June 2, 2015

Paris 2015

I loved Paris! The bread, cheese, wine, desserts, and of course the beautiful parisans. Contrary to the stereotypes I was warned about when I mentioned my upcoming trip, most of the people I crossed paths with were incredibly friendly. However, next time I visit Paris, I will learn as much french as I can!

Paris was a difficult city to photograph but not for the reasons you might expect. I wasn’t after the architecture or famous parisian sites — or even the picturesque city streets. If you like that sort of beauty, then Paris is your city to photograph.  They are breathtaking and eternally beautiful but when I travel to a new place, it’s the people I seek out. Capturing portraits of daily life, the comings and goings, the beauty and the struggles in a given city, this is what gives the city it’s character and grit.

The sense I got was that Parisians are extremely private. It didn’t take long to realize most of them didn’t take kindly to being photographed, funny given that one of the most famous street photographers come from France: Mr. Henry Cartier Bresson. This made shooting much more challenging and yet is also something I loved about them. When I am behind my camera, I feel invisible. I am not sure if that is a good thing? Until the next time Paris…