Flea Market Finds - Les vendeurs

While shopping and photographing, I managed to meet a few lovely vendors. Monsieur was happy to be photographed, which I appreciated. 

Des sourires

 One of the many things I love about the Marais is the diversity you find in such a small area. For a photographer, it's endless portraits of such beautiful faces.

100 French Strangers #86

Way back in 2009, I informally joined a Flickr group doing the 100 Strangers Challenge. The rules were a challenge for photographers who wanted to get more at ease with street photography. Your goal was photographing 100 strangers, with one catch. You had to have some interaction with them. No drive by shootings. I started it early on in my photography and hit 100 here in Birmingham. The summer of 2009, when my daughter Melissa and my two grands were in Paris for 3 weeks, I upped it to my personal 100 FRENCH Strangers Challenge. With not much French, the interaction had to suffice with me holding my camera up and saying, "S'il vous plait??" I stopped counting years ago but thought it might be fun to start up where I apparently left off.

This lovely man with checking his phone at the the Marché aux Puces this last trip. I walked past and stopped to snap. He heard the CLICK and looked up. I smiled and asked and he nodded. I think this might be one of my favorite Paris portraits. Merci Monsieur!

Charmantes Filles

As Meredith Mullins and I stepped outside Le Reminet after a delightful lunch, she spotted a family
that she knew.  They were visiting Paris again,  and I was the lucky one.  I was able to snap these two
delightful girls!

Arm in Arm

Ladies, young and old often walk arm in arm in Paris. I love that.

L'homme et la bouteille

Early evening I was doing a walking photography tour on the Île Saint-Louis with Meredith Mullins.  We stopped to look over the wall and this is what we found.  We debated about the wrapper on the bench and Meredith offered to run down and move it, but we decided the moment would be lost. To quote Meredith's wonderful book....another  Paris Moment!

If The Truth Be Known...

THIS is the reason I return to photograph Paris, over and over.  Of course, I love the shots I find in shops, cafés, store windows, and churches, but this is what I'm always searching for...  the street photographs.  The images are elusive and the cache at the end of a week in Paris is pretty slim, but very satisfying.  One thing I've had to accept is that my street images might not be the sharpest or with perfect light and composition.  My online photography group has taught me recently that with street photography that is to be expected....and accepted.  Thank you my Photographers' Classroom colleagues for taking that albatross from around my neck!

Vue de café

I stopped at this café one summer afternoon,  just a block from the Place des Vosges,  to relax with a glass of wine.  I had a nice table facing the street and spotted this lovely lady across the way.  I wanted to  capture more of her, but I think her dress and the motorcycle makes it even more typical of the diversity you often see on the streets of Paris.

Ma Bonne Chance

I walk down a street in Montmartre and............ I say, "Bonjour Monsieur!"( with very big smile).   I count my blessings.

Bonjour Madame!!!!

Parisians on their balconies. Sometimes I can get a wave or a smile. Taken in 2008, it was just the beginning of my fascination ( addiction? ) with Parisian street photography and eventually my 100 French Strangers quest.  As I have spent more time there, I'm bolder and take more risks. J'aime le résultat.

Paris Rouge LVI - Monsieur en blanc et rouge

Oui,  of course you have met this marvelous man before, right here.  On another Sunday trip to rue Mouffetard, he appeared in yet another dashing outfit.  The "Parisian Photography Gods" were smiling on me again!

Paris Rouge LV - The Dancer

It's no secret that one of my most favorite "finds" in Paris are the dancers that gather every Sunday on rue Mouffetard. This lady's hair is of course one of my favorite  Paris Rouge "finds"!

Madame

I think this image makes me a bit sad. All over Paris I have seen elderly people making their way slowly through the streets.  For them it must be diificult to walk to get what they need on a daily basis.  Perhaps she had been to the boulangerie, but perhaps a longer walk that day.

Strolling Across Place Vendôme

Trés chic!  As Genie would say, "Must be a French girl!"

(Looks like she might be headed straight to de Beers to do a little shopping!)

100 French Strangers - Smile for the Crazy Américaine

French Strangers # 72-73

 I do think this might just be two of my favorite "strangers".  (Do I say this everytime? )  Last June as I was snapping away in this photography shop at le Marché des Enfants Rouge, the gentleman on the left, the owner, asked what exactly I was photographing. I explained my Paris rouge fetish and he seemed satisfied.

Outside he and his friend were very kind to allow me this photo shoot.  I'm thinking the conversation went like this:  "Smile for the crazy American photographer!" Aren't they just great??  Who says Parisians are aloof?

Musique Dans Les Rues - The Singer

Today I thought we would start a little series. Last July, Peter, Maya, and Janet and I were touring Montmartre. We walked up on this interesting street band. It was yet another "photographer's buffet" as Bob Crowe likes to say. The four of us must have taken hundreds of photos. I don't know why I've held onto these for 8 months! I've decided you might enjoy seeing them for the next few days in a series rather than here and there.

Today the leader who played the trumpet and sang as well. I polled my trusty companions and they all agreed that he was probably an American ex-pat. He looked and sounded like he'd spent many nights in some very smoky bars! I loved the cup he used to mute his horn.

100 French Strangers Challenge - Les Artistes

French Stranger # 56

Well you know by now, I am often drawn to the artists when I'm roaming around Paris and the French countryside with my camera. The top photo is artist Françoise Daganaud. I met her at Vivienne Art Galerie last summer. Her unusual paintings of African children really appealed to me. Sadly I didn't see her there this past visit.

I met the artist below in a small gallery in Joigny, France. He graciously showed me around his shop. I enjoyed seeing his work, as well as that of his wife.

French Stanger #57

Paris Rouge XIII - Bèbè Chic!

Dressed like a mini Parisian model. This may be one of my favorite shots of the whole trip!

Photographer's Dilemma: "They" say when your camera is OFF, you should leave it set on Automatic in the eventuality that you need to move quickly to catch a shot. The afternoon this was taken it was very late and getting dark. I turned around as this petite jeune fille was scampering away from her mommy. I didn't want automatic because then I would get the horrible pop up flash. I was left fumbling in low light with my manual settings while trying to pull my glove off with my teeth, all the while running behind her! This was my best shot but terribly underexposed. I did what I could in the editing process, but I'm well aware of the noise that resulted. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

* I'm pleased to share that Linda Donahue, editor of parisiensalon.com has chosen another of my Paris street portraits for a recent article. Click here to see it!

Playing for Euros

I'm usually a bit hesitant to snap photos in the Metro. I caught this one on the fly as you can see. I rather enjoy the musicians that hop on and off . They're usually pretty good and friendly, especially if you give them a coin or two. If I take a photograph I always try and return the favor.

The boys below were part of a larger group and were practicing outside Église Saint- Germain- de-Pres.

Merci Mademoiselle!

L'Écoute, Henri de Miller's 70 ton sandstone sculpture is interesting in its own right. The giant head resting in a hand was placed in front of the beautiful gothic St. Eustache in 1986. I think I'm finally getting use to the very contemporary/abstract art your find right next to the old and wonderful architecture all over Paris. Some I like more than others, but I don't find it as jarring as I did at first. I particularly liked seeing Miller's etchings in the sandstone. Wonderful texture.

The day we visited, I was trying my best to find a good angle to get a decent photograph, when this jolie jeune femme rode up on her bike, hopped off, struck this adorable pose for her friend to photograph and I took advantage of that little gift! Perfect.