Will NobleIn Pictures: Contrasts On London's Transport Network
Thinking about Trains – Kensal Green. "From behind the yellow line on the platform at Kensal Green, you can see trains arriving through a long tunnel as they approach the station. The lights in the dark tunnel look like cartoonish thought bubbles for the Bakerloo line train."
"The Underground is a world of contrasts. It is a giant museum that celebrates the old and new and spans the city of London. As you navigate the rabbit warren of historic and modern architecture, it's impossible to not stop and take notice of the contrasting elements that many overlook during their daily travels." So writes Luke Agbaimoni — aka Tube Mapper — in this latest book of photography, Contrast.
Roundel Projection – Nine Elms. "The beautiful roundel projection from the window at Nine Elms station. Whenever I travel here, I always check if the sun is shining so that there's a possibility of capturing this."
It's another treat of a coffee table book: fulsome — often stunning — images of the Tube, Overground, DLR, Elizabeth line and trams. Each section is loosely based on a concept of contrasts: An Underground/Overground chapter doesn't merely show Tube trains above and below ground — but BA jets soaring over a Boston Manor roundel, and a white cat skittering across a tram line at Woodside. (Another brilliant piece of juxtaposition with an animal appears later on: a European herring gull swooping in front of a bright red DLR train.)
A Bird Looks for Heron Quays. "I wish I'd captured a photo of a heron outside Heron Quays station for my photography pun series, but I’m still pleased with this shot of a European herring gull looking for food near West India Quay DLR station."
Elsewhere, smart-fonted tiling from 1906 at Hyde Park Corner suggests you might have stumbled into an Edwardian wormhole, while the futuristic Jubilee line extension at London Bridge "feels like you've immediately arrived in the future, as the hallways and tunnels resemble the interior of a spaceship," says Agbaimoni.
To Finsbury Park – Hyde Park Corner. "Beautiful old signage and tiles are on the platform at Hyde Park Corner station, which opened on 5 December 1906. I love the little details you can discover when exploring stations."
Later on, Agbaimoni — who has really made an art of capturing the London Underground at its most beautiful/playful/moody — gives readers a crash course in photography: "Short exposures freeze time, capturing fleeting instances, such as stopping a bird in motion or slowing down a speeding vehicle. Long exposures display the passing of time, visually conveying any changes or movements that occur within the duration of the exposure, like a blurry train travelling down a platform for half a second." To go with this explanation, there are, naturally, some real peaches of examples.
Flight to Boston – Boston Manor. "I was travelling back from Heathrow and noticed that Boston Manor station was in the flight path. So I waited patiently, focusing on the London Underground tower, to capture a photo of a British Airways plane flying by."
While some contrasts in this book are perhaps more clear cut than others, it's another masterclass in London Underground photography, and a must-have for transport-inclined aesthetes everywhere.
Playing the Platform Piano – Waterloo. "This is a fun photo of musician Fiona Fey interacting with the piano-key floor tiles on the curved Bakerloo line platform at Waterloo station. This easy-to-miss feature was installed between 1986 and 1988, when the station was retiled based on a 'theatrical themes' design."Night in the Woods – Colliers Wood. "A bus zooms past the entrance of Colliers Wood on a dark evening. I love that the blurred bus matches the roundel colours of the Underground."Turbo Speed – Cutty Sark DLR. "If you're lucky, you might win the front-seat position when you board the DLR; not only can you pretend to drive the train, but it also gives you a chance to capture photography like this 0.3-second exposure."Twin Tunnels – Piccadilly Circus. "A unique view from the end of the Bakerloo line platform at Piccadilly Circus station. It feels like you have an extra-special viewpoint from where you can see trains entering and departing from their respective platform tunnels."Bike Reflection – Shadwell Overground. "Due to the bicycle lane in front of Shadwell station, many bikes pass by. The large number of bicycles gave me plenty of opportunities to nail the timing of this puddle reflection shot."Walking the Dog – Rotherhithe. "Andreya pretends to walk a dog as she interacts with the mural by Sue Huntley and Donna Muir at Rotherhithe Overground station."Catwalk – Woodside. "Sometimes you get lucky with photography. I was already in focus, waiting for a Croydon tram to arrive at Woodside, when suddenly a brilliant-white cat walked across the track. It was a lovely moment."Across the Platform – Baker Street. "A random, but visually pleasing, snapshot of Baker Street station, focusing on the lovely arches from across the platform."Popular Trains – Poplar. "A great view of the City and two trains docked on a snowy morning, taken on the footbridge that leads to the entrance of the Poplar DLR station."Centre Stage – London Bridge. "Stepping into the Jubilee line extension at London Bridge station feels like you’ve immediately arrived in the future, as the hallways and tunnels resemble the interior of a spaceship. I got lucky here, as the pedestrian’s clothes matched the surrounding colours."Shadow Lines – Cyprus DLR. "I purposely visited this location to capture the beautiful light at Cyprus DLR station and appreciate the dramatic shadows created by the architecture."The Perfect Fit – Hendon Central. "This above-ground Northern line station offers a fantastic view of a pair of Underground tunnels from the end of the platform, looking northbound towards Colindale. This is a visual articulation of why we call it the Tube!"Shooting Down the Track – East Finchley. "A handheld long exposure features the East Finchley Archer, or ‘Archie’, overlooking a train zooming down the platform."
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