Exhibitions: Click! A Crowd-Curated Exhibition

Tom Callan. The Q Train, 2003. All rights reserved

Artist Statement

Brooklyn is a microcosm of the world. Constantly changing, always on the move. . The Q train rolled into the Pacific Street Station at Atlantic Ave around 9pm on an April night in 2003. Standing on the platform, camera (Nikon N-90; 400 asa film) around my neck, I noticed the youngster in the New York jacket on the right. He noticed me at the same moment and we made an instant connection. He raised his hands as I raised my camera to take one shot. The changing faces of Brooklyn had just rolled by.

61 Comments

Exellent capture !!

that is the diversity of the brooklyn i know! nice shot!

really? there are minorities on this train. brooklyn seems to be trying to get rid of those these days.

I like the train window framing the diverse community travelling the same journey.

FINALLY a photo that has expression... This is effective in capturing the feeling of the people on the crowded train which expresses the exhibit theme - changing faces of Brooklyn. Great candid photo.

Like the photographer says, here's a microcosm of the people of Brooklyn. The fact that the kid is looking directly at the camera lends the image the feel of one of those old Renaissance paintings where everyone's gathered around the Virgin and Child gabbing away except for one person, usually a self-portrait of the artist, who looks out of the frame knowingly. This kid looks like he knows, especially in the way he apes the way the photographer held his hands while taking the shot.

Great photo!!!

Maybe I'm just biased because the Q train is MY train, but I really love this picture. The boy raising his arms to connect with the photographer is just perfect.

i like the almost posted/graphic quality this image takes on - surreal even as it is only made so by the subway window and how it crops the people and fills the surrounding space...

very effective as an illustration of microcosm. The ethnic mix of the composition, the crowding, and the confining frame of the window all work for the statement.

Excellent photo

reminds me of robert frank americans series this photograph has a sense of place confined in space the kid's lightning fast reaction time allows him to ham it up for the camera at 50 mph

A New York moment.

amazing shot the way it's confined in like that and also clear enough to picture yourself commuting with them — Posted by anonymous

Loved Q train...Captures the essence of New York subway lines and the environment within the movement of our city — Posted by Maia Nero

What a thousand words cant say — Posted by Roberto Ariel Alfalla

This is a fantistic picture of a busy & culturally diverse city — Posted by John C

Amazing photo! — Posted by Kristi

This photo captures a little bit of everything NY has to offer. It is framed so well- and definitely a great action shot. — Posted by anonymous

nice shot! Love the spontenaity of the moment. — Posted by Sara

Great capture! — Posted by anonymous

Great picture! They say a picture is worth a thousand words, well this one certainly is! It describes Brooklyn perfectly. Sometimes I wonder why the heck I live here... but now I look at this picture and I think: this is why! The diversity! — Posted by Kamelia

I love it! I love people-watching at stations and airports, and this is a perfect shot. — Posted by rachael

This photo truly reflects the diversity of Brooklyn. Great photo! — Posted by Adam

I love the connection between the boy and the photographer. Great Shot! — Posted by anonymous

Excellent composition! Love the interaction between the young man and the photographer! — Posted by anonymous

Great photograph! I love the juxtaposition of real life and a posed picture. The young man on the right certainly made sure he was captured in the picture. - posted by Marietta — Posted by anonymous

Great photo!! — Posted by anonymous

Captures the feel of a morning ride on our poorly run MTA trains. Good photo. — Posted by Straphanger 1

Great photo. The kid is good and the lady in front of him trying to ignore the noise. — Posted by Around Town Arnold

Couldn't have done better myself. — Posted by Leonardo D.V.

Nicely composed. the frame of the window and all. Good documentary photo. — Posted by Rat B.

A great photo. Something we take for granted evryday is the diversity of the City. This photo gives pause to our reflect on that. — Posted by Gene

AWSOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! — Posted by COLEEN MCLEAN

little man is hype LMAO!!!!! — Posted by kafele clement

This photo feels the most like Brooklyn. It's fantastic!! — Posted by Angelina

I have known the photographer for years and his work only gets better. geat work, Tommy! — Posted by Lesley Brooks

Tom, you on. xo pamela k. — Posted by anonymous

This photo really represents life in the subways in Brooklyn. The color and the faces captures the diversity of Brooklynites. Bravo Tom! — Posted by Anne Cahalan

Great capture! This picture has so much expression!! — Posted by anonymous

Cool shot, You rock! — Posted by anonymous

Loved this! Just goes to show that every subway ride is an adventure and a journey — Posted by Annie

Great shot, captures soul of Brooklyn — Posted by John

Get on board that Q train and watch the closing doors! — Posted by a rose

Brooklyn-NY Circa 2008 Abaddabingbaddaboom - the beats goes on - its all in the photograph - let's hope the photographer goes on — Posted by Eric P.

Great composition....the last sertence describes it neatly — Posted by Bill Goodwin

Really catches it! — Posted by Henrik Krogius

Great photo...like a day's drama in a box! Nice balance in the window frame too. — Posted by Tom Hardy

"Q" almost seems like a set up...I mean, art is supposed to questio life...right..so are we being asked to question this rich slice of life? Robert Ratzinger III — Posted by anonymous

i loooooooooooooove it — Posted by anonymous

Da "Q" train rocks!!! — Posted by anonymous

great photo,captures the spirits of the subway. — Posted by Hugh Mc Mahon

Fantastic Shot, captures soul of Bklyn — Posted by anonymous

tom, it's great always — Posted by greg

Best depicts "changing faces of Brooklyn" Outstanding photo! — Posted by pc

Spontaneuos. Luv it! — Posted by anonymous

Excellent composition. Well suited to the theme "changing faces' — Posted by anonymous

I love the fact that you can have that sort of a 5 second realashon ship with some one, welcome to the 21 century baby!!!!!!!!!!! — Posted by io

THE ESSENCE OF BROOKLYN A GOOD CAMERA ,FAST FILM&A CREATIVE PHOTOGRAFER= PRICELESS — Posted by TOM R

Excellent shot- — Posted by Lori Mc

I think this picture is intresting because connecting with another person you dont know is like you are looking at a stranger you get to know — Posted by alex