line of sight allowing you to view passengers on both lines of seating. His image is crisp where as mine shows a degree of camera movement due to the low light levels and hence the use of slow shutter settings.

Ian Tindale's photograph of commuter's on the London Underground

London Underground: 1/4, F3.5, ISO 100, 14-42mm lens

 Waterloo Station images:

Various images capturing the mood of the station at evening rush hour. 

Lens used: 40-150mm lens predominantly : Hand-held.
Settings: 1/10 - 1/25 @ F4.0 : ISO 100

Man waiting at the exit from Waterloo Underground

.

The man is obviously biding time skimming through a magazine and waiting. The setting of the confectionery shop provides a complex background. Taken at 1/10 shutter speed there is the option of capturing movement of another passenger thereby providing contrast.

London Commuters (Reference: Paul Russell)

Frustration! Waiting for a train at Waterloo Station.

Waterloo Station at rush hour. Everyone is checking the travel details for their train except for a single man. Reasonably good light levels allowing the use of a high shutter speed and "F" stop to capture depth of focus. Due to the crowd there is a great deal of movement. This is in contrast with the photographs below capturing passengers walking along the platform prior to boarding their train for the journey home.
This photograph captures the mood of frustration, expectation and passing time. The mood of the image is similar to that of Paul Russell's showing two ladies in London; one lady is trying to read a street map. Both images offer similar moods and movement within the crowd.

Distance is captured through the use of the train and platform markings. The top image captures a slow pace expressed by a few passengers walking along the train prior to boarding. The dominant subject is the fluorescent jacket positioned in the top half of the image. There is also contrast in the image; detail in the top as opposed to empty platform below.
All three images offer a high level of reflection from the train carriage sides.
The bottom photographs capture passenger movement through silhouetted images; the passengers are captured but there is no detail of who they are.


Safety Review: There were no issues of safety/security during any part of the rail travel. My object was to take a few photographs at a number of places thereby minimising any possible issue.