It was a very somber ride this morning. Every newspaper that was being read had giant headlines about the attacks in London staring back at you. Not a pleasant experience when I think everyone was just trying to pretend they weren't really on the subway. I can only image the emotions in London.
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NY Times Interview •
Underground Exhibition
8 July, 2005 • Express Train
Photography © Travis Ruse • photoblogs.org • listed
When the attacks were reported my thought went first to those in London, and then immediately to the thousands of riders depicted in your images.Of course their sense of awareness of their surrounding are heightened.
This is again an image that has captured different people all in their own little worlds stuck together in a small space. Rules of personal space (is it 1.5 or 2 feet?) are suspended in this atmosphere. Part of maintaining personal space would be to avoid eye contact. But imagine what happens in an instant when the disconnected riders are suddenly thrown into a situation where their own existence may depend on the stranger who was moments doing their best to ignore you.
As always I appreciate your efforts to capture life as it happens.
I think what fascinates me the most about your subway pictures is that nobody is looking at the camera. I'm sure it's a combination of you being discreet and the other commuters having seen it all before, but just the same...
When I try to do something like that here (Minneapolis), people stare at you, hassle you, or wave ("Hi mom!").
Great eye-level capture. I really like it.