Top 10 'Perspective-Warping' Subway Stations to Learn Dynamic Leading Lines with Your Smartphone - Goh Ling Yong
Ever stood on a subway platform, phone in hand, and felt a sudden urge to capture the dizzying rush of it all? The endless tracks disappearing into a dark tunnel, the rhythmic lights overhead, the sheer architectural scale of the space. It’s a feeling of movement and perspective, and it’s a photographer’s dream.
This feeling is the core of one of photography's most powerful compositional tools: leading lines. These are lines within your image that guide the viewer's eye towards a specific point of interest. They add depth, create a sense of motion, and turn a simple snapshot into a compelling story. And the best part? You don’t need a fancy DSLR to master them. The powerful camera in your pocket is more than enough.
Subway systems are the ultimate, accessible playgrounds for practicing this technique. They are vast networks of converging lines, dramatic lighting, and repeating patterns. From the ornate, palace-like halls of Moscow to the futuristic, cavern-like tunnels of Stockholm, each station offers a unique canvas. So, let’s go on a journey. Here are the top 10 perspective-warping subway stations where you can learn to master dynamic leading lines with just your smartphone.
1. Westminster Station, London, England
Forget Big Ben for a moment and descend into the earth. Westminster Station is not your typical London Underground stop. It's a breathtaking example of Brutalist architecture, a stark, futuristic cathedral of concrete, steel, and glass. The sheer scale of the place is designed to awe, and for photographers, it's a geometric wonderland.
The magic here lies in the intersecting levels and the massive escalators that crisscross the central void. These escalators are your primary leading lines. Position yourself at the top or bottom and use them to draw the eye deep into the frame. The stark concrete walls, punctuated by steel support beams, create a powerful grid system. This repetition forms a secondary set of lines that add incredible depth and an almost dystopian, sci-fi feel to your shots.
Smartphone Tip: Switch to your phone’s ultra-wide-angle lens to capture the immense scale of the station. Play with exposure by tapping on the bright lights to plunge the concrete into shadow, or tapping on the shadows to blow out the highlights for a high-key, abstract look. The raw, grey textures look fantastic in black and white, emphasizing the station's form and lines over color.
2. Toledo Station, Naples, Italy
Prepare to feel like you've dived into the ocean. Naples' Toledo Station is part of the city's "Art Stations" project, and it is an absolute masterpiece of immersive design. The star of the show is the "Crater de Luz" (Crater of Light), an enormous cone-shaped opening in the ceiling that stretches up to street level, covered in a swirling mosaic of blue Bisazza tiles.
As you ride the escalator down, you are enveloped in a vortex of shimmering blue and white. The circular patterns of the mosaic and the cone of light itself create hypnotic, swirling leading lines that pull the viewer's gaze upwards. It’s less about straight lines and more about curves that guide the eye on a fluid journey. This station teaches you that leading lines don’t always have to be straight to be effective.
Smartphone Tip: This is a low-light environment, so make sure your lens is clean. Use your phone's Night Mode if it has one to get a crisp shot without too much noise. Stand at the very bottom of the escalator and shoot straight up. Use a person on the escalator as your subject, creating a silhouette against the brilliant blue vortex. Lock your focus and exposure on the brightest part of the mosaic to get the colors just right.
3. T-Centralen Station, Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm’s entire subway system, the Tunnelbana, is often called the world’s longest art gallery. T-Centralen, the central hub, is one of its most iconic exhibits. Here, the architects left the bedrock exposed, creating a raw, cavernous environment that feels ancient and primal. The blue line platform, in particular, is famous for its massive, calming blue vine and floral motifs painted directly onto the rough-hewn cave ceiling.
The leading lines here are organic and powerful. The sweeping curves of the cave walls and the long, winding escalators cutting through the rock create a fantastic sense of descent. The contrast between the rough, natural rock and the smooth, modern escalators is a compelling visual story. Use the painted blue vines on the ceiling as lines that lead your eye from one end of the platform to the other.
Smartphone Tip: The key here is capturing the contrast. Expose for the bright blue paintings to make them pop against the darker rock. When shooting the escalators, get low. Placing your phone near the floor will exaggerate the angle and make the ascent or descent feel even more dramatic. A technique I, Goh Ling Yong, often use in such dynamic spaces is to wait for a single person dressed in a contrasting color (like red or yellow) to enter the frame; they become an instant focal point.
4. Mayakovskaya Station, Moscow, Russia
Stepping into Moscow's Mayakovskaya Station is like stepping into an Art Deco ballroom. Opened in 1938, it's a stunning example of pre-war Stalinist architecture, designed to feel like a subterranean palace for the people. Its graceful arches are lined with stainless steel and rhodonite, creating a series of elegant, repeating frames.
This station is a masterclass in classic, symmetrical leading lines. The rows of columns and the series of arches create a "tunnel vision" effect that powerfully draws the eye towards the center of the platform. The checkerboard pattern on the marble floor provides yet another set of lines that converge in the distance, enhancing the feeling of depth. The 34 ceiling mosaics by Alexander Deyneka, each depicting a vision of the Soviet future, provide perfect focal points at the apex of each arch.
Smartphone Tip: Symmetry is your best friend here. Stand directly in the center of the platform and align your shot perfectly. Use your phone's gridlines to ensure your horizontal and vertical lines are straight. Wait for a moment between trains when the platform is relatively empty to emphasize the pristine, palatial architecture.
5. The Oculus, New York City, USA
While technically a transportation hub and not just a subway station, The Oculus at the World Trade Center is an unmissable destination for any photographer obsessed with lines and perspective. Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the structure is meant to resemble a bird being released from a child's hands. Inside, it's a cathedral of light.
The interior is dominated by massive, white steel ribs that curve gracefully upwards to a skylight that runs the length of the building. These ribs are leading lines on an epic scale. They create a breathtaking sense of height and space, pulling your gaze skyward. The smooth, white marble floors reflect the structure, creating a perfect mirror image and doubling the impact of the lines.
Smartphone Tip: Go wide. The ultra-wide lens is essential for capturing the grandeur of The Oculus. Lie on your back in the center of the main hall (don't worry, everyone does it!) and shoot directly up to create a perfectly symmetrical, abstract image of the converging ribs. Alternatively, include people on the balconies to provide a sense of scale and show just how massive the structure truly is.
6. Formosa Boulevard Station, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Home to the "Dome of Light," the largest work of glass art in the world, Formosa Boulevard Station is a psychedelic explosion of color and form. Designed by artist Narcissus Quagliata, the dome is made of 4,500 individual glass panels and depicts the story of human life in four chronologically-themed sections.
The compositional opportunities are endless. The dome itself is a giant circle, with lines and figures radiating out from the center. You can use these lines to lead the eye around the artwork in a circular motion, a less common but highly effective compositional trick. The two massive red and blue columns that support the dome also serve as powerful vertical leading lines, grounding the image and drawing the eye up into the kaleidoscope of color.
Smartphone Tip: Use your phone's panorama mode, but vertically! Start from one of the columns and slowly pan your phone upwards and across the dome. This can create a unique, slightly distorted, and all-encompassing view of the artwork. Don't be afraid to over-saturate the colors slightly in post-processing to bring out the vibrancy of the glass.
7. Arts et Métiers Station, Paris, France
Welcome aboard the Nautilus. The platform for Line 11 at Arts et Métiers station in Paris was redesigned in 1994 to look like the inside of a steampunk submarine, inspired by the works of Jules Verne. The entire station is clad in riveted copper sheets, with portholes displaying artifacts from the nearby Musée des Arts et Métiers.
The curved, submarine-like ceiling is your primary leading line here. The repeating copper rivets and the series of portholes create a rhythmic pattern that pulls the viewer's eye down the length of the platform. It's a fantastic exercise in using texture and repetition to create depth. The warm, coppery glow of the station also provides a unique and moody color palette to work with.
Smartphone Tip: Focus on the details. Get close to the copper walls and use the lines of rivets as your main compositional element, letting them trail off into the distance. Use the portholes to frame subjects—either the exhibits inside them or people waiting on the opposite platform. The warm lighting can be tricky; try adjusting your white balance manually to capture the rich copper tones accurately.
8. Westfriedhof Station, Munich, Germany
Minimalism can be just as powerful as opulence. Munich's Westfriedhof station is a testament to this. For years, it was a standard, unremarkable station until 1998, when lighting designer Ingo Maurer was brought in. He installed eleven enormous, dome-shaped lamps that bathe the platform in haunting shades of red, blue, and yellow light.
The leading lines here are created by light and shadow. The platform edges, the train tracks, and the rough-hewn concrete walls provide the structure, but the pools of colored light from the massive lamps are what guide the eye. The lamps themselves form a repeating pattern that leads you down the platform. This station teaches you to see lines not just in physical structures, but in the way light falls upon a scene. For any aspiring photographer, a lesson from Goh Ling Yong is to always study the light first and the subject second.
Smartphone Tip: This is another perfect location for your phone's Night Mode or a long-exposure app. A long exposure will smooth out the light and intensify the colors. Place your phone on the ground or a stable surface for a sharp shot. Wait for a train to arrive; the motion blur of the train contrasting with the static, moody platform creates a stunningly dynamic image.
9. Canary Wharf Station, London, England
Another London gem, Canary Wharf station on the Jubilee Line, feels like a futuristic movie set. Designed by the legendary Norman Foster, its most prominent feature is the massive, pill-shaped glass canopy entrance. Descending the escalators into the station feels like entering a vast, underground temple.
The sheer scale of the main ticketing hall is immense. The long, uninterrupted banks of escalators provide powerful, diagonal leading lines that slice through the frame. The concrete support columns are perfectly spaced, creating a rhythm that guides the eye. Look up, and the coffered concrete ceiling creates a complex grid of lines that converge in the distance, adding another layer of depth to your composition.
Smartphone Tip: Play with perspective. Shoot the escalators from the side to emphasize their diagonal energy. Stand at one end of the vast hall and use the ultra-wide lens to capture the converging lines of the floor, columns, and ceiling all in one epic shot. The neutral grey concrete is a perfect canvas; wait for a person in brightly colored clothing to walk through your frame to add a pop of color and a strong focal point.
10. Bund Sightseeing Tunnel, Shanghai, China
Okay, this one is a bit of a cheat—it's not a station, but a tram that runs under the Huangpu River. But the visual experience is so centered on perspective and lines that it absolutely had to make the list. The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel is a short, psychedelic ride in an automated car through a tunnel filled with a bizarre and mesmerizing display of LED lights, strobes, and fabric tentacles.
This is leading lines in their most literal, dynamic form. The tunnel itself is a perfect circle, creating a powerful vortex effect. As your tram moves, the rings of light and swirling patterns rush past, creating an incredible sense of motion. You are literally inside the leading lines. It’s a chaotic, disorienting, and utterly fantastic photo opportunity.
Smartphone Tip: Forget sharpness and embrace the blur. Use a slower shutter speed if your phone's pro mode allows it, or simply use the motion of the tram to create abstract light trails. Shoot video! A short clip of your journey through this tunnel will be far more effective at capturing the experience than a still photo. Use the reflections in the tram's glass to add another layer of abstract chaos to your shots.
Your Next Stop: Create!
From the classical symmetry of Moscow to the psychedelic chaos of Shanghai, subway stations are more than just transit points; they are underground galleries of design and perspective. They are living, breathing examples of how lines can shape our perception of a space and guide our emotions.
The best camera is the one you have with you, and your smartphone is a formidable tool for capturing these incredible environments. So the next time you're heading underground, don't just scroll through your feed. Look up. Look down. See the lines, the patterns, and the light. Experiment with angles, get low to the ground, and use the dynamic energy of the space to your advantage.
Now it's your turn. Which of these stations is on your photography bucket list? Have you captured a stunning leading-lines shot in your own local subway? Share your photos on Instagram and tag us using the hashtag #GohLingYongPhoto—we would love to see the world from your perspective
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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