For me, traveling by train has always been comparable to life: being on the move from one place to another, with changing fellow passengers and so many interesting things to see and experience around me.
In my childhood, I would curiously look through the window at the passing surroundings, letting my mind wander. I loved traveling by train. I still do, but times have changed. Now, the only thing that matters is the destination and reaching it as quickly as possible. To save time, even just a few minutes, trains increasingly run on straightened tracks and through tunnels.
Nowadays, when I’m on the train, my attention is mostly focused on my smartphone, just like my fellow travelers. I no longer pay attention to the world outside the window; I only catch glimpses of it out of the corner of my eye. Every now and then, something catches my attention, and for a brief moment, I become aware of the reality outside.
The parallels to our lives today are obvious to me. We are constantly digitally occupied, communicating and gathering information online. The pace of life has accelerated. We focus primarily on our goals and aim to reach them as quickly as possible, avoiding detours. We rush through our daily routines, too busy to look left or right. Only occasionally do we pause and become aware of what surrounds us, often because an event has shaken us awake. I often ask myself: What do we notice about our everyday lives? And what do we miss?
In the project “En passant”, I explore the question of what I perceive of the world when I am distracted and not fully present in my surroundings. I took the photographs during my train journeys through Switzerland, my home country. All the pictures were deliberately taken with my smartphone—the very device that so often distracts me from the world around me.
The images express what I see out of the corner of my eye through the train window when I’m preoccupied. They also represent what I miss in those moments. They are blurred, fleeting, and subjective snapshots of an everyday world to which I often pay too little attention.
This project has made me more mindful of what I see around me and outside the window when I’m on the train. I still use my smartphone, but now in a different way. It no longer distracts me from my surroundings but helps me to perceive them.
About Alexandra Schmid
Alexandra Schmid (*1967) lives in Bern, Switzerland. Photography has been a constant presence throughout her life, first in analog and later in digital form. She holds a degree in nutritional science and was working in research when, in 2018, she decided to leave her previous profession behind and dedicate herself entirely to photography. In recent years, she has systematically expanded her photographic knowledge through a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Photography and various specialized courses. In her work, Alexandra Schmid focuses on the everyday and on elements that often go unnoticed in our fast-paced world. She has a deep appreciation for colors and structures, which frequently appear in her photography in various forms. Her approach is primarily project-based and crosses different genres. Her photo series have been exhibited in local galleries and at Photo Münsingen. [Official Website]
