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InspirationPhotography

Underground NYC: Leland Bobbé uses his iPhone to document life on the subway

In his series Underground NYC, New York photographer Leland Bobbé – featured previously – stealthily captures the cramped and claustrophobic conditions of his native city's subway, all with just an iPhone 6.

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All images courtesy of Leland Bobbé. Via Creative Boom submission.

All images courtesy of Leland Bobbé. Via Creative Boom submission.

By ditching his usual expensive camera equipment for a simple smartphone, Leland is able to shoot people without them being aware. He said: "While I'm framing, I just pretend that I'm typing or scrolling."

He then uses an app called Snapseed for a little post-processing, right on his phone. The resulting images almost look like painted artworks, adding a dramatic slant to his shots.

Leland added: "I’ve always been fascinated by people’s expressions and body language in the subways. The dynamic created when complete strangers are forced into close proximity is very interesting. People are often on top of one another and at the same time I think they try to do their best to insulate themselves. I try to be a fly on the wall, just recording what I see."

Via direct submission | All images courtesy of Leland Bobbé

Crowded subway car interior with passengers standing close together, some holding overhead rails, with advertisements visible above
Crowded subway passengers squeezed together, including a young girl in a blue jacket looking downward among other commuters
A woman sits on a crowded subway train surrounded by standing passengers, her hands covering her face in an expression of fatigue or overwhelm, holding a Banana Republic shopping bag.
Man in grey shirt holding onto pole in crowded NYC subway car with other passengers visible
A woman grips a subway pole with one hand whilst appearing to look downward on a crowded train car
A man in a dark jacket sits on a red subway seat with a young child resting against his leg while other passengers surround them in the cramped carriage
Young boy with hand to face sitting on orange subway seat next to woman with long hair, wearing plaid shirt in background
Woman on NYC subway wearing earbuds and holding a pole, with bright red nail polish, captured on iPhone by Leland Bobbé
A woman with dark hair and earbuds stands holding a subway pole, looking downward with a contemplative expression, surrounded by other passengers in close quarters.
Woman in mustard cardigan and blue backpack standing among crowded subway passengers, with a young girl visible beside her
An elderly woman wearing a brown patterned headscarf gazes downward while holding onto a subway handrail, with other passengers visible in the background
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