There is no other place like a bar’s terrace to understand the social life of Paris. Over the last 24 months, I took dozens of shots of two bars on my way to work or the market. Please click here on the picture to discover the life of the first one, the Dada bar. Pay special attention to details and interactions, Parisians are a special kind ;)
Check out this link to musician Hugo Celso’s blog. He has just put up a video combining his music to pictures from this blog. I think the result is amazing, great job in combining the words to the pictures. Thanks Hugo!
The video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPSHd6OMkcY
Hugo’s website : http://www.inmyths.com
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.
Chantilly and its famous castle lays 40 miles away from Paris. Once a year, one of the biggest social event takes place there, the Prix de Diane horse race. This 166 years old trophy used to be a very exclusive gathering, yet since its main sponsor pulled off, it slowly has opened up to the general public. You will still see women with their best dresses and wearing the most elegant and exhuberant hats. Click here or on the picture to dive into this glamourous atmosphere. (click on picture to launch slide show)
Leica M8 with mostly 60mm Hexanon
photographie photos rue street photography paris leica m8
Albert Kahn was a banker that dedicated his fortune to photograph in color the world in the first three decades of last century. His ultimate goal was to build an archive were all of the people of the world would be documented. He also created a wonderful garden close to the Boulogne Woods that is probably one of the most beautiful in Paris. As he went bankrupt in the Great Depression, the city of Boulogne bought his property. His huge archive is now part of the museum that borders the Gardens. The slide-show will bring you in this magnificent park where kids, couples or lonesome wanderers all enjoy this little haven within the city.
Click here or on picture to launch slide-show.
Leica M8 with mainly 35mm Lux Asph and 75mm Summarit.
Horse races are one of the favorites activities of many Parisians on weekends. There are four majors horse tracks in Paris (Auteuil, Longchamp, St Cloud, Vincennes) so there is always a competition going on somewhere in the city. Being around the fanatics and professional bettors is a great experience as it will immerse you in a typical world that has not been altered too much over the last decades.
Click here or on picture to start slideshow
Leica M8 with 24mm Elmarit, 35mm Cron and 85mm Jupiter 9
Though France has a long standing tradition of human and civil rights defendants, nowadays it is starting to lag behind other modern societies in terms of equality between genders. Indeed a very small proportion of women run CAC40 companies or sit in the highest governmental institutions. Also, there is very little legislation to protect women working as prostitutes. In order to denounce these facts, a demonstration was organized around the Pompidou Center. Click on picture or here to start slideshow.
Leica M8 with 35mm Nokton, mostly at 1.2
It is a little known fact that Paris also has a carnival. Even if it is still a small one even, the enthusiasm shown by the participants and thousands of spectators is a pledge for bigger ones in the future. So here is a slideshow on what happened between Belleville and the Town house. Click on picture or here to display.
Leica M8 with 35mm, 50mm Summicron and 90mm Hexanon
A general strike took place today in France. In Paris, several hundred thousands walked from La Bastille to the Opera to force the government to stop public jobs cuts and the numerous reforms underway. This comes as a direct consequence of the economic crisis that is starting to hurt badly the middle class. As the crowd started to break up, several thousands wanted to march on to La Madeleine and maybe on to the President’s Palace. The CRS (anti-riot forces) quickly stepped in and blocked the way. This caused the riots to start.
This slideshow is not a propaganda for one side or the other. The demostrators had their belief, the anti-riot forces did what they were told to without major injuries. It’s just a shame that French people ended up fighting each other when they should unite to face these difficult times.
Click HERE or on picture to access slideshow
Leica M8 with mainly 50mm Summicron and 28mm Ultron M, all at F2, ISO640-1250
Leica M8 with 35mm, 90mm TE, CV15mm
(click to enlarge)
Parc Monceau and the surrounding areas is usually not very well-know from people visiting Paris. This small parc mixes statues and monuments reminiscient of ancient times with wonderful trees, flowers and ponds. It is one of the favorite places of Parisian living in the 8th and 17th arrondissements to come for a picnic or afternoon rest. This set of images try to render the atmosphere of the parc in these wonderful end of Summer days. (click on image to view)
Taken with Leica M8, 35mm Summicron IV and 90mm Elmar
