Image via Complex Original
The subway is common ground for almost everyone who lives in a major city, but not everyone stops to think that passengers on any type of commute are all humans going through something. Exhaustion, stress, the woes of romance and fleeting moments—we all feel it—and some photographers are particularly skilled at capturing it.
These photographs have been compiled to bring a little tear to your eye and showcase the talents of urban photographers around the world. They depict what people are going through on their daily commute, freezing moments in time that are often glossed over. If you're ready, take a look at this 18 Photos of People in Subways That Will Make You Cry.
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Ourit Ben-Haim
Photographer: Ourit Ben-Haim
Location: New York
It's always intriguing when you notice the faces of readers on the subway, although it's definitely awkward to stare. Ourit Ben-Haim has created a series called the "Underground New York Public Library," where we're free to skim the faces of dedicated bookworms and the various emotional expressions on their faces.
Weilun Chong
Photographer: Weilun Chong
Location: Tokyo
Weilun Chong is a subway photography expert. This image is heavy and shows the complete exhaustion of that long metro commute.
Brandon Stanton
Photographer: Brandon Stanton
Location: New York
Most of us are familiar with the powerful work of Brandon Stanton, who created Humans of New York (and if you're not, you should be). Here's a story from one of his many powerful portraits: "He looks just like me, but with gray hair. I've tried to forgive, but every time I see him, it all comes back to me, and it's like I have to forgive him all over again."
Matt Weber
Photographer: Matt Weber
Location: New York
Matt Weber's street photography takes place all over New York, paying special attention to the underground. In a series dedicated to urban romance, this gem depicting a heartbreaking goodbye stands out.
Sriram Vittalamurthy
Photographer: Sriram Vittalamurthy
Location: New York
It's hard not to wonder what everyone around you is thinking of while riding the tube. Lost in thought, Sriram Vittalamurthy captures a girl introspectively lost in her thoughts.
Weilun Chong
Photographer: Weilun Chong
Location: Hong Kong
We couldn't pick just one Weilun Chong piece; he is simply too prolific and talented to ignore. His work is from a series that depicts "minding the gap."
Weilun Chong
Photographer: Weilun Chong
Location: Singapore
Our last pick from Weilun Chong (though we could look at his work all day) is of a man with a heavy burden trying to clear his mind amidst the public rush.
Maurice Narcis
Photographer: Maurice Narcis
Location: New York
Chances are if you live in a big city and spend a lot of your time in the metro, you've cried in public, or at least seen a lot of crying in public. This gorgeous black and white shot captures a physical distance from the subject despite an emotional closeness that many can feel when looking at the image.
Brandon Stanton
Photographer: Brandon Stanton
Location: New York
We couldn't pick just one photo from HONY, so here's another impressive portrait with the caption, "At first we kept saying: 'We're going to beat it. We're going to beat it.' Then after a while we began to realize that we might not beat it. Then toward the end, it became clear that we definitely weren't going to beat it. That's when she started telling me that she wanted me to move on and find happiness with somebody else. But I'm not quite there yet. Not long ago a noise woke me up in the middle of the night, and I rolled over to ask if she needed anything."
Brandon Stanton
Photographer: Brandon Stanton
Location: New York
Here's another story from HONY with a short caption that says it all—"My visa expires in a week."
Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
Location: Moscow
The stray dogs of Russia's metro are not the most expected subjects for subway photographs. They are cute and approachable but still a reflection of poverty. This is just one of many pups to ride the train everyday.
Andy Newman
Photographer: Andy Newman
Location: New York
You may be familiar with the depressing yet appropriate poem by Norman B. Colp that exists underground below Times Square titled "A Commuter's Lament, or a Close Shav." It reads "Overslept / So tired / If late / Get fired / Why bother? / Why the pain? / Just go home / Do it again." At one point, it was re-covered with optimism from two young artists, but it has been restored swiftly to its original display.
Adam Hinton
Photographer: Adam Hinton
Location: China
A disgruntled crowd of men attempting to get either to or from work doesn't usually sound like an impressive shot, but photographer Adam Hinton proves otherwise with this eerie look into China's commuter culture.
Adam Hinton
Photographer: Adam Hinton
Location: Tokyo
In his series capturing the commuters of Tokyo, Adam Hinton found this gorgeous yet solemn young lady. The sardine cans of subway cars in Tokyo look like a difficult place to cast a smile.
Lucas Jackson
Photographer: Lucas Jackson
Location: New York
Photos don't have to be sad to be tear-jerkers. We love this shot by Lucas Jackson, which captures candid love in the tunnels of New York. You can check out his full series here.
Andrea Star Reese
Photographer: Andrea Star Reese
Location: New York
While studying at the International Center of Photography, former filmmaker Andrea Star Reese went deep into the underground to document the homeless living beneath our streets. This dark image captures the moving series, shown in its entirety here.
Michael Wolf
Photographer: Michael Wolf
Location: Tokyo
Commuting in Tokyo looks truly uncomfortable, as captured by photographer Michael Snow. These commuters in Japan go to great lengths to make it home. The "Tokyo Compression" series certainly makes our commute look sane.
Michael Wolf
Photographer: Michael Wolf
Location: Tokyo
Again, Michael Wolf catches a truly emotive moment showing the stress and exhaustion of commuting.