The NYC Subway System – A Street Photographer’s Dream

The New York City subway system has been an iconic symbol of urban transportation for almost 120 years. Opened in 1904, the subway has provided a cheaper alternative to taxi cabs and cars, allowing people to live in one borough and work in another. The 23 subway lines snake their way through 468 stations, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It’s been featured in countless movies and videos. (Michael Jackson even filmed the music video for Bad on the abandoned platforms of the Hoyt-Schermerhorn stop.)

In addition to filmmakers and videographers, the subway system has fascinated and intrigued photographers for decades. In the late 70s and early 80s, Swiss photographer Willy Spiller descended into the bowels of the city, using his camera to document life underground. He photographed policemen and criminals, the wealthy and the indigent, children and the elderly. Film was expensive, so he chose his moments carefully—but still amassed a collection of nearly 2,000 photos.

A photo from Willy Spiller's collection

This period, from 1977 to 1984, was among the most dangerous in the subway’s history. In 1979 alone, 250 serious crimes a week were reported on the system. Spiller deserves much credit for the risks he took. As he explained: “Forever a lover of fairy tales, I was always enthralled when I plunged into that rattling world of these mobile metal living rooms, like Alice in Wonderland, never knowing whether the next moment would be threatening, violent or funny, frightening or delightful.” His book Hell on Wheels is a fascinating document of that era. (Good luck finding a copy—it’s long out of print, and used ones sell for hundreds of dollars.)

Another daring subway documenter was Magnum photographer Bruce Davidson. Davidson began his subway project in the spring of 1980. By then, the subway had reached its grittiest level: every surface emblazoned with graffiti, stations and cars populated with gangs and unpredictable passengers. He recalls, “As I went down the subway stairs, through the turnstile, and on to the darkened station platform, a sense of fear gripped me. I grew alert, and looked around to see who might be standing by, waiting to attack.”

Photo by Bruce Davidson

Despite the danger, Davidson found the aesthetic captivating, and he felt this brutal underbelly of the city could be best captured in color, describing the people and surroundings as having “an iridescence like that I have seen in photographs of deep-sea fish.” For a photographer who had shot exclusively in black and white, this was a bold choice. His book Subway remains a remarkable record, detailing the true character of this city - the vitality, the grit, and the humanity. As he wrote in its introduction: “I wanted to transform the subway from its dark, degrading, and impersonal reality into images that open up our experience again to the color, sensuality, and vitality of the individual souls that ride it each day.”

For street photographers today, the subway is still the gift that keeps on giving. It is the great equalizer, carrying everyone from the ultra-wealthy who could easily afford taxis or limousines, to the downtrodden for whom the subway often provides a roof over their head. You’ll encounter buskers moving from car to car, athletic acrobats attempting to impress the tourists (while annoying the natives), and commuters whose weary expressions tell their own quiet stories.

What makes the subway so unique as a photographic environment is its confinement. Once you step into a subway car, you’re trapped until the next stop. If you photograph someone and they react badly, you can’t diffuse the situation by simply walking away. Stealth is essential. I sometimes use my Ricoh GRIIIx when shooting street photos above ground, but in the subway even that small camera feels conspicuous. A smartphone, on the other hand, is perfect—everyone ignores it. Just make sure the shutter sound is off.

For those who find the subway cars too claustrophobic, no need to fret. There’s still plenty of material: train platforms, station stairways, escalators, and turnstiles all offer great street photography opportunities, as you can see below.

Despite its chaos, grime, and occasional dangers, I still find the subway fascinating. When I spotted Tod Lange’s Vintage New York City Subway Signs on sale at The Strand—New York’s legendary bookstore—I didn’t hesitate to add it to my collection. Flipping through the pages, I recognized so many of those signs from decades ago. It made me smile, and it definitely stirred up some nostalgia. Of course, it also reminded me that I’ve been riding these trains for a very long time. The signs may be vintage, but at this point, so am I.

The subway has become more than mere transportation for me; it’s been a steady source of inspiration. With Spiller and Davidson as my influences, I’ve built up a sizeable collection of subway photos of my own. Allow me to share some more of my favorites.