This is the Earth Hall inside the Natural History Museum in London. Hoping to capture images of some of the spaces before they filled with people, I arrived early and was one of the first people through the doors. After spending my first moments photographing the great Hintze Hall (published earlier in the Looking Down on Darwin post), I quickly made my way to this great space.

I thought the room would fill up quickly, but I ended up having the place to myself for about 10 minutes. Being alone, I had the benefit of getting some compositions that otherwise would have been difficult. Standing here at the bottom of the escalator is one example, and it turned out to be my favorite. With no one in front or behind me, I could take my time. This proved essential as it took several hand-held attempts to try to align myself and the camera in the right spot (tripods are not allowed).

I recently rediscovered this image going through some old files on my computer. I have always liked this image, but for whatever reason, I hadn't published it until now. With the museum closed indefinitely due to the global health situation, it seems like the right time to finally share it with you. It is best to experience this chamber in person, so let's hope the museum is able to open its doors again soon.