Paris, Simplement

I have been to Paris dozens of time. Many times for professional work, but mostly to visit my parents. Paris is perhaps the city most written about, most celebrated, and most visited by those in search of that je ne sais quoi they have always thought to find only in Paris. Indeed, for reasons I am not sure I can fully understand, the café crème tastes truly different when sitting in a French café trottoir watching people and their attitudes pass by. Even with the exact same ingredients no one in the world can make a baguette as memorable when eaten while walking the streets of Paris.

Paris was also the city most photographed in the world. I say “was” because nowadays everyone has a digital gadget and clicks non-stop no matter where they are. In the “old days” one had to load film, rewind, focus, set the speed, and gently depress the shutter release.

I still live in those “old days” when it comes to photography….

… A friend asked me today if I had any pictures of the Champs-Ėlysées. I said “no”.

“So how would you describe Paris through your photography? Can you narrow your optic to just two photos?”

That made me go to my Paris files in search of photos I may have not published. I was delighted to find a couple that indeed could summarize what Paris represents to me if I were to “think in images”. No, it is not the Champs-Ėlysées which is now a noisy, busy and expensive 1.2 mile long and 230 feet wide avenue. I recall a walk along that street on New Year’s Eve decades ago and what I see now does not make me feel like a kid anymore.

So, here are the two photos.

First, an embrace and kiss upon a park bench after sunset. It is romantic, panhuman, and the nonchalance of it somehow Parisian. Yet, to place it in context, the Tour d’Eiffel had to be there as a watchful eye surrounded by the lovely clouds.

Second, the bicycle, the trench coat and the busy street. I like this photo as she seems in no hurry compared to the men in the background. It is a simple moment that reminds me of my days in Paris.

So, these two photos may not excite my friend to plan a trip to Paris, but in their simplicity and perhaps personal memories, they represent the City of Lights to me.

June 24, 2016

© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2016