I spend a lot of time traveling by train from New Jersey to New York, and back, on NJ Transit’s Northeast Corridor. Since I always carry a camera on these trips for city shooting, I take advantage of a great photo opportunity — shooting through the window of the moving train. There are so many interesting views of NJ and NY that I would not have access to, otherwise — a closer look at the various train stations, suburban back yards, industrial parks, and cities along the tracks. What started as an experiment turned into a years-long project.

The more I practice this, the more I am able to anticipate and plan my images, and often shoot repeats of similar scenes. The view changes depending on a variety of factors — the seasons, the time of day, which track the train is on, and whether I sit on the upper or lower deck. The condition of the window I happen to be sitting next to plays a part, often acting as an interesting filter. There is enough variety to keep me interested, and I’m able to find many images that contain the quirkiness and irony that I enjoy.

Through a Train Window is an ongoing project, put on a temporary hold due to the pandemic. I look forward to seeing if the views have changed over the last year and a half once I return to train travel.

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