We have made our mark here and there with our metro and underground city images whether they are architectural (like these) or conceptual such as 'The Goblin Tunnel' project - http://convozine.com/fotoiso3200/sections/19254-the-goblin-tunnel.
But with more than 2000 images of the Metro created in the last 2 years, producing new creative images has become a real challenge. Moreover, death ear from the STM management has left us without a permit to shoot new images in the metro. Hence, if we want to produce more, we have to go in clandestine leaving us vulnerable to zealous metro cops and paranoid commuters who think we are out spying...
We therefore need to go in with second body cameras and 50mm lenses to look less obvious and hope we don't get knocked out by some overly paranoid human, and we have to find creative perspectives and compositions we haven't already captured. A challenge.
We work out of rush hour time frames and we move fast to avoid metro cops sent to intercept us when called upon by transit staff spotting us on metro security cameras. The watered down gear and the anxiety of staying safe and out of trouble is enough to break our concentration but it is part of the new deal if we want to keep shooting the metro. It is a true passion, and more so, it is a real creative trigger for us. Dealing with the new problem is sort of an exercise for management of danger not unlike what some photojournalists can encounter during events.
In today's Blog we have gathered a few of the best shots from our last outing on the Green line's east end.
Eric : to renew our work I now try to find architectural elements or art works that seem not so impressive at first glance, or that we don't usually see in popular images of our metro network present in mainstream media (besides, it's all that's left for us to do ; we have photographed all well known stations and art works already) sometimes, the simplest of architectural elements will produce special shots such as in image 3 of this feature. And then I will come upon cinematic scenes such as in frames 6 & 8 of this feature ; these spontaneous moments and scenes are usually the best shots ; their theatrical aspects makes the metro and the image look dramatic. That's what I thrive and look for in these shoots next to finding cool architectural compositions
The lines and dramatic lighting of our metro stations can produce significant images if you find the right light and perspective.
The 50mm lens produces less drama in the perspective ; wide angle zoom lenses will amplify depth and thus augment drama in lines and volumes. We therefore need to find other opportunities when using fixed focal 50mm lenses out of the need to be discrete. However, they are quicker to use, creating opportunities for spontaneous moments. And, they are good at capturing light moods for achieved cinematics.
Tous droits réservés - all rights reserved : FOTOISO3200/2014
Text and Photos: Éric Soucy
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