Walking Woman, Intersection. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A woman walks past the intersection of two narrow streets in Le Marais, Paris

This photograph has many of the features that I often look for in street photography. There is a figure, and the figure is in motion, quickly transiting the scene and providing only a very brief interval to make a photograph. In this case there is only one figure, and by some miracle other people aren’t “cluttering” the composition. The buildings are tall and the streets are narrow, so all of the light is reflected down from above, bouncing back and forth between the buildings to produce a soft effect. (The closest thing to this may be the canyon light of America’s Southwest.) There are interesting little architectural touches that may not be obvious until you spend a bit of time with the image — the lamp at upper left, a bit of graffiti on a wall, etc.

I made the photograph in the Le Marais section of Paris, where older buildings and their narrow streets are preserved — they were not knocked down during earlier modernization projects in the city. It is also an area that is (largely) devoid of big commercial signs like those found on bigger and busier streets. There are signs, but they are often quiet and unobtrusive.

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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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