Photographer Tarik Ahmet documents the first 24 hours on the London Underground

Catching the first train at 5.25am on 18 November 2016 and travelling right through to the following morning, Tariq discovered a whole host of interesting characters from sleepy early morning commuters to late night party animals. He also captured London Underground staff having to deal with all sorts of problems, such as tackling too many pigeons.

"The underground is a strange place. Volatile, yet quiet, and where it should feel uncomfortable at times – it can also be incredibly calming," explains Tarik. "You feel disconnected. Well, from station to station anyway. But sometimes I feel like it’s the only place I really get to think without any distractions.

"What I find the most fascinating is the people; I’ll sit on a train looking at every person, wondering what they’re thinking, where they’re going, if they’re happy, if they’re scared, if they’ve had enough, or if they aren’t thinking at all. Sometimes I’ll catch eyes with someone and smile to have the joy of them reciprocate, and for a brief moment, we’ve connected. It’s a nice feeling, a smile goes such a long way when things don’t quite make sense in your life. But other times I’ll quickly look away in fear that I’m invading their space."

Discover more of the project and Tarik's work at www.tarikahmet.co.uk.

Via Creative Boom submission | All images courtesy of Tarik Ahmet