Photos document the behaviour of ordinary people travelling subway systems across the world

1_people travelling subway systems across the world

BY: LAUREN ALI

ALL IMAGES BY STAN RAUCHER

People can be found in their most vulnerable state while travelling on the underground subway system; their hands gripping the pole, gazing off into the floor or slowly dozing away in one of the seats as people rush on and off. Each person boards onto the moving train with a different purpose: to get home after a long day of work, to visit a loved one or even simply for a contemplative journey with no particular final destination in mind. American photographer, Stan Raucher, captures those candid moments of the eclectic individuals who are travelling on different subway systems around the world.

The 4 Train near 59th St, Manhattan, 2012

Travelling across continents from New York to Delhi to Shanghai, Raucher would observe individuals before snapping the shutter on his camera. He explains he never raised his camera to his eye but kept it strung around his neck as his subject matter was unaware of their picture being taken, they were captured with a far off gaze. Raucher also expresses the growing challenge to photograph something interesting as people are so absorbed into their phones. Though shot in different locations around the world, the series comes together in a harmonious range of varying monochromatic tones and genuine, unsuspecting human expressions. Devoting eight years of photographing and tireless hours of riding the subway, Stan finally published his photobook: “Metro: Scenes from an Urban Stage.”

Deák Ferenc Tér Station, Budapest

Stan’s project statement for “Metro: Scenes from an Urban Stage” can be read below:

“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. My series Metro documents the behavior of ordinary people in mass transit systems in various countries and cultures.”

Line 3 near Coyoacán, Mexico City, 2009

“As individuals interact with one another in these tightly-packed public spaces, occasionally extraordinary situations that are unexpected, mysterious, humorous or poignant unfold. A strange or wonderful juxtaposition, a spontaneous gesture, a concealed mood or a hidden emotion may materialize and then vanish in a split second. Such ephemeral events are often overlooked or quickly forgotten. My intent is to capture these fleeting moments as evocative, richly-layered images that allow each viewer to generate a unique personal narrative, and that these candid photographs will prompt us to pause and reflect on our modern lives.”

To view more of Stan’s work and his other projects, you can visit his website: http://stanraucher.com/metro/ and follow him on Instagram and Twitter: @stanraucher.

To order a signed copy of Metro with free shipping in the USA, visit: stanraucher.com