PUBLIC SEATING

Benches in a row,
strangers sitting side by side,
sharing passing shade.

Public Seating

Public seating is one of the most familiar yet overlooked features of our towns, cities and landscapes. Benches, shelters and solitary seats are designed as places to pause, rest and observe the world, but they also become silent witnesses to everyday life. They have hosted countless conversations, quiet moments of reflection and brief encounters between strangers.

Photographed in black and white, these ordinary objects take on a different character. Without the distraction of colour, attention is drawn to shape, texture and the relationship between the seat and its surroundings. An empty bench can suggest anticipation, solitude or remembrance, while its setting often tells a story of the people who pass by.

This ongoing project explores public seating as more than functional street furniture. Each photograph considers the way these everyday structures interact with the landscape, architecture and changing light, transforming the familiar into something worthy of closer attention.

The images invite viewers to look again at places they might otherwise walk past, finding beauty and meaning in the ordinary. They are quiet observations of the spaces we share, capturing moments of stillness within the rhythm of everyday life.

A hand icon pointing to the left, the text 'CLICK TO ENLARGE,' and a magnifying glass icon with a plus sign.
A black and white photograph of a park scene with a large tree, a bench, a stream, and a bridge in the background.
A black and white photo showing an empty park bench next to overgrown bushes and grass with a sign that reads "WHORLTON" in the background. The bench is made of metal with wooden slats, and there is a paved path beside it. The photographer's logo and
Black and white photo of a park bench with roses lying on its seat, behind it dense bush with leaves.
A black park bench with an inspirational quote, casting a shadow on the sidewalk. The quote reads: 'Someone you may never meet cares more than you will ever know.' Behind the bench, there is a stone wall and a grassy area with trees and parked cars i
A black and white photo of a forest scene with a dirt path leading to a wooden picnic table, surrounded by trees and grass.
Black and white photo of a picnic table on a dirt path in a wooded area, with trees and a fence on the left side.
A weathered wooden memorial bench surrounded by overgrown grass and bushes. A small ribbon is tied on the left side of the bench. An inscription on the backrest reads: "In loving memory of Peter Tasker, a devoted husband, dad, and grandad. Thanks to
A black and white photo of an empty wooden bench with metal arms, surrounded by dense foliage and tall grass.
A black and white photo of a park with a water fountain in the foreground, surrounded by trees and a bench in the background.
A black and white photo of a peaceful forest scene with a wooden bench situated on a paved area surrounded by tall trees and dense foliage.
A black and white photo of a playground with three empty wooden swings hanging from ropes attached to a horizontal wooden beam, surrounded by trees with sparse leaves and a dirt path.
Black and white photo of a playground with wooden swings hanging from a frame, surrounded by trees with dense foliage and a brick wall in the background.
A wooden bench beside a hedge in a park, with a brick pathway leading past it. Sunlight filters through the leaves and a large tree in the background.
A weathered wooden park bench in front of shrubbery and a metal fence, in black and white.
A black and white photo of a dirt pathway with a wooden bench and overgrown bushes on the left and a metal fence on the right.
Empty wooden park bench next to a graffiti-covered trash can, along a dirt pathway with trees and a tall metal fence in the background.
Empty underground train station platform with a large map of the subway system, a solitary person sitting on a bench reading, and additional passengers waiting in the distance.
A wooden bench on a stone-paved overlook with a wooden railing, overlooking a landscape with bushes and houses under a cloudy sky, in black and white.
Black and white photo of an empty wooden park bench against bushes and stones.
Empty outdoor café seating with round tables and chairs along a waterfront, next to a white brick building, with a beach and cloudy sky in the background, in black and white.
Black and white photo of a seaside pier or walkway with a bench, trash can, and lobster traps, overlooking a rocky shoreline with large cliffs in the background.
A black and white photograph of a rural landscape with an overcast sky, leafless trees, a dirt path, a wooden bench, and a fence near rocks.
Black and white photo of a park bench on a dirt path with tall, leafless trees and bushes in the background.
Black and white photograph of an outdoor park scene with leafless trees, a stone wall, benches, and a fountain or sculpture in the background.
Empty park with a lone white bench near a curved gravel pathway, hedges, and trees in the background, in black and white.
A black and white photo of an empty white park bench along a gravel pathway with grass on one side and a hedge in the background.
Empty train station platform with benches, a train on each side, and a few people walking in the distance, captured in black and white.
Black and white photo of a bench on a pier overlooking a calm sea and a rocky cliff in the distance, under a cloudy sky.
Street scene with modern, textured, rounded bench seats in the foreground, wet pavement, parked cars, and buildings in the background in black and white.
Black and white photograph of empty benches on a beach with wind-blown grass in the foreground, and the ocean with gentle waves in the distance under a cloudy sky.
A solitary park bench on a concrete promenade facing the ocean, under a cloudy sky, in black and white.