Paris

I began working with a Nikon D60. I then purchased a Nikon D90 and a Canon S95, as a handheld device. For lenses, I first acquired a 18-55mm lens f 3.5 / 5.6, then a 18-200mm lens with a 3.5 f / 5.6. I then bought a fixed focal lens with a focal 50mm f 1.4. All photos were retouched using Adobe Lightroom software.

I began working on this series on Paris in February 2009, when I started photography. Fascinated by the work of Boubat, Ronis, Izis, Brassai, Weiss and Doisneau, I became passionate with street photography. I have photographed scenesof Parisian life for five years. I am looking for the perfect shot, the one photo that would cause me to react.

I consider that a good photo is a photo that expresses something poetic. If a photo is not technically perfect, but it inspires me, I keep it. I go out on a daily basis to take shots of Paris. I keep very few photos. In all, I probably have taken more than 8,000 pictures during 76 outings. The series I am presenting today is the result of a drastic selection: I have chosen fifty of these photos, which are, in my opinion, the most representative of Paris as I see it.

I made the choice to use black and white: I think it is better suited to street photography. It emphasizes the subject, Paris and the Parisians. It also allows me to show nostalgia, and a kind of dreamed and idealized Paris. Through this presentation, I wish to share my own vision of Paris and the Parisians: one of beautiful dreams and nostalgia. It is through my eyes that I invite to see Paris.