Photography: Empty Underground blog captures the Tube at its quietest

Date
17 January 2014

Nothing says like zombie apocalypse quite like abandoned pictures of places usually thronged with crowds. James Whatley’s blog Empty Underground does exactly what it says on the tin, and is the fruits of five years of his snapping those moments when he found himself alone on the Tube. He experiments with both the kinds of photographs he takes, but also with the atmosphere he captures; at times creepy and unnerving, at others serene and beautiful.

While we’ve seen projects featuring de-peopled underground stations before, what I really like about this is that it is rooted in reality. James hasn’t ventured into the network after hours; rather these are those incredibly rare chance moments when London’s arteries are not overrun by frazzled commuters, dawdling tourists and chatty drunks. Moreover the pictures give us plenty of chances to marvel at the little architectural touches that make the Tube so special.

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James Whatley: Empty Underground – Beautiful, 19:06

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James Whatley: Empty Underground – I love the floor here, 12:37

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James Whatley: Empty Underground – Bank, 20:45

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James Whatley: Empty Underground – Baker Street, 22:45

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James Whatley: Empty Underground – Southbound Red, 22:13

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James Whatley: Empty Underground – Charing Cross, 22:02

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James Whatley: Empty Underground – Baker Street, 06:59

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James Whatley: Empty Underground – Maida Vale, 13:06

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About the Author

Rob Alderson

Rob joined It’s Nice That as Online Editor in July 2011 before becoming Editor-in-Chief and working across all editorial projects including itsnicethat.com, Printed Pages, Here and Nicer Tuesdays. Rob left It’s Nice That in June 2015.

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