I discovered film photography in 2016, however, I've never tried black and white film until Paris. I used a roll of Ilford 50iso 35mm from London and I am pleasantly surprised at how much I love it. For those who are interested these were shot with a Minolta SRT102 with a 50mm Lens.
I pointed my camera at this man while he was waiting for the traffic light to turn green. The moment I clicked the shutter he turned his head, and a moment after that, he winked at me. And then he grinned, a very sexy one-sided grin. It was in that moment I knew why Owen Wilson was so irresistible in Midnight in Paris. Half of it was because it was Owen Wilson, and the other half was because he was in Paris; truly a romantic place, something I didn't really buy into until now.
This man didn't look like one to smile much. Sturdy and focused, maybe sad. I waited for two months to see if this photo came out. All the other photo's on this roll I didn't care about nearly as much. This one was special. A positive genuine interaction with a stranger, no words, and twelve feet apart.
One thing I learned about most European countries is that people park where-ever. The roads were build so long ago, cobble stones, and narrow as hell. So today, people park half on the curbs, and sidewalks. It was such a strange sight to see in my American eyes, coming from a place with four-laned suburban streets and six-laned freeway systems.
This car, as you can see by the cafe behind it, is in fact parked on the brick walkway. It must've been a friend of the owners because a few minutes later the same car passed us down the street with take-out in hand, as if they skipped the entire line. The Man driving had a light beige suit, blondish grey hair, and and the woman met the same standards of beauty with cherry red hair and a flower dress. They zoomed pass together, nothing and no one in their way.
Stripes on Stripes on Stripes.
Just a Street
This man caught my eye because of his contagious confidence. Moments before this he was laughing and telling jokes with his friends the kind that have them all huddled around waiting for the punch line. He was also pretty drunk, but it was obvious everyone accepted this, knew this about him. A local at best.
This boy was volunteered by his mother to be sketched by an artist in the "Artists Square" next to the Sacré-Cœur Basillica--a cathedral on a hill slightly north west of the city centre. The boy was trying very hard to make his mother and the artist happy by being completely still. For a little boy I'm sure this was the ultimate struggle.
This is a photo of the artists in the "Artist Square." Behind them are the outdoor seating for the cafe's across from the easels. They would ask people passing if they could sketch their faces, each of these artists were incredible with detail. No sketch did not look like the individual, and it took them 1-2hrs to complete for only 14-20€.
It was very hot in Paris in June when I was there, this girl is walking through the water at the top of the Sacré-Cœur. The hike up is many stairs.
This is the view from the top, or it could be if you looked through this.
Sacré-Cœur Basillica.
This man was one of the Artists that moved around the crowd, not in the "Artist Square" holding his sketch pad searching for people to sketch. He asked me a few times, "No merci, no merci" I would reply one of the most important french phrases I had learned. "No thank you, no thank you."
The only thing I remember about this woman is that she had a dog that would squeal like a dying human child... every few seconds. But somehow she was un-phased, which made me wonder if she were deaf or just found comfort with the noise.
This street performer would dance on this wire for hours. He had a soundtrack that would repeat after a few songs. The hat hanging from his high- line would rattle with coins to the beat of the music. So much talent. This little girl is being hurried away by her mom because seconds earlier she darted underneath the performer. He wasn't phased.
More information later about Paris. I went to Paris twice on my trip, once alone and once with my sister so I am very familiar with where to go how to get around and places to avoid. Thats up next. If you have any questions about my photos or anything like that I'd love to talk cameras and things! Just comment below.
Thanks
Toodles
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