Urban Jungle Journeys

The essence of the big city is revealed in its contrasts: massive architecture meets human vulnerability; hectic activity meets moments of quiet; the anonymity of the masses meets individual stories. With this thought in mind, we looked for pictures in our LFI.Gallery that speak about the complex relationship between people and urban spaces. The images we selected reveal how people move around in the big city, how they adapt, defy or simply exist in the concrete, glass and steel jungle. We share here what the users have to say about their work: 

1. Shin Seung Hwan
“This photograph was taken at the plaza of the National Museum of Korea, located in Yongsan, Seoul. The striking contrast of colours is a key feature of this image. The cool, blue-toned cityscape in the background, the yellow line across the plaza, and the passer-by dressed in red, harmonize to portray a sense of ordered movement within the urban environment. Despite the cold and static feel of the city, the presence of the human figure brings warmth and a dynamic energy. That kind of feeling caused an impression in me, so I shot this scene.”

2. Martin Wong
“The photo was taken when my family and I were visiting Tokyo in February of this year. We were in the Metro station waiting to board a train and, as usual, the queue was very long. Because of the length of the queue, we were stopped just short of entering since the train was already packed. I shot this photo with the intention of capturing the expressions on the faces of those inside the packed train. The expression of the man on the left, with his face pressed into the window, seems to show a sense of surrender to his fate, which is in contrast to the better dressed fellow on the right who has a look almost of defiance, evidenced by his using his arm to keep from having his face shoved against the glass like the man on the left. For me the scene is almost a microcosm of how we, as human beings, react to what life throws at us. Do we surrender or do we push back? It’s a fascinating study in contrasts.”

3. Samuel Ma
“I took this picture one night in Tokyo a few years ago. I thought it was a beautiful scene – like a movie.”

4. Fer Parra
“The picture was taken in New York City, in The Edge building. I was on the Edge observation deck. I saw the kid through the glass and I found it very interesting how he leaned to see the city from above. I think it's very satisfying to have anticipated the scene to capture the exact moment.”

5. António Leong
“The photo was taken in Macau. The city is better known as the Vegas of the East, and its Light Rapid Transit connects to all the casinos in the newly developed urban area, the Cotai strip. However, part of train ride passes through the residential areas of the city and it is where the picture was taken. When I was taking this photo, I was thinking how I could show other aspects of my home-town through the lens. Macau, which is better known worldwide as a gambling city, is actually a place with deep cultural influences from the West and the East, making it a very unique city in Southeast Asia. Apart from interesting urban designs that feature some art-deco-like buildings from the 70s, there are also over 17 Catholics churches and 30 Chinese temples all around, condensed in a 30 km2 city.”

6. Marie Laigneau
“This image was taken in Soho in London. I first noticed the beautiful face of this sleeping woman, in deep contrast to the activity in the coffee shop behind her. I saw the way the light fell on her face, illuminating her closed eyes, and leaving much of the scene shrouded in mystery. Gracious, dreamy and yet utterly unreachable, in a world of her own, she was a captivating subject. This image is part of an ongoing series called A Strangeness in my Mind, illustrating this feeling of isolation and solitude we sometimes experience in big cities, when we realise that the people around us will forever remain strangers to us.”

7. Rudy Mareel
“Although I’m based in Belgium, I frequently travel to Chicago for business. I always try to stay near the lake so I can enjoy morning and late afternoon walks with my camera, which I always have on me. During that trip, I had been taking some shots of the city skyline from the lake, but wasn’t expecting anything too special. Then, I noticed a young female runner stretching after what seemed like a long run. I quickly composed the shot with her in the foreground, as I feel a skyline is much more captivating when there’s something interesting happening in front of it. Converting it to black and white gave the image a more timeless feel, in my opinion.”

8. Bong Goo Kang
“For several weeks, I observed construction workers in Seoul dismantling the exterior structures of a building. It was a scene not often seen in everyday life, and I could feel something from watching them. To me, their actions seemed to symbolize the lives of urban workers, constrained in their daily routines. However, they were passionate, and in that moment, they appeared to be breaking free from those constraints.”

9. Chris Yan
“This photo was taken in the Central Business District of Beijing, China. The roof outside a store is a giant mirror that reflects people passing by. When the photo is rotated 180 degrees, oh my god, this is an unreal world.  Beijing is a city with a history of over 3,000 years. At the same time, as the capital of China, it is a modern city with a population of more than 20 million. When walking in this city, you often see the collision of tradition and modernity. Sometimes I wonder, will the development of modern cities engulf tradition? I don't have an answer either. This photo is like this question. This scene triggered my thinking about the relationship between people and urban spaces. Opposition? Integration? Resistance? Acceptance? This scene looks like a real world and an unreal world at the same time. This relationship makes the people in the photos feel confused. Where should we go in the face of this urban jungle? Interestingly, there is a twisted arrow behind the people, wh ich seems to indicate the direction or exit.”

10. Alex Bingham
“I was shooting a TV commercial out in Belgrade, Serbia, and on a down day went to explore Blok 62, a brutalist communist housing estate. A fascinating grid of concrete blocks and geometric lines. As an art director, I often find myself drawn to graphic compositions and contrasts. This frame I captured reminds me of one of Mondrian's paintings, with the strong red, blue and black and leading lines. The two small kids looking at me through a gap in a bridge gives the image humanity and softens the hard edge of the concrete estate.”

11. Victor Tang
“This shot was taken in Chongqing, China, my home-town. Chongqing is known as the foggy city and is also well-known for its unique cyberpunk urban architectural style. When this picture was taken, it happened to be a foggy morning. At that time, I walked to the Yangtze River with the intention of capturing some anglers, but I became attracted by the urban buildings in the fog. So I picked up my camera and prepared to take a photo, just as a person happened to pass by. I captured the dramatic scene on camera. My own shooting style is to create a contrast between the vast urban background and lonely individuals. This kind of opposition can effectively convey a sense of loneliness, and I really like this style. The above is the creative experience and intended content of this work.”

12. Jeff Pachoud
“This photo was taken in Japan, at the well known Shibuya Crossing. I was walking around with the aim of exploring this famous place. When I arrived and saw the crowd, I was immediately struck by the geometry. I thought about choices. Isolating this man facing these kind of two paths was for me a way of evoking the directions we are constantly confronted with in our lives. Each of us chooses our own path, makes our own journey.”

13. Leif Andersson
“I always have my Leica on me. I saw this scene from my workplace and hurried up to the roof terrace to take this picture. I went out on the terrace in my Birkenstocks in 5 centimetres of wet snow to take this picture of the parking lot next to the office. It was a kind of snapshot, I saw the picture and I hurried to take it. It was taken in Solna, Stockholm in Sweden.”

14. Patrick Chan
“This picture was taken at the Empire State building in New York City. I've always been interested in capturing interesting moments. When the two subjects were looking out of the windows, it inspired me to take this photo. To me, there were so many similarities and differences – one window was larger than the other, one was an adult and the other a young child. However, both were admiring the same scenery. I made it into black and white as I felt it better represented the scene than in colour.”​​​​​​​