Daily Commute Photography Challenge
No matter where you live, your daily commute can yield a plethora of fascinating photos. Whether it's the sax player in the subway station, or perhaps a group of bleach-blond surfers headed down to catch some waves, there’s always something exciting happening nearby. They're just part of your daily routine, but have you ever wondered how interesting they actually are? (especially for someone who’s never been to a big city or lived near the ocean!). Instead of fiddling with your iPod all day, why not seek out to capture all those people, places, and things along your way? Take the "Daily Commute Photography Challenge" by pushing yourself to photograph things you see every day during your routine commute and share them with others.
If your commute is anything like mine, you'll be on a bus or subway for at least a good hour. There is no better time to be creative. While my favorite types of commute photos are the candid ones, you should always stick with your own style. The most popular profiles on photo sharing sites are of those photographers who stick to a certain type of photo—whether it's the same type of subject, the same filter, or both. You'll also want to follow that concept in order to accumulate a larger following and recognition.
Here are my top ten favorite commuter moments:
1. A hip storefront
2. The subway elevator
3. Waiting for the subway
4. Passengers on the train
5. Crossing the street
6. Don't forget to look up!
7. Colorful street art
8. City workers waiting for the day to begin
9. Shoes on a wire
10. Scooter Life
As you can see from these photos, I didn't stick to a specific filter, but I certainly chose to go with a specific style. You’ll notice that the people, places, and things I captured in every photo left a bit of intrigue and mystery for the viewer. I also avoided close-up photos as those can get a bit too personal. If you're capturing people, make sure you zoom out a bit and capture a bit of the environment around them as well.
The most important thing is to not disturb anyone's privacy. This rule is two-fold: first, you don't want to make anyone angry that you’re likely run into again and again while you share the same commute, and secondly taking a more ambiguous shot will likely result in a much more compelling capture.
