Monday 23 March 2015

NYC Subway by John Telfer



51st Street Subway Musician

While waiting for a subway to take me uptown at 51st Street in New York City, New York, I saw this gentleman having a great time playing his guitar right in front of the 51st Street Subway sign. He had his guitar case open for any donations that anyone would want to give to him as he played away. As he was playing I went up to him before my train came in and asked him if he would not mind if I took his photo, he said no not at all, but try and catch me as I am singing and playing, I responded by saying, no problem. Just as I was getting ready to take his photo somebody tapped me on my back and told me to put down the camera. I turned around and saw it was a police officer who infomed me that I was not permitted to be taking photos of the subways down here. I quickly informed him that I had no intention of taking a photo of the subway car coming into the station I was looking to take a photo of the gentleman standing up against the wall playing his guitar. Next the guitar player shouted out to the police officer, "What are you doing you are stopping him from taking my picture?". The police officer looked at me and said alright take the pictures but make it quick, I thanked him and took several shots some in color and some in black and white and as I finished my subway car pulled into the station and I took off. After the situation that happened in New York on 9/11 everyone is very paranoid about photos being taken in tunnels or bridges, these days there are signs that say NO photographs while crossing the bridge at bridges like the Whitestone, Throgs Neck, George Washington and even the Brooklyn Bridge. The same goes for the subways. It is basically an impossible task to prevent everyone from stopping to take photos of landmarks in New York, but after 9/11 everyone is still on edge even 11 years later.


Train Keeps On Rollin

In order to get an overall view of the Long Island Rail Road pulling into the Jamaica, Queens station, stood a top the walkway that connects all of the platforms down below and waited for a train to pull in. Stood dead center as this train pulled into the station and caught it entering the roofs of the platform along with the remainder of the train coming around the bend. Also captured some old factories in the Jamaica area. Based on what I was seeing with the train, tracks and the old factory I decided to shoot this in black and white to give it that old vintage aged appearance. The Long Island Rail Road (reporting mark LI) or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York, stretching from Manhattan to the easternmost tip of Suffolk County, New York. It is the second busiest commuter railroad in North America (only recently surpassed by its sister railroad, Metro-North), serving about 81 million passengers each year.

[1] Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US railroad still operating under its original name and charter.

[2] There are 124 stations on the LIRR, and more than 700 miles (1,100 km) of track.

[3] On its two lines to the two forks of the island and eight major branches. Each weekday, the LIRR provides more than 303,000 rides to customers.

[4] It is publicly owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which has styled it MTA Long Island Rail Road. The current LIRR logo combines the circular MTA logo with the text Long Island Rail Road, and appears on the sides of trains. The LIRR is one of two commuter rail systems owned by the MTA; the other one is Metro-North Railroad.

The LIRR is the only commuter passenger railroad in the United States to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with significant off peak, weekend, and holiday service.








Franklin Square, NY United States




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