The play between light, form and color can transform a subterranean space into a work of art. The architecture and design of subway stations fascinates renowned photo artist Micha Pawlitzki. His photographs show how geometric aesthetics can distract from the functional character of a tram stop.

Micha Pawlitzki, born in 1972, has made landscape and architecture photography his specialty. He has worked for National Geographic and GEO magazines, among others, and has published more than 130 books and calendars. Pawlitzki's subway project shows everyday locations from an entirely new and surprising perspective.

Over the course of two years, Micha Pawlitzki traveled across Germany in search of impressive motifs. The photographer only worked at night when the stations were largely abandoned. "I can photograph in peace and quiet after the rush hour," he said. The resulting pictures show no trace of everyday hectic.

The composition of Micha Pawlitzki's photos is geometric, with a focus on the architecture of the sometimes quite futuristic subway stations. People are nowhere to be found. "I think they distract from the essence. The motif has to work as it is," said Pawlitzki.

In May 2011, Micha Pawlitzki was added to the list, "Who's Who in Visual Art. 100 Photographers." Two years later he won the gold medal at the Gregor International Calendar Award for his orchid calendar. Clarity and intensity characterize his work.

When he's not underground, Pawlitzki spends several months a year traveling the world in search of unusual locations and the perfect light conditions. It's very rare that the sun breaks through the clouds at just the right moment. "It doesn't happen very often that all the atmospheric conditions come together," he said.

The photos in the subway series don't touch on the negative side of underground transportation. There are no crowds, no delays and no muggings. When Micha Pawlitzki selects his motifs, he looks for calm and order, emphasizing formal beauty.

Munich's diverse underground stations particularly inspired the photographer. German industrial designer Ingo Maurer was specially commissioned to create this light installation in the Westfriedhof station in the southern German metropolis.

Pawlitzki calls subway stations "jewels under the earth," and that phrase couldn't be better suited to describe Munich's Candidplatz subway stop. Other cities in Germany have also started accenting traditionally mundane stations with extraordinary designs.

Micha Pawlitzki's impressions have been collected in the 2013 photo book "Unter Grund" (Under Ground), published by Panorama. His journey, however, is not over. The photographer is continuing his series and is constantly on the lookout for dramatic new motifs - underground.