Photographer beautifully captures the beating heart of London

He explains: "I shoot quite instinctively and never have a plan for what I will capture on any given day. Having said that, I do have some locations that I return to quite often to shoot. For example, I am a big fan of taking pictures on the underground as it provides atmospheric conditions, packed with interesting characters. I also love places like Borough Market, Holborn and Hyde Park. London has a certain mood and sense of urgency that I find captivating, and it keeps me out there snapping away."

Every single monochrome photograph of Schaller's – stripped of any colour – seems to really evoke depth and emotion, something that can be especially difficult to capture when snapping complete strangers around London. He adds: "The goal is to allow someone viewing one of my photographs to recognise the story being told in the image, and hopefully to find a connection with it from their life experience, much in the same way that a songwriter will write a song that relates to others. Sadness, confusion, happiness, suspicion, surprise and pensiveness are among the feelings I keep an eye out for when out on the streets.

"It takes a certain confidence to take pictures of strangers, particularly of those in London, who have a reputation for being somewhat unfriendly. I haven't found Londoners to be unfriendly however, and have had many interesting chats with people I have taken photos of. I have never had a negative confrontation with someone over having taken their picture in London."

To see more of Schaller's stunning work, visit www.alanschallerphotography.co.uk. He is also part of the Street Photography London collective.