Central Station

The interior of certain buildings fill me with instant excitement –libraries, museums, theatres, and most cake shops – but perhaps most of all I am captivated by railway stations. Some of them may be small and quirky and almost ghostly; others are cathedrals of breathtaking wonder, buzzing with activity. I like them all, because they're inevitably a pulsating blend of history and adventure: of arriving, departing, greeting people or saying goodbye. Big stations are especially thrilling. The noises of trains coming and going, doors slamming, shrill whistles and unintelligible announcements echo through vast halls that once housed magnificently romantic steam engines. Some people find airports romantic and exciting too; I can quite understand that, though I personally find them stressful and rather sterile. Railways stations are different: There is an immediacy about them that airports never have, because railway stations are often right in the heart of a city and can be stepped into directly from the street. In fact, it could be said that that a railway station is the heart of a city –the rails being the veins and arteries that spread out from or lead to myriad platforms. Naturally, I find such places to be wonderful for photography, so this year I will be posting pictures from some of my favourite stations. This one is from Amsterdam Centraal – a beautiful, airy tunnel of a hall. It's quiet at the moment; one train has just arrived and people are waiting for another further down the platform. The light coming through the curved roof was quite magical, showing off the wonderful simplicity and beauty of the engineering, and I've rendered it in monochrome because, at heart, I am a romantic. All aboard! Location. Amsterdam, Holland