As the last assaults of the winter hit Paris, people take out their warm clothes once again. In freezing wind gusts, aren’t the nose and cheeks also supposed to turn red ? (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 35mm Summilux Asph at F1.4, 1/710, ISO160
How many couple of lovers must that tree have seen, wandering on the banks of the Seine River. Most of them it will forget, except for the ones that marked it with seals of endless love promises. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 60mm Hexanon at F1.2, 1/2000, ISO80, ND Filter
As a bride pauses on the Alexander bridge for the traditional pictures session, a sudden gust of wind comes to lift her dress up. Marilyn would have approved. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 60mm Hexanon at F1.2, 1/4000, ISO160, ND filter
As they wait in front of a theater showing “the hurt locker”, did this boy try to imitate a step on a mine to impress his friend ? (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 35mm Summilux Asph at F1.4, 1/250, ISO160
In front of the Louvres palace, a few friends play football. As they score a goal, even the statues seem to celebrate. A challenge to the King’s ghost ? (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 35mm Summilux Asph at F1.4, 1/1000, ISO160
Paperwork is part of any French resident life. So when one forgets about a deadline, he might end up filling up the documents on the mail box in the last minutes. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 35mm Summilux Asph at F1.4, 1/350, ISO160
For hours, this museum guard waited for the antique muse to end her streep tease. Yet in the end, he had to surrender to his sleep. Did he miss something meanwhile ? (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 35mm Summicron IV at F2, 1/60, ISO1000
Conquest, siege, rebellion, truce ? Love is like war games under the eyes of Rê. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 60mm Hexanon at F1.2, 1/1000, ISO160
A new Miranda Priestly is in town ? (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 35mm Summilux Asph at F1.4, 1/2800, ISO160
I get the impression that over the last decade, at least 5% of all pictures taken represent people having a drink at Starbucks. So to keep with my times, here is my Paris Starbucks shot.
Note that the garbage can is here to remind us that though Starbucks might taste good, it belongs to the large and growing family of junk food chain stores. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 60mm Hexanon at F2, 1/250, ISO160
Stuck in Paris and yearning for the great Monaco ? (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 60mm Hexanon at F1.2, 1/500, ISO160
As the weekend starts, a few commuters show their impatience waiting for the next bus on Les Champs-Elysées. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 35mm Summilux at F1.4, 1/180, ISO640
A woman remains lost in her thoughts with a finger pointing out. Is her unconscious longing for a ring to adorn it ? (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 60mm Hexanon at F2, 1/125, ISO1000
A man walks slowly towards the entrance of the Louvres on a rainy day. Mona Lisa’s melancolic lover or its kidnapper ? (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 60mm Hexanon at F1.2, 1/250, ISO160
Closed gas stations and people walking in the streets could have become a common sight in Paris as 10% of the French gas stations were out of gas today. This was generated by the general strike of the oil workers that protested against the closure of a refinery. Be it truck drivers, train employees or oil workers, they feel it is ok to take the whole country as hostage. By doing that, they pressure the government or corporations to concede to their demands, which happened tonight after several days of strike. Good news is there will be sufficient supply of gas tomorrow. But the real good news is hairdressers and engineers still haven’t found their way to blockade the country when they are unhappy. “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” as we say. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 35mm Summilux Asph at F4, 1/180, ISO160
Not easy to select the postcards that will engrave one’s memories of Paris forever. My role was easier and one geniune look was engraved forever that night on Les Champs-Elysées.
Leica M9 with 60mm Hexanon at F1.2, 1/125, ISO1000
Sometimes the most inflamed words are not enough to bewitch one’s lover. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 60mm Hexanon at F4, 1/250, ISO160
Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929) was a prolific scupltor whose works you can admire a museum dedicated to him (Musée Bourdelle). One of his muse was Isadora Duncan, an American dancer who died tragically strangled by her own scarf . So when you look through the windows of Bourdelle’s original workshop, you can almost feel the presence of Isadora … and someday maybe even see her in her endless wanderings. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 35mm Summicron IV at F2, 1/125, ISO320
Are phone booths non-smoking areas ? In these day were legislation prohibits smoking in public places, people usually get out to have a smoke and brave the cold weather. Probably too cold that day for that woman, I even wonder if she wasn’t faking a call for a quick sheltered smoke. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 60mm Hexanon at F1.2, 1/1600, ISO160
Who will win the three on three Tuba Wars ? Power, organization and soundless winds or chaos, variety and harmonious melodies ? (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 60mm Hexanon at F1.2, 1/1400, ISO160