Adrian Samson's cinematic images capture the everyday wonderfully

People-watching is a pastime of mine – the hellos and the goodbyes after two people have just met are my favourite moments, with clunky air-kisses and unnecessary waving being tell-tale signs of an awkward first meeting. If you’ve never got into staring at people going about their day-to-day business (why not?), Adrian Samson’s series Heatwave is a great place to start.

The Slovakia-born photographer who now lives in London captured these images last summer around The City, Shoreditch, Soho and Piccadilly. They’re beautifully cinematic, with drama framing each photograph despite the mundane and inconsequential activities these strangers are performing. Sitting on a bench, talking to a friend or looking into the distance isn’t remarkable but Adrian manages to make blank stares and eating a burger into something wonderful. It’s the photographer’s use of natural light in this project that works so magically, with the sun becoming another character in the scenes he captures.

When speaking about Heatwave Adrian says: “I don’t particularly follow street photography so when I’m outside I look for the aesthetics I have in my studio work.” This is clear when browsing the rest of the photographer’s online portfolio, with various projects echoing the same sleekness and vividness regardless of subject matter.