Documentary Photography: Moments at a Bus Stop

I’ve always loved the photographic opportunities provided by bus stops. This photograph has a documentary character, but its composition gives the encounter between the two men an almost theatrical quality. I was sitting down at the bus stop at the time and pointed my camera upwards to capture this happy moment when two friends bumped into each other at the bus stop. Their warm handshake is energetic and purposeful.

A bus stop is a wonderfully democratic photographic setting: strangers, friends, commuters, elderly people, shoppers and workers all temporarily occupy the same small piece of civic space. Actually this photo was taken at a tram stop.

For me, the real subject is the momentary intimacy of public life. I’ve captured two people who happen to meet while everyone else waits for transportation. The bus stop becomes a small stage, and the handshake supplies the decisive moment.