ARCHIVE 604 – ON THE UPPER DECK OF THE EARLY MORNING BUS
February 16, 2021 15 Comments
Three travellers on the upper deck of the early morning bus to work.
The woman beside the window is engrossed in a newspaper, her expression reacting – negatively, perhaps – to the day’s news. But the other two people – further into the shot and less clearly seen – appear more passive and preoccupied. And the steaminess of the bus’s window is thick, almost opaque in places, and densely textured.
Those two people at the back get to me. First, they can only be partly seen, its almost as if they are fading into the background – which brings thoughts about the dehumanising effects of some workplaces, and of the unnaturalness of lives spent commuting and working in cities. And second, both of these people are staring fixedly ahead. Are they somewhere far away in daydreams, or do they see something nearer at hand, closer ahead, in either the present time or in times soon to come?
Also, this blurred image is starting to look like some sort of painting or daub (more probably the latter), and when any photo does this I feel I’m getting somewhere.
Click onto the “early morning” tag (below) to see more images from the early hours of the day.
Click onto the image to open a larger version in a separate window, and click onto that image to enlarge it further – recommended >>> come on in, the grain is lovely!
Technique: X-T2 with 55-200 Fujinon lens at 300mm (equiv); 12,800 ISO; Lightroom, using the Provia/Standard film simulation; Temple Meads, central Bristol; 15 Dec 2017.
.
.
.
I love your early morning series through fogged-up windows. They have a poetic, painterly quality without ever being insipid or sweet.
LikeLike
Thank you, that sounds good – painterly is always good to hear! 🙂
LikeLike
Back when life was ‘normal’ …..
LikeLike
Yes, very true, a glimpse into the past.
LikeLike
Great image!
LikeLike
Thank you, Stuart! 🙂
LikeLike
When we take the bus into downtown, every couple of weeks or so, it is always a treat to catch a double-decker, and a special one when one of the front seats is empty. There’s an adventure to a good bus ride.
LikeLike
Yes, that’s right, at the front upstairs!!! Double-deckers have always been in my life – tho not in Kenya! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Brilliant!
I very much like the photograph and also your comments.
It’s an image that draws me in and asks questions. I want to add my own narrative which is a good thing. I like how despite being on the same bus, sat in close proximity to one another they are each in their separate worlds. The composition works really nicely. I get that they are individually full of gloom or worry about what their day brings and I suspect the woman with the newspaper is reading not because she has an urgent desire to catch up on news and gossip but a need to distract herself from thinking about the awful daily routine she is caught up in. It hasn’t dawned on her that the daily newspaper is also part of that routine! I also have a number of alternative narratives I could pin on this one. That is a good sign that a photo has given me something to think about. Not just the content but also how and why it works well. Great stuff… 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you, Mr C! I like your thoughts about why the woman is reading the newspaper. Its quite striking how many people don’t like to simply sit, but need distraction or somewhere to hide – think of the obligatory magazines in the doctor’s or dentist’s waiting rooms 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mysterious!
LikeLike
Glad it gets to you, Sue – thank you! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great photograph 👌
LikeLike
Thank you! 🙂 🙂 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person