“If we respected only what is inevitable and what has a right to be, music and poetry would resound along the streets.”

— Henry David Thoreau

busking

I’ve always loved that kind of photo–the ones where something remains constant in the background while a crowd moves blurredly past.

While on my way to the Adventurists’ Film Festival yesterday at London’s Royal Geographical Society, I came across a busker in the long tunnel of the South Kensington tube station. Like with many underground buskers, I could hear him before I could see him: the strains of a classical guitarist picking the melody of Pachelbel’s Canon in D over an amplified soundtrack.

And so I decided to give it a go, taking such a photograph while pressed against the wall opposite the busker. I pressed the shutter and hoped for the best–amazingly, it came out on the first try. I loved the juxtaposition of the scene–the cracked Transport for London advert on the floor, the 70s-esque beige bricked walls, the out-of-focus crowds and nonplussed guitarist sitting beside his little mobile set-up.

I took a couple more shots before leaving, just in case the first wasn’t as successful as I thought, and soon became another blur of color on that Saturday morning, but it was nice for just a moment to step out of the crowds and take in the scene as a whole.

One can always do with a bit of Pachelbel. Even if it comes from a tiny red amp.

Thumbnail courtesy of Sweet Mac

6 Comments

    • Thanks, Chris 🙂 and that’s awesome! So cool you know who I’m talking about. But seriously…could that tunnel be any longer?!

  • Nice capture missy! Guessing you might have sauntered past my now ex-uni, Imperial, which is only down the road from all the museum action. I cannot be more familiar with the interior of the South Kensington tunnel, having seen much of it throughout my years as an Imperial student. On a good day you’d see this random dude who’d sing whilst his Henry the vacuum cleaner, which has a miniature sax taped to it, ‘plays’ the backing tune.

    And if you go beyond the V&A entry and walk to the very end, you’d find posters depicting artsy interpretation of the London Underground logo – I’ve only seen them too often, mostly through a glimpse ushered by I’m-late-for-my-lecture paces.

    • Thanks so much, my friend! I love that you and Chris were the first ones to comment, given the proximity of that tunnel to the lovely Imperial 🙂 Yes, I definitely passed right under it–even took a photo of the glass building with the cool criss-crossing white poles outside it…I think you’re going to have some adjusting to do, from going to uni in South Ken to Kingston 🙂 And I saw the posters, as well–loved them, too, of course. Definitely a fun day of exploring London. Wish you could have made it!

  • What a beautiful photo! I love his stillness contrasted with the hustle and bustle of the city. I need to learn how to take a photo like that.

    • Hi Emily! Great to hear from you–I love your blog and the whole concept behind it 🙂 Thanks so much for the comment–I think it really was that contrast that struck me…buskers are often just the observers who sit back while the city rushes by…pretty cool!

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