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Empty London
- kubatyszko 13y agoI recommend a photo album "Tokyo Nobody" - similar concept.
- csmuk 13y agoThe square mile looks like that on a weekend. The rest looks like that at 05:30. in summer.
- walshemj 13y agoYes I remember having to go into work to reboot our systems once back in the 80's 200/300 yards from oxford street and it was quiet as the grave. Many cafes, bars and pubs in the city shut down at the weekend.
- ngpio 13y agoWhat a surprisingly pleasant side-scrolling experience.
- Usu 13y agoIf you liked this, you should also check out this beautiful timelapse video of Milan (same concept): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyHsouXc_HU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyHsouXc_HU
- sillysaurus2 13y agoThe author explains how they took these photos: http://blog.roberttimothy.com/2013/05/Deserted-empty-London-photos-of-British-capital-without-any-people-28-days-later-style-pictures.html http://blog.roberttimothy.com/2013/05/Deserted-empty-London-...
- asselinpaul 13y agoHighly recommended.
- nimble 13y agoClever use of bomb threats.
- brownbat 13y ago> I didn't want to cheat and use Photoshop I was actually hoping he did something clever like take multiple shots and stitch them all together. Ah well, I suppose this is more noble.
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- seandougall 13y agoIf he had, he could have gotten the three (at least) people out of the second-to-last shot. :-)
- nostromo 13y agoIt's actually much easier than manual stitching. Take 3+ shots on a tripod then take the median value of each pixel. Anything that is moving (pedestrians, cars) will vanish. Example: http://www.creativetechs.com/iq/photoshop_cs3s_automatic_people_remover.html http://www.creativetechs.com/iq/photoshop_cs3s_automatic_peo...
- ollysb 13y agoNow That would be a useful feature on a camera. You could call it the tourist eraser :)
- Joeri 13y agoNokia already has it on the lumia: http://conversations.nokia.com/2013/07/03/nokia-smart-camera-remove-moving-objects-walk-through/ http://conversations.nokia.com/2013/07/03/nokia-smart-camera...
- kokey 13y agoCapturing parts of central London without people is much more of a feat than editing them out. That said, I agree with his schedule, Sunday mornings are also the only time you can drive around the city as if it's like most other cities in the world (e.g. being able to get over a 15mph average for your trip)
- RtotheT 13y agoI can't tell you how excited I am that you shared my work and that it's enjoyed. I mean, I don't wanna get all Sally-Field-at-the-Oscars but the photos and project took ages to plot and it makes it really worth it when so many get to see it - even worth getting soaked to your underwear to get the shot of Big Ben on Christmas morning! So a ga-zillion thank yous. (And they are very definitely not faked or overlayed or multiple shots - as someone says - in the second last photo you can spot a car, presumably with someone in it...)
- NickPollard 13y agoBrilliant work, definitely appreciated.
- joelle 13y agoWow those photos stunning...and thought provoking.
- ldn_tech_exec1 13y agobeautiful
- kcovia 13y ago28 Weeks Later also takes place in an abandoned London.
- CWIZO 13y agoAt first I thought he combined several images into one (there was a project a while ago that did that). But after reading that he actually waited for everyone to clear ... that blew my mind. I absolutely can't imagine seeing big ben or piccadilly without a single person in my eyesight. Absolutely marvellous! Too bad I'm away for christmas this year, I'd love to stroll trough the empty streets ...
- ye 13y agoI'm pretty sure he's lying. There's no way for most of these places to clear completely. It's like seeing Times Square empty. I'm 99% sure it's a composite from multiple exposures.
- pdknsk 13y ago> It's like seeing Times Square empty. It's interesting you mentioned this. The pictures reminded me of Vanilla Sky, which prominently features empty Times Square.
- danso 13y agoFunny you should mention that. Every time I think of Times Square being empty (which can happen at certain angles at certain very early times of day), I think of Roger Ebert's review of Vanilla Sky: http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/vanilla-sky-2001 http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/vanilla-sky-2001 > Note: Early in the film, there's an astonishing shot of Tom Cruise absolutely alone in Times Square. You might assume, as I did, that computers were involved. Cameron Crowe told me the scene is not faked; the film got city permission to block off Times Square for three hours early on a Sunday morning. Just outside of camera range there are cops and barricades to hold back the traffic.
- williwu 13y agoLondon streets were empty in 28 Days Later as well.
- ye 13y agoThey shut down that whole area for 2.5 hours for that scene.
- chrislo 13y agoI also enjoyed this collection of "empty" photos of all 270 tube stations: http://instagram.com/tube270 http://instagram.com/tube270
- Brakenshire 13y agoAnd the tents were all silent, the banners alone, The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown. And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail, And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal; And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword, Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Destruction_of_Sennacherib#The_poem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Destruction_of_Sennacherib...
- nickthemagicman 13y agoBeautiful thanks!
- virtualwhys 13y agoReminds of the recounting of the fallen angels in Paradise Lost. Rather than face the awesome wrath of Jesus/God miffed, the to-be-fallen angels into the abyss, drift (well, really, leap in terror, but that doesn't work so well).
- 6d0debc071 13y agoNot how they told it to themselves at least, IRRC ^^; Him the Almighty Power Hurled headlong flaming from th' ethereal sky With hideous ruin and combustion down To bottomless perdition, there to dwell In adamantine chains and penal fire, Who durst defy th' Omnipotent to arms. [...] What though the field be lost? All is not lost; th’ unconquerable will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield. [...] Here at least we shall be free; the Almighty hath not built Here for his envy, will not drive us hence: Here we may reign secure, and in my choice to reign is worth ambition though in Hell: Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven.
- virtualwhys 13y agoThanks for the refresher. If any book will make one a Christian, Paradise Lost is probably it ;-)
- kenshiro_o 13y agoThat's awesome work! Strangely I cannot believe that a place like Piccadilly Circus is ever empty. It feels so unreal. He must have: a) waited a lot to see the streets clear b) been quite lucky the streets eventually cleared.
- benblodgett 13y agoThis is really cool, I've never been to London so I have no reference for how busy the places he photographs typically are. I would love to see a similar project for NYC.
- dblacc 13y agoVery busy is probably the only way to describe them. I work not far from where some of these photos were taken where its frustratingly busy at times. You would never think this was possible.
- spjwebster 13y agoI've previously done this kind of thing with an ND filter and long exposures to save getting frustrated by occasional passers-by. Here's a series of photographs of major cities around the world done using this technique by Lucie & Simon: http://petapixel.com/2012/03/28/post-apocalyptic-photographs-of-major-cities-around-the-world/ http://petapixel.com/2012/03/28/post-apocalyptic-photographs... http://www.lucieandsimon.com/works/silent_world http://www.lucieandsimon.com/works/silent_world
- StavrosK 13y agoWouldn't it be "easy" to capture a video of a minute or so and then write an algorithm to keep the parts that were unchanged among all frames? I did something like that ten years or so ago, and it worked very well (it took the mode of each pixel among X frames).
- nickthemagicman 13y agoI know. Why didn't he just write a movement recognition algorithm and run his videos through it. It only has to be one frame really.
- alephnil 13y agoIn many cases that will do, but there will be problem with continuously changing objects, such as ads, escalators and clocks that will be blurred, at least unless a quite sophisticated algorithm is used.
- moneypenny 13y agoNice work. I did something similar many years ago on film, and here's how you could replicate it with digital. a) high ND filters, like a 3.0 and up, to give long exposure times and blur any moving objects b) composite of exposures, as digital cameras cannot handle the super-long exposures required, and some elements of the pictures need fixing, like electronic signage. (plus digital processing is required to ensure perfect alignment of images).
- sharkweek 13y agoReminds me of the opening scene of Vanilla Sky where Tom Cruise is running through downtown Manhattan alone -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DIsa_SLifQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DIsa_SLifQ I always think it's cool when we're able to capture this sort of rare feat on film, in this case emptying out Times Square for a few brief moments
- jknightco 13y agoTimes Square is in Midtown. Downtown is the Financial District :)
- crorella 13y agoNices photos, horrible website usability.
- SomeCallMeTim 13y agoBlack page when scripts are disabled. And the photos popping up in random places as you're scrolling? Sigh.
- ilamont 13y agoThe zombie film 28 Days set up a few shots like this in downtown London ... but with a movie budget and some official clearances they were able to get some sunlit shots, which appeared to be taken very early in the morning. It was a great Danny Boyle movie, incidentally. Within the past 10 years, I remember seeing another another film set in NYC which showed a scene in Times Square, completely devoid of people or traffic. It was quite striking. Anyone remember what it was? EDIT: I see from the other comments it was Vanilla Sky
- lamby 13y ago> 28 Days set up a few shots like this in downtown London [..] which appeared to be taken very early in the morning. That's some of my favourite "London" film footage. Most of the time London is shown horribly in films, just hamfistedly moving from one obviously recognisable location to another. Even the BBC do this - Spooks and Luther seem to need every outdoor scene to be set in some well-known location, which is not only distracting but a little insulting. Saying that, because it was obviously so early in the morning for logistical reason it pulled me out of the film, even though I guess in the film's narrative of "we must travel during the day" might neccessitate a "it's morning, thus we are now travelling again" establishing shot.
- avar 13y agoThe outdoor London shots show the protagonist waking up 28 days later and having no idea the apocalypse had just happened: http://vimeo.com/7138423 http://vimeo.com/7138423 So it in no way contradicts when you can and can't travel on account of there being zombies everywhere, he doesn't even know about them at that point.
- lamby 13y ago> it in no way contradicts when you can and can't travel on account of there being zombies everywhere I was meaning the bits when they are walking along the DLR tracks.
- SkyMarshal 13y ago
- sjtgraham 13y agoI live near quite a few of these. The way to experience this is by being there very early on a Sunday morning or a Bank Holiday. Let me tell you there are few things as eerie as riding a bicycle around Central London and not seeing a single soul. Of course it's not totally deserted, you'll see the odd vehicle especially on the main roads, but there are definitely moments where it feels like being in 28 Days Later.
- ABS 13y agoPreparing for a marathon I always did my saturday long run starting very early in them morning (like 5am or 6am, once I even started at 4am because I had a company event I needed to be at early) and it was definitely...awesome. Especially running along the Thames in Central London during sunrise: there were entire 10/15 minutes stretches without people and even cars.
- kailuowang 13y agoI am wondering if there is any connection between this project and Tokyo Nobody by Masataka Nakano http://www.amazon.com/Tokyo-Nobody-Masataka-Nakano/dp/4898150314 http://www.amazon.com/Tokyo-Nobody-Masataka-Nakano/dp/489815...
- mturmon 13y agoThanks for that. The London photos made me think of empty mini-mall photos taken in LA by Cathy Opie. Here's an example: http://arttattler.com/Images/NorthAmerica/NewYork/Guggenheim/Catherine%20Opie/4_Untitled_01_6.5MG.jpg http://arttattler.com/Images/NorthAmerica/NewYork/Guggenheim... They were shot in black and white, and when shown in a gallery context, they are very large (4 feet wide or so). She used a similar technique -- show up early in the morning (like 4am) and be patient. She had do it late enough to be after the clubgoers, junkies, and criminals were asleep, but before regular people were awake. You can google "cathy opie mini mall series" -- she's better known for her earlier, transgressive lesbian/body images.
- shittyanalogy 13y agoGorgeous, but they look more like early morning shots than abandoned city shots. Give me broad daylight or with all the lights off and it'll really feel atmospheric. The extreme saturation also doesn't contribute to a feeling of desertion. Also, abandoned London is spotless.
- tomsaffell 13y agoNice work! And to prove they are not phony, time for a game of 'I Spy'! ISWMLE: a cyclist a trash collector possibly a policeman several lit car tail lights Advances?
- standeven 13y agoI had to catch an early flight and found myself walking around Dubrovnik at 4am. Seeing the wide stone streets, polished by the feet of thousands who were now completely absent, was surreal. I highly recommend waking up extra early in a normally busy city and taking a stroll; you end up seeing and appreciating completely new things.
- thruflo 13y agoOne summer, a few years ago, a friend and I flew from New York to Iceland. After a jet lagged snooze, we ventured out into Reykjavik town centre around 10am on Saturday morning -- to find the streets completely deserted. Made sense later on, when we realised that seemingly everyone in town went out after midnight to party through the night. Boom years when the sun doesn't set...
- ekr 13y agoVery interesting (and beautiful I might say, seeing the empty streets awaken some beautiful memories), but that's not how London would look like if everyone left. Not even close. Maybe only for the first couple of days.
- yuvadam 13y agoIn Israel, there is one day a year [1] where the streets actually look like this [2]. (Granted, most of the time you will see plenty of people walking around the streets, or children riding bicycles.) [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur#Observance_in_Israel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur#Observance_in_Israe... [2] - http://www.demotix.com/photo/862508/tel-aviv-streets-empty-yom-kippur http://www.demotix.com/photo/862508/tel-aviv-streets-empty-y...
- zek 13y agosaturdays in Israel are quiet empty as well
- coherentpony 13y agoI'm using linux. This site's scroll behaviour is infuriating.
- greg5green 13y agoIt was annoying on OS X too.
- aj700 13y agoYes. Usability fail. OS X often has no scrollbars. Unity has none? My mouse has no horiz-scoll. Wed designers stop doing this. We aren't all using tablets!
- shalmanese 13y agoFor Americans who want to replicate this, Thanksgiving day around 2 - 3pm is also similarly eerily quiet and a great chance to get a shot like this.
- driverdan 13y agoThanksgiving morning would be better. There is usually a ton of people out in the afternoon picking up last minute things at grocery and liquor stores.
- vlad 13y agoAnyone else notice that the second-to-last photo has 4 or 5 people in the scene, as well as a moving car? Otherwise, well done!
- sdafasd 13y agoThere is a man sweeping the street in photo 22 (the one with a billboard with the stairs on either side. He is wearing a red coat holding a broom cleaning the street. I suppose he is the last guy left...
- drfuchs 13y agoAnd Paris is pretty empty early in the morning, too. Check out the 1976 Claude Lelouch 8.5-minute vehicle(!), "C'était un Rendezvous" ("It was a date"). Classic! http://www.streetfire.net/video/ctait-un-rendez-vous-claude-lelouchflv_2064708.htm http://www.streetfire.net/video/ctait-un-rendez-vous-claude-... or other similar.
- markkum 13y agoThis is the London I remember from early morning July 8th, 2005, the morning after the bombings. Was walking around to find a ride to the airport, couple of blocks from the double-decker wreck. Wish not to experience the same again.
- cmdkeen 13y agoYou don't even have to get up to experience this - just head into the City of London[1] on a weekend, especially a Sunday. Most of the streets are empty. [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_London http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_London
- gulbrandr 13y agoA similar experiment was done in Paris a few weeks ago: http://vimeo.com/74857458 http://vimeo.com/74857458
- gpvos 13y agoThe people who left forgot to turn off the lights.
- web64 13y agoThose photos are great! I've been taking some night shots of street art in London, and because of the long exposure the streets often appear to be empty. You can see some of my photos here: http://advers.com/gallery http://advers.com/gallery
- darkFunction 13y agoNice photos but it also highlights how claustrophobic London is. I live here and don't like how you can never be really alone outside of your own home.