Escape from the Death Star

This was an unexpected discovery during a visit to Vienna, Austria. We were traveling to our next destination via the Vienna U-Bahn, and upon exiting the train, found ourselves in this space-age underground station. The monochrome platform with its bright red accents was begging to be photographed, so we waited a short time for the station to empty and started capturing images.

It was such a contrast from the ornate halls found in the Viennese palaces. Alone within the artless walls, it felt like we were transported deep within the Death Star. I could picture Darth Vader, flanked by Stormtroopers, descending the escalator in front of us. Lacking any blaster rifles to defend ourselves, we did not stay long...there were many more lavish palaces to be seen in this amazing city.

Entering Warp Drive

This is another image taken in the Toledo Metro Station in Naples, Italy. Earlier this year, I featured an image of the escalator banks at the far end of this hallway - In an Octopus’s Garden.

The passageway features various shades of blue and continues the water theme with light panels of ocean waves. In my opinion, the best feature is the light fixture above. To me, it resembles the USS Enterprise just as it enters warp drive.

Warp speed, Mr. Sulu…

In an Octopus's Garden

One of the first things I did upon arriving in Naples was walk down the bustling Via Toledo and descend into the Toledo metro station. Numerous websites and publications proclaim this station as one of the most beautiful in Europe, so I had to see it for myself. 

It was 8pm on a Saturday night and it was filled with locals & tourists going to/from the nearby bars, shops and restaurants. People were everywhere as I wandered down escalators, stairways and passageways looking for possible places to photograph. The architecture was interesting, but the scene was chaotic. I decided to wait and return when the station would be less crowded.  

The next morning I returned at 6:00 am and was one of the first people through the doors. It felt completely different without the crowds. I could more easily appreciate all of the details in the architecture that were often masked by all of the moving bodies the previous day.

This area was my favorite. As you descend on the escalator, you become surrounded by colorful tiles and waves reaching out of the walls…it feels like you are submerging into an underwater cave. 

Since there was no one there, I was able to take some time to capture images at the bottom. I definitely find it to be a unique and beautiful subway station.

Enter the Orange

The tubular, bright orange passageways are a unique feature of the Marienplatz U-Bahn station. Hundreds of thousands of people pass through this station every day, completely enveloped in orange as they board their trains. 

Almost everyone, including me, uses the main entrance/exit escalators on the other end of the platform. One day, however, I decided to explore more of the station and discovered this less frequented entrance. It is tucked away in a corner and only accessed by a small elevator from the main square. 

I find the shapes, lines and curves to be fantastic here, as well as the slight bend in the passageway. Perhaps most importantly, there is a color other than orange! The dark green tiles provide great contrast, allowing the bright tunnel to draw your eyes right into it.

It has become, by far, my favorite place to enter the orange.

Chutes and Ladders

Since it was 98 degrees outside, I decided to spend some time exploring the underground in Budapest. The city recently added a new metro line to its network and some of the modern stations are fantastic. This station, Kálvin tér, is one of my favorites.

I particularly liked this point of view, looking up from the platform. It is a deep station and requires taking three different sets of escalators to reach the bottom. These escalators criss-cross and their lines along with the other curves and patterns create an interesting perspective. 

Perhaps the only thing missing from this station is color. It is mostly concrete and varying shades of gray. Well suited for a monochromatic image.

Into the Void

It has been several months since I posted an image from one of my favorite places to photograph…the Munich underground. This is Oberwiesenfeld Station on the U3 line. It is not one of the stations that is frequently photographed. Perhaps this is because the plain solid color on one side of the platform is, well, not very photogenic. 

From the center of the platform, the lines and patterns do not draw your attention. As a result, I scouted several different perspectives trying to find a better composition. The patterned black and white wall is, by far, the most interesting feature…so I concentrated on it. Once I found this dizzying angle, I knew I had the shot I wanted. 

I love including leading lines in images…and having lines from every surface pulling you toward the black tunnel at the far end was too much to resist. 

Can your eyes resist being pulled in to the void?

Escape from Hell

I suspect there are few people whose main interest when visiting Stockholm is to wander through its subway stations. I am one of those people.

The Tunnelbana consists of 100 stations and several of them feel more like art exhibitions than mass transit locations. I was only able to visit a handful during my short stay in Stockholm, but this one was on the top of my list and it is absolutely striking…it is the Solna Central station.

Some of the older stations are dug into the bedrock and have bare, exposed rock walls instead of finished interiors. In this station, the exposed rock has been painted to create a panoramic image. Scenes with forests, waterfalls, people and animals adorn the walls as you walk from one end to the other. However, at this set of escalators, all you see is red and black.

Having just descended the long, deep escalator, finding this was a little surreal…maybe even a little unsettling. :) But I also found it fantastic and had to capture some images. Strangely, there were very few people in the station with me, so it was rather easy to get an image without people going up or down the escalators. 

I have to think that if Hell wanted a grand entrance (or exit), this would do quite nicely. 

Fang of the Underground

I love using wide-angle lenses for architecture. However, as wide angle lenses can cause distortion, especially at the edges of an image, shooting very wide can result in challenges both in composition and in post processing. In most situations, photographers (including myself) want to eliminate any distortion in their image. However, I find there are times when this distortion can be used creatively and with interesting effects.

This is Hasenbergl Station in Munich…flipped upside down. That long fang-shaped thing coming at you is actually the ceiling that forms a canopy over the platform below. 

By positioning myself at the end of the canopy and angling my lens upward at its widest setting, I was able to make the tip of the canopy appear much longer and narrower than it actually is. Additionally, the rest of the station is pushed further away from the viewer, making the space look larger than reality. Of course with this amount of intentional distortion, keeping straight lines straight becomes challenging. Through a bit of trial and error and careful positioning, I was able to minimize distortion on the straight lines on the ceiling and platform to my satisfaction. 

In the end, this was a difficult image to compose and capture, but also an incredibly fun challenge at the same time. I suspect the people who walked passed me in the station that afternoon were wondering what the heck I was trying to do…adjusting and re-adjusting my camera position pointed at the ceiling. Fortunately, this station is near the end of a line, so it is never very busy. As a result, getting the final shot without people was the easiest part.

If you are curious what the station really looks like right side up, the picture below shows the station from the stairs leading down to the platform.

To Olympia and Below

Last week there was a tragic act of violence here in Munich, near the Olympia Enkaufszentrum. My thoughts & prayers go out to all of those who have experienced loss as a result of this inexcusable act. 

I deliberated a bit before posting this, as I do not want to trivialize this horrendous event in any way or offend those affected. The people of Munich, their culture and the wonderful surroundings make this city an amazing place to experience, visit, live. I intend this simply as a reminder that the acts of one person should not succeed in undermining the beauty & spirit that is otherwise prevalent. 

There are numerous attractions near Olympia Enkaufszentrum. Perhaps the most beautiful is Olympia Park with its walking trails, lake, artistically designed stadiums and the iconic Olympic tower. But there is also beauty underground…

Most of my visits to Olympia Enkaufszentrum involve arriving or leaving on the U3 line of the Munich U-Bahn. I think this station is amazing! I have been here several times to photograph it from different angles and perspectives. It is almost always busy, but if you arrive here early, like I did on a Sunday morning (when all the shops above ground are closed) it looks like this. 

The shapes, colors, lines, lights and textures are captivating when you take the time to look around the station. The walls are covered with metallic pyramid elements that create interesting light and reflection effects.

This is one of my favorite perspectives…the center of the platform looking at the escalators. There is a lot to take in here, which is perhaps why I like it so much. 

I am a strong believer in taking a moment to reflect on the beauty around us. I find it both relaxing and inspiring…especially in the presence of grief, fear & reflection.

Garching Ghost

Last week I ventured back into the Munich U-Bahn to capture some images. I always enjoy photographing these stations and since it snowed almost every day here last week, it was a good time to explore the underground again.

I had photographed this station, Garching, once before. However, I didn’t love any of the images I captured and wanted to try some different compositions. 

This station is at the end of the U6 line far north of the city, so there are never many people here and it is empty most of the time. It is also predominantly white, so while it is futuristic and cool, it is also a bit sterile. Fortunately, it has some colored tiles scattered about (mostly red and yellow) and in this particular corner, you have these bright green tiles that provide some nice shapes & contrast.

I liked the empty station, but wanted a subject to make a more interesting image. So, I set up at the far end of the station and waited for the next train to arrive. I started a long exposure just as the train was entering the station. The end result was this “ghost” train…just the subject I wanted. :) 

The Blue Underground

After a few outdoor images the past several weeks, I wanted to get back inside to another one of my favorite U-Bahn stations in Hamburg, Germany. It is Überseequartier, located in the HafenCity district.

It is relatively new, being completed in 2012, and sits near the end of the U4 line...so there are (currently) relatively few people here at any one time. In fact, I was the only one here for about a 5 minute span. The walls and ceiling are covered in blue tiles that reflect the white lights placed in the walls. It is a very modern design with various lines, shapes and angles that I love in architectural photography. And, yes, it is that clean! 

If you make it here, I suggest you also visit the HafenCity Universität station one further stop down the line. It was featured in a post last month. In case you missed it, you can see that image here.

Hafen City - Hamburg, Germany

Since arriving in Germany, I have acquired an affinity for photographing the modern U-Bahn Stations here. I admire the way the Germans have designed their newest stations to be works of art, while also being the most efficient way to travel around their cities. Hafen City station is a perfect example of this and a very unique underground station in Hamburg. The train station is constantly changing its colors, lights alternating between red, blue, orange and green. On weekends people line up just to see the light show here accompanied by the classical music of Bach, Verdi & Brahms. I witnessed the light show and it is impressive…especially considering it is a subway station!

Candidplatz, Under the Rainbow

This is Candidplatz and is easily one of my favorite U-Bahn stations in Munich.  It is brightly painted throughout the platform, providing a rainbow effect that changes as you walk from one end of the station to the other. The colors change from purple to blue, green, red & yellow as you walk though the station. The station is slightly curved, so getting a symmetrical shot is a challenge, but I never tire of walking through this place and have included a different perspective below, so you can see the entire color spectrum of this amazing station.

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Westfriedhof

Munich has several modern, architecturally interesting U-Bahn stations.  This is Westfriedhof station and is one of my favorites.  The platform is bathed in light from huge modern dome lights in primary colors.  Above the dome lights, neon blue light bounces off the ceiling and reflects off the rough concrete walls creating a great effect as you wonder about the station.