This image was created last night, on the subway on my way home. I noticed this person as I got on the train, but she was always looking down. Then a baby started getting fussy, and I knew that it would only be a matter of time before she looked up.
Category: TTC
Reality
In a lot of ways this image is not realistic: it is not in colour, it is not especially sharp, it is dark and grainy. But for early morning on the bus in November, it is extremely realistic.
Connection
I took this image on the subway on a trip downtown this afternoon. I was struck by the fact that they were sharing music via one headphone jack, but apart from that they were both in their own worlds: no words, glances etc. were exchanged until it was time to get off the train. Mysterious and intriguing!
Fatigue
Five days a week I am on the TTC, early. The image today was taken this morning on the Kipling bus, at about 6:50 a.m. You haven’t seen fatigue until you see transit riders at this time of day, and today was no exception.
Something Different
I’ve posted a lot of rather soft-focus pictures featuring attractive models recently, so time for something different. On the recent holiday Monday (Simcoe Day in Toronto) I went down early to one of the Toronto Transit Commission streetcar maintenance yards with my Mamiya M645J, loaded with Rollei Pan 25, a very sharp, fine-grained film. It was a bright morning, but even so with this slow speed film I needed a tripod to get the sharpness I wanted.
What Does He See?
I continue to be amazed at what images can be found riding the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission subway). There is a raw, gritty intensity to be found inside every subway car that I find irresistible.
I continue to use the iPhone 3GS and the Hipstamatic app; so far, none of my subjects have been aware of me taking their picture. I feel though that eventually I will get caught out, and I wonder how the situation will play out. If I want to keep doing “street” photography, it is something I will have to deal with.
Lo-Fi iPhone Photography
I’m having fun working on one project right now, a lo-fi iPhone project capturing the experience of my daily commute to and from work on the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission). I go the work early, and am normally on the subway by about 6:20 a.m. At that time of day, one does not see the rich latte drinkers, or other privileged classes of Toronto that for so many people form their only impression of the city. One sees the working class, an awful lot of diversity, and often, sheer fatigue, which I tried to capture in the photo below, taken with the iPhone 3GS camera, then given a vintage, lo-fi effect which I feel was ideally suited for the mood.
My Third Eye 