The magazine of the photo-essay
March 2017 back issue
by Stan Raucher
“A free, really high quality photo-essay magazine. Fabulous!”
Stephen Fry. British actor, writer and film & documentary maker
Hold tight to your wallet, mind the gap and stand clear of the closing doors.
Join me as we venture deep beneath the streets to explore this
underground venue.
Using available light and a bit of serendipity, I endeavor to create
compelling photographs that provide a glimpse into aspects of the human
condition. Whenever I step into a subway station it feels as though I have
entered a magnificent theater with a diverse cast of characters performing
in an unscripted play on an ever-changing stage.
During the past eight years, I’ve spent countless hours photographing on
metro systems around the world. My candid photos of ordinary people
going about their daily lives provide an intimate glimpse into a wide variety
of human emotions and interactions that occur on this urban stage. These
evocative, richly-layered images are reminiscent of still photos from a
movie or play. Each scene invites the viewer to contemplate the situation and generate a personal narrative, while the
cinematic sequencing of the images conveys an even deeper story.
The metro has been referred to as one of the most democratic of all public spaces, and my photos help to promote the
appreciation, awareness and understanding of both the diversity and similarity of people riding public transportation in
different countries and cultures.
At a time when fewer of the images that we routinely see are honest representations of real life, these photos open a
window to the world that surrounds us here and now.
Stare. It is the way to educate your eye, and more.
Stare, pry, listen, eavesdrop.
Die knowing something.
You are not here long. — Walker Evans
Line 4 near Les Halles, Paris.
Line 1 near People's Square, Shanghai.
Tren Ligero near La Noria, Mexico City.
Metro 1 near Politechnika, Warsaw.
Line 2 at Montesanto, Naples.
Metro 1 near Swietokrzyska, Warsaw.
Metro Line C near Strížkov, Prague.
Piccadilly Line near Hyde Park Corner, London.
Metro U3 Stephensplatz Station, Vienna.
Metro 1 Deák Ferenc Tér Station, Budapest.
Atlantic Ave MTA Station, Brooklyn.
Blue Line near Karol Barg, Delhi.
Line 1 at Praça da Árvore, São Paulo.
Line 4 near Étienne Marcel, Paris.
Belleville Metro Station, Paris.
Line 8 near La Viga, Mexico City.
Line 3 near Coyoacán, Mexico City.
Line 2 at Klabin, São Paulo.
