As I was walking down the Avenue de Rivoli this afternoon, I suddenly crossed the path of a crowd of frightening Zombies. No, evil did not take over Paris yet and the underground is not populated by thousands of dead men walking. It was indeed Zombi Day, a special march downtown to celebrate the day of the Dead. Click here or on picture to launch slideshow.
All picture taken with Leica M8 and 35mm Lux Asph at F1.4, ISO640.
This is a partially staged shot in a tiny street behind La Bastille. The Belle Luxe is evidently … the Mercedes parked on the right ;) (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 35mm Lux Asph at F1.4, 1/6, ISO640
A Gipsy mother and her daughter return to the shantytown. Their paper house with no water or electricity is located 100 meters away from the high rise of one of France’s biggest multinational company. These shantytowns are not permanent as the authorities dismantle them after a few months. Their inhabitants then climb on the next train and go build another camp a few kilometers away. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 75mm Summicron at F4, 1/750, ISO160
When one visits the magnificient City of Lights, he would be hard pressed to believe that shantytowns can be found only a few miles away. Thousands of Gipsies live close to the shores of the Seine branches, and do their laundry by drawing water out of the River. It is always puzzling to witness such scenes in France in 2009. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 75mm Summicron at F2, 1/500, ISO160
« This is it », a movie, a fight, a sudden tiredness. I guess the title can apply to so many circumstances in life. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 75mm Summilux at F4, 1/125, ISO640
A wide open Avenue just for themselves, let the race begin ! (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 75mm Summicron at F5.6, 1/350, ISO160
During the month of October, an exhibit on the lower part of Les Champs-Elysées displays the best covers of 90 years of Vogue magazine. Looks like women already knew how to seduce decades ago. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 75mm Summicron at F4, 1/125, ISO640
Grey, rain, mist, warm coats, falling leaves, long walks, hot chocolate …. Autumn is back in Paris. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 75mm Summilux at F1.4, 1/160, ISO160
Sometimes one comes to a crossroad in life. He then takes a sit, contemplates his options and chooses a way. Obviously, more easy to say than do. Especially when you live in Saint-Denis, one of the toughest suburbs of Paris where this religious center is located. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 90mm Tele-Elmarit at F4, 1/500, F140
As they wait for the signal to let the balloons fly away at the Day against Misery charity, a man and a woman stand stoically in the wind. Others did not resist the wind. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 35mm Summilux Asph, ISO160
Enjoying his Ice cream, a kid hides behind a tree in the Tuileries Garden. Was someone after him to steal his iced sweet ? (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 35mm Summilux Asph at F1.4, 1/2000, ISO160
« Bella, I am so tired, this city is so big and we still haven’t found the Institut de France » …
« Bello, even after all these years, you never stop to surprise me …. look behind … »
Leica M8 with 35mm Lux Asph, ISO160 (click on pictures to enlarge)
A bit of a surrealistic scene I guess … I’ll leave the interpretation up to your imagination today. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 35mm Summilux Asph at F1.4, 1/2000, ISO160
Well dressed, both with flowers … I wonder which one of them got the great pleasure to be presented to their future parents-in-law ? (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 35mm Lux Asph at F2.8, 1/1000, ISO160
Here is a picture you can probably find in many iterations on the web as it was taken today at the Paris Photo Fair. I found it a good symbol. Eve in Paradise with the many visitors trying to resist the temptation of … buying too much superfluous photographic equipment. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 60mm Hexanon at F1.4, 1/250, ISO160
In front of the Saint Eustache Church, a giant stone head looks at a little girl’s game. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 60mm Hexanon at F1.2, 1/8000, ISO160
Sorry about this bad translation to English, the picture should actually be titled « A kiss in front of Virgin » ;) (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 28mm Summicron at F2.8, 1/180, ISO160
This scene makes me think of a potential scene in Cohen’s Borat movie : « In Kazakhstan, man always drrrrive cozy, warm and drrry. Woman always goes in back .. yeeah, no prrroblem, she check if police not coming » (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 28mm Summicron at F2.8, 1/250, ISO160
This girl found in the metro almost looked like a student of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft. Maybe she had just missed the train, leaving Harry Potter and his group begin new adventures without her ? (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 28mm Summicron at F2, 1/90, ISO640
In the age of the Playstation and MySpace, it’s great to see that kids still get enthusiastic about old tricks such as the enormous soap bubbles made by this street artist. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 28mm Summicron at F2.8, ISO160
