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
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
The female name of Marianne means a lot to the French as this figure represents the values of the French Republic, namely “Liberty, Equality and Fraternity”. After decades of immigration, I guess that the figure of Marianne could no be a bit more representative of the country’s diversity. Just like in this scene of last Sunday’s Chinese New Year celebrations where local queens were parading in a truck with entangled flags of France and China. Maybe the election of the 2010 Mari-Han ? (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 60mm Hexanon at F1.2, 1/2800, ISO160, ND filter
Paris has been loosing its population for several decades. Indeed the raising prices of housing has slowly pushed the lower and middle class to the suburbs, leaving room for companies to occupy most of the beautiful Haussman style building located downtown. Still, everyday life is still there when one peeps in the patios of the more recent residential complexes in popular neighbourhoods such as Belleville. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 35mm Summicron IV at F4, 1/125, ISO160
Boulevard Haussmann where the main shopping centers lay is the place you don’t want to be the day before Christmas. Especially when you are late on your Christmas shopping. You will have to cross jammed streets, go against the flow of shoppers to finally enter the shopping “Nirvana”; the Galerie Lafayette and their famous monumental Christmas tree. (click on picture to enlarge)
All pictures with Leica M9 with 35mm Summilux at F1.4, ISO640
I had always wondered who was behind these mummy disguises. Indeed, they sometimes stand for hours still in touristic place. Today, I finally got the answer as I witnessed a switch. Not much of a surprise I guess. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 24mm Elmarit at F2.8, 1/125, ISO320
As you ride the metro in Paris, you will at some point encounter gypsy musicians that will throw a quick performance between a couple of stations for a few coins. They then exit the railcar and transfer to the other side of the lane to ride in the other direction. I wonder how one must feel after playing “La vie en rose” dozens of times in a day. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M9 with 35mm Lux Asph at F1.4, 1/30, ISO640
A girl reads out loud Gombrowics’s “Le festin chez la Comtesse Fritouille”, a satire on burgesses. Young and wild, but for how many years still ? (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 60mm Hexanon at F1.4, 1/350, ISO160
The French are very assiduous readers. So much that it poses no problem for that man to read his daily newspaper “Le Monde” (which translate to “The World”) while crossing the Pont de Sully Bride in the midst of rain and wind. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 75mm Summilux at F1.4, 1/750, ISO160
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
There are thousands of people living in France without a residency permit. Even though they do work and even sometimes pay taxes, they can be sent off at any moment. So this afternoon, thousands took the street for a large demonstration. When the cortege went through Place la Bastille, it almost felt like another uprise was to happen; the Revolution of the Hiddens. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 28mm Summicron at F2, 1/8000, ISO160
Abortion was legalized in France in 1975. Since then, it has become largely accepted in the French population and does not generate much debate anymore. Nevertheless, a few religious groups keep on defending the “right for life” and organize rallies now and then. Last weekend, they organized a small demonstration in Place Saint-Michel and put themselves to the task of convincing the passerbys on this delicate subject. Not always with success but it generated quite a few passionate debates. (click on pictures to enlarge)
All pictures taken with Leica M8 and 28mm Summicron, ISO160
A Golden Ferrari blocks a lane on a side street of Les Champs-Elysées and create a large traffic jam. A squad of seven policemen walks by, looks at the Dubai licence plates, exchanges a few words and walks away. A few hundred meters further away, six policemen fine the truck of a merchant parked outside of the designated area.
The motto of the French Republic is “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”. Obviously, equality does not seem to apply to you if your licence plate comes from the Gulf Emirates. To add to the absurdity of this situation, a homeless steps out of the crowd and fakes he is the owner of the car. Liberty still resists, hopefully. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 24m Elmarit at F2.8, 1/60, ISO640
Though there are no strong racial tensions in France, equality of chances has not been achieved in the French Society. The political and economic system is completely locked by Whites even though an increasing percentage of the population is formed by other ethnies. Change and, ultimately full integration, will hopefully come through the new generations. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 24mm Elmarit at F5.6, 1/750, ISO160
As one climbs the stairways of Pompidou Center, he will soon have the impression that the square below is populated by hundreds of ants. Though they look organized, at least in space occupation, these ants do not seem to be busy building their next hill … not every of them at least when you take a closer look. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 35mm Summilux Asph, ISO160
Leica M8 with 60mm Hexanon, ISO160
The Champs-Elysées is such a different avenue early in the morning. A few souls leaving the dance clubs slowly leave their place to the inflows of delivery truck that replenish the numerous store. The great world of Disney looks like any common place, hopefully all kids are still asleep at that moment. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 35mm Lux Asph af F1.4, ISO640
Saint-Denis, only 5 miles away from downtown Paris, owns the sad record of criminality in France. Of course, we are not talking murders as France is still a country where violent crimes are not a common fact, but thefts, riots and drug traffic. So very few would believe that Saint-Denis also can look like a common countryside town where people will come for a midday rest contemplating the slow flow of the Seine River. (click on picture to enlarge)
Sigma DP2, 24mm at F5.6, ISO100
Paris seems to have become a very popular destination for weddings celebrations, especially for people from China and other Asiatic countries. So on weekends, you will probably see newly wed couples almost waiting in queue in front of the Concorde fountains to have their picture taken. This bride turn was obviously getting closer as she looked around anxiously for her husband. (click on picture to enlarge)
Leica M8 with 35mm Summilux Asph at F1.4, ISO160
One would not guess that this scene happened today on one of the most famous Avenue in the World. Indeed, this shot was taken on Les Champs-Elysées where the rich mixes with the poor, the fashion world with urban street art and rap music with Dali. (click on picture to enlarge)
Sigma DP2 at F5.6, ISO400