A journey is always an opportunity for a photograph. My images are often shot surreptitiously, from the hip with my Canon G10, hoping to capture something worthy of a picture.
Many stations on the Underground have been up-graded, and this one in particular attracted me because the design was atypical of most Underground stations. I had fired off a few shots of the design elements and then I spotted this line of people waiting for the next train.
They looked an interesting bunch and I very quickly shot: just the one shot – a chance shot. When eventually I looked at this back home on the iMac, I noticed the range of facial expressions, the assorted baggage, the varied degrees of slumped sitting. The tiredness so evident in some of them.
Click on the image to see an enlargement to get a better view of this random group of fellow travelers. It’s well worth doing.
It was only this morning as I was re-sizing the image for loading that I thought about a B&W conversion. Strangely it had never occurred to me. I liked the colour in the original, to my mind it added an extra dimension. But I have now run a B&W conversion; and I think it works. The coldness of the medium seems to match, and even enhance, the obvious weariness of the people. It creates a different mood.
But which do I prefer? I really don’t know right now. What’s your opinion? Write a comment and let’s see how you all vote.
PS: Linda Leinen (commenting as Shoreacres – see below) made a very perceptive observation about the mint green background and produced a new version removing the green tint (see below). I really like this version that Linda has produced and thought I should add that version to this post: thank you so much, Linda. I seriously recommend that you all take a look at Linda’s blog ‘The Task at Hand‘ – she writes beautifully and her blog is one of my favourite reads.
LensScaper 
I prefer the B&W and am surprised about it – I would not have thought of converting a shot like that. Well seen and very nice!
LikeLike
Thanks very much Sally. As you will have read, I hadn’t thought of it either until today – and I’m a great lover of the B&W medium. Maybe it ‘works’ in B&W because it belongs to the genre of street photography and a lot of that over the decades has been in B&W.
LikeLike
It’s a smashing photo Andy. I think I prefer the colour version and I’m now trying to think why. I think perhaps the colour lifts the rather grainy backdrop that was detracting me slightly in the black and white. Then again it adds to the gritty, contemporary feel of the black and white. I guess on balance then I’m sitting on the fence and for me that shows what a good photo it is.
LikeLike
Thanks Adrian – sometimes sitting on the fence isn’t a bad place to be! It’s grainy and noisy – shoot on the Canon G10 at 800 IS0 and you get noise. I have reduced the noise in Topaz De-Noise, but the image is not perfectly sharp (hardly surprising considering how it was shot) and reducing the noise resulted in the image overall looking a little more out of focus – so the end result was a compromise. Noise/grain always seems to sit more comfortably within the B&W fold. But colour adds a little extra something to this image, IMHO. I’m sitting on the fence too!
LikeLike
I surprised myself by liking the black and white more — a good bit more. In the end, I decided it was the dinner-mint green color of the background that was the big obstacle for me. So, I ran an experiment, and lo! Minus that horrid green, it’s great in b&w or color. (Once you’ve seen my experiment, I’ll pull it off the server.)
LikeLike
I really like that version that you have produced, Linda. Thank you so much. It needed to be seen and so I have taken the liberty of copying your revision and adding it as a postscript to the blog entry with an attribution to you and a link to your blog (you might like to take another view of the Post now). I really do appreciate what you achieved – it seems to have the best of both worlds.
LikeLike
Oh, my goodness. I would have spent more time with it if I’d known it was going to see the light of day! I’ve never figured out Photoshop. I used PicMonkey. I converted it to black and white, then used a brush to restore the color to the people – rather roughly, I must say. But I’m glad you liked it. I really didn’t like that green. 🙂
LikeLike
You did a first class job on it, Linda. And thanks again.
LikeLike
Between the colour and B&W I was going to pick the colour but seeing Linda’s version I think that one is my favourite. Wonderful capture Andy.
LikeLike
Thanks Edith. Smart work by Linda certainly: a clever idea, well executed
LikeLike
Great capture Andy. I am undecided between the 2nd and 3rd but think I prefer the mono (only just). Good idea by Linda, I wouldn’t have thought of it 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks Lisa. It’s become a tricky choice with three to choose from.
LikeLike
It’s a great photo of everyday life. I like all three versions and don’t mind the green wall at all and prefer the your color version over the black and white. And I see that Linda has created something different, quite lovely, too.
LikeLike
Thanks Otto. B&W always creates a different mood from colour, and then along comes the half-way house thanks to clever thinking by Linda.
LikeLike
I’m with Otto, I like all three versions. Great capture.
LikeLike
Many thanks for your comment and the reblog – much appreciated.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on Siteri Nadi and commented:
Waiting. That is something I can well relate to. It seems to me I’ve spent all my life waiting. Mainly for the bus, which are sometimes unreliable here in Nadi. Okay who am I kidding, they are plenty unreliable.
Which is why, I think, I quite enjoy taking – and looking at – photos of people who seem to – like me – just standing or sitting around waiting.
That’s why I’d like to share with you this post from LensScaper….Enjoy. No waiting necessary.
LikeLike
My preference is the colour, though all of them are nice. I think it is because I really like that colour of green, as simple as that. You sure did capture a gallery of facial expression in one post!
LikeLike
Thanks Ehpem. Yes, I couldn’t have wished for a greater range of facial expression if I’d tried!
LikeLiked by 1 person