Subway Panoramics

January 27, 2009

Last year for Solo Photo Book Month I started on yet another project I never finished.

Solo Photo Book Month is a spin-off of National Novel Writing Month started by Paul Buzti on this blog last year.  The idea is quite simple, you have 30 days to start and finish a 35+ image book project which you either publish in triumph like the creative tyrannosaurus you are or shove under your pile of other unfinished projects like the lowly unmotivated scum you are.   All photos must be taken, selected, edited, and put into book format within a 30 day period starting April 1 with a final deadline of May 31.

I have a huge pile of unfinished projects… of which SoPhBoMo is just one of the many fascets of my inability to complete anything and unlimited capacity for starting new projects.

My project was to take a series of panoramic photos of the NYC subway system.  My rules were simple.  They were to be taken on black and white film (duh…) using the Horizon Perfekt anywhere in the NYC subway system.   I take the subway nearly every day so this seemed like a snap.

Grand Central 4/5 Platform.

Except for the developing and scanning thing and the class I was TA’ing for at ICP and this project at work that suddenly become Priority Number 1!  Oh, yes, and a girlfriend that I enjoyed spending time with.  Excuse, excuse, excuse. FAIL.

This isn’t to say that is was a catastropic failure.  I did have a number of photos which came out of the project and I did learn a few things about taking photos in the subway.

1) It is entirely legal to take photographs in the subway.

This wasn’t something I learned during the project but I think it bears repeating.

A number of years ago the MTA tried to ban photography in the subway under the usual post-9/11 excuse that terrorists could be arming themselves with cameras to take pictures the subways.   There was a protest which I took part of which involved about 50 photographers who gathered in Grand Central and then took a photo tour of the system.  Its a lot easier to victimize innocent bystanders when you have 50 people with extremely large SLR’s behind you.

Subway Protest

2) Its really contrasty down there. And dark.  Real dark.

Times Square Subway Platform

The subway being largely underground is illuminated only by nasty fluorescent lighting.  This is actually fairly dim so you have to use high speed film to get much of anything.  The light also varies greatly from footstep to footstep as you can see in the difference in tone and exposure between the above photo and the below.

Times Square, NYC

There two shots were taken about 10 feet away from each other.   Its really astounding how much the light varies.   I used an incident meter to measure the light which may not have been the greatest idea as the light is hardly constant.   This is one case where using reflected light would give you a much better idea of your exposure.

Another problem was that I was experimenting with Diafine so these are primarily Tri-X rated at 1250.   Diafine is great for giving your film a little push without snapping the contrast curve through the roof but I think starting with a higher speed film and pulling would have been a better strategy.

3) Not all subway stations are below ground.

Despite having lived here for 11 years and being literally across the street from an elevated station I tend to forget that not all stations are below ground.   My favorite station, the F/G at Smith/9th Street which sweeps above the ultra-nasty Gowanas Canal is very much above ground.    The elevated platforms offer such luxuries as sunlight which gives you the wonder of shadow.

Brooklyn S at Washington

I think I might have to give this project another shot to produce a photo book.  Maybe even limit it to Brooklyn or just survey Times Square (which is an immense station).    I think the panoramic format lends itself well to the environment.

Posted in Photo Projects