On the Underground

Mark Heathcote

December 3, 2014

“I started trying to capture the ‘anonymity’ of commuting – the fact that crowds are omnipresent, but the individual is anonymous.”
“I decided to start a project exploring the idiosyncrasies and behaviour of train commuters – in particular the strange behaviour they exhibit when commuting into London; like losing their temper with each other, fighting for seats. I soon noticed a strange sense of loneliness: despite being at the heart of a big city, and despite the huge number of people, no one talks; everyone shuts themselves up within their own little world.

So I started trying to capture the ‘anonymity’ of commuting – the fact that crowds are omnipresent, but the individual is anonymous. I was particularly struck by how a packed train can empty out at a certain station, leaving lone individuals in a carriage to continue on to another destination. Somehow it represented the anonymity of the whole situation, and gave me an idea for a picture. For several weeks I tried to get this particular shot, finally managing after several failed attempts in what was a very low light situation. I could have kept trying to improve the image, but my journey to work changed, so that particular situation no longer arose for me.

This is an ongoing project for which I am building up a body of work. This particular image is available as a limited edition print – details at: www.markheathcote.com

Mark Heathcote+-

London street photographer Mark Heathcote earns his living in the IT branch. In his free time and when travelling he uses every moment to work on his photography. His work has earned him some prizes, publications and an exhibition.

Mark Heathcote’s pictures at the LFI Gallery caught the attention of the LFI editors. You can find the photographer’s profile here. More

 

On the Underground

Mark Heathcote