Because Paris is one of the world’s greatest tourist destinations, it’s easy to think of it as just that, and simply visit and photograph the beautiful sights, wonderful street cafés, museums, gardens, parks, palaces and shops. The architecture, the design details, the interiors, the flowers, all make fascinating, photogenic subjects.
But Paris was a beautiful, vibrant, living, working, breathing city before it ever was one of the world’s great tourist destinations. And what made it so, and makes it so today is the…Parisians!
From a people or street photographer’s point of view, Paris is an endless adventure. One can wander for hours photographing Parisians going about their daily life. You can walk the same streets day after day and find different, delightful, poignant, interesting vignettes and scenes each time. Many famous photographers have photographed daily life in Paris since the beginning of photography: Nadar, Atget, Brassaï, Erwitt, Lartigue, Doisneau, Kertész, Cartier-Bresson… the list is long and we have only mentioned a few. Many well-known photographers from around the world have captured the city through the decades. If you want a real treat, check out some of their books from your local library or look at their photos on line. And if you want another treat, take to the streets of Paris with camera in hand looking for great people shots.
Here is a collection of some of our photos of Parisians rendered in classic black and white.
Young Parisian with football in the gardens of the Palais Royal.
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It is not at all unusual to see French businesspeople reading their newspaper over a cup of coffee in the morning before work. The French waiter is an institution, usually providing excellent, professional and friendly service.
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Lunch break by the pond in the Tuileries gardens.
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The Parisian owners of dogs (and there are many) are clearly dedicated to ensuring their pooches get plenty of exercise and fresh air.
A fairly recent trend is to pick up after them, to the great relief of pedestrians.
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Everywhere in Paris there are children on scooters. Go past a school and you will see a line of these handy little vehicles parked outside. Fathers accompanying their children on scooters, carrying their scooters, on scooters of their own are all very common sights in Paris.
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What do an elegant young woman standing at the entrance to Saint-Paul Saint-Louis church in the Marais, and Guillaume, founder and owner of the quirky Montmartre antique shop l'Object qui Parle have in common? They are both Parisians.
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Les Puces de Vanves flea market is a favorite spot for treasure hunting. And while it sees many tourists looking for priceless objects and bargains, it also hosts numerous locals such as this earnest and studious seeker of valuable rare books.
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Motor scooters are very much part of Parisian life (left). Odette Paris – very friendly, very proud of their choux à la crême (right).
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Place du Tertre in Montmartre is the studio of some of Paris's top notch and very hard working outdoor painters.
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A young, stylish learner cyclist in Place Dauphine (left) and a stylish young woman descending the famous rue Foyatier steps next to the Sacre Coeur basilica in Montmartre in the rain (right).
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There is always some social event or activity going on in Paris. This is the Dîner en Blanc, on this occasion held at the Hôtel de Ville and spreading across the river on the Pont d'Arcole.
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We would like to hear from you! Please leave comments. What do you think of this blog post? Do you like the photos in black and white or would you prefer color? What are your feelings about people photography? Who is your favorite Paris photographer? Also, if you have any questions, feel free to ask them. We will answer them all.
À bientôt!