From day to dusk to night

Ziyao Zhang

zzhan021@campus.goldsmiths.ac.uk

This project documents the transformation of a single urban location across the course of one day. Using a fixed elevated viewpoint, I repeatedly photographed a light-rail track and its surrounding environment at different times, from early morning to late night. Inspired by the observational approach of Hayahisa Tomiyasu, the work focuses on subtle shifts in light, atmosphere, and human activity.

Photographic language plays a central role in expressing temporality. Changes in natural and artificial light mark the progression of time, while techniques such as long exposure transform moving trains into streaks of light, emphasizing speed and continuity. The contrast between the stillness of architecture and the motion of transit reflects the rhythm of urban life.

Through this series, I explore how a city never truly pauses, but instead transitions between different states of activity, revealing the fleeting nature of time within a continuous urban flow.