📸 Capturing the NYC subway with AI

Trying something a little different this week.

Traveling through the NYC subway has always felt like a David Fincher movie to me: dark, grungy, yet bursting with colorful characters. When I was on holiday in NYC a few weeks back, I was itching to capture these scenes with my camera, but, you know, I enjoy having my limbs intact … So, I opted to recreate the scenes using AI instead.

Here are some of the most memorable moments that stuck in my mind👇🏻

There's this old man with his parrot companion, casually perched on his hand and sometimes his shoulder. There's no leash, no cage; just a bird accompanying him. They seemed to be enjoying their daily routine. However, it's difficult to determine if it's more akin to "walking the parrot" or having a loyal wingman by your side.

Once, a young girl hopped on the train armed with a mic and speaker box. She started singing like she was in the middle of an idol audition and we were the judges. I nearly stayed on an extra stop to hear the end, but my stop arrived and I had to bail mid-song.

Firefighters would occasionally pop up, with sections of the station mysteriously closed off. I never really knew what was going on. But one day, an announcement came over the PA system that someone had fallen onto the tracks and we'd be skipping the next station. As we whizzed by, I caught a glimpse of the firefighters already on the scene.

One day, in strolls this young bloke, his white singlet smeared with blood, face looking like it had met the wrong end of a disagreement. Yet he strolled in as if it was just another Tuesday, plonked himself down on a seat, and started fiddling with his phone. Typical NYC, am I right?

Once, I spotted a young fellow with a face painted ghostly white and hair as bright as a cherry, decked out in an entirely green outfit. I suspect he's attempting the Riddler look. But why, you ask? Beats me. It's the end of April and I'm pretty sure there's no cosplay event happening. Maybe it's just his daily fashion statement?

Once, I spotted a bunch of kids nonchalantly smoking weed on the train. With vapes, I think? The adults around them were clearly put out, but no one said anything. You get used to smelling piss and weed around NYC, but having it in train cabins? Now that’s next level.

I saw quite a couple of folks there, clearly a few drinks too many, catching z's wherever they could—on seats, on the floor, you name it. They were mumbling in their sleep like they were trying to order another round. Hard to tell if they were sleeping off a party of a lifetime or just a really rough day.

I once spotted this guy sporting what I can only describe as a "condom hat" (you know, the kind with a reservoir tip), topped off with a hoodie. Add to that a full mask and glasses, and he looked primed to rob a bank or maybe plant a bomb. But somehow, he managed to make it look kind of cool...

NYC is home to quite a few souls who've seen better days, and many of them take refuge in the city's subway system. You'll often see them decked out in layer upon layer of clothing, lugging around large suitcases, and sometimes even pushing supermarket carts. They've got the deadliest stare, and every now and then, they’ll scream or have animated conversations with friends only they can see.

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🤌🏻 Bonus image!