Tag Archives: france

Photographs: France, Photographs: Urban/Street

Sidewalk Art, Le Marais

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Sidewalk Art, Le Marais
Art presented for along a sidewalk in Le Marais, Paris

Sidewalk Art, Le Marais. Paris, France. August 10, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Art presented for along a sidewalk in Le Marais, Paris

Several days into our recent visit to Paris we finally made our way to the Le Marais district, partly because it had been recommended (by our oldest son and others) and partly because we wanted to visit a photography museum found in the area, Maison Européenne de la Photographie. The area proved to be very interesting and to be a wonderful place to photograph.

It now is, from what I could see and what I’ve read, a rather “trendy” place — lots of shops and restaurants and so forth. But it also has a history, and I understand that it managed to escape some of the modernization of Paris that took place since the 1800s, including a proposal to raze the area and even to put a major thoroughfare there. These things didn’t happen, so now there are beautiful old (sometimes very old) buildings along narrow and twisting streets. As in almost every place that visitors go in Paris, there are people selling things on the streets. Most of the products are cheap trinkets, but here it was sidewalk art, and I photographed the display while the artist/vendor was elsewhere for a few moments.

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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Photographs: France, Photographs: Urban/Street

Woman, Wall, Le Marais

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Woman, Wall, Le Marais
A woman in colorful clothing checks her phone next to and old wall in Le Marais, Paris

Woman, Wall, Le Marais. Paris, France. August 10, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A woman in colorful clothing checks her phone next to and old wall in Le Marais, Paris

This is another photograph from Le Marais, and old area of Paris with quite a bit of history that is today said to be a rather trendy area. Trendy though it may be, the streets are very narrow and twisted, most people are on foot, and there are many examples of very old architecture, including this bit of wall.

Although the place is busy with people I managed to wait for breaks and photograph some subjects without the crowds surrounding them. This person was standing against this old wall, checking something on the smart phone. It occurred to me that the smart phone is very close to becoming the subject of art including street photography, perhaps in the way that people smoking cigarettes or reading a book or drinking something might have been in the past. Not that I like it… ;-)

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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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: France, Photographs: Night, Photographs: Urban/Street

Superette des Abesses, Night

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Superette des Abesses, Night
The light of a market in Montmartre spills out onto the nighttime sidewalk

Superette des Abesses, Night. Paris, France. August 11, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The light of a market in Montmartre spills out onto the nighttime sidewalk

This is another photograph from one of our night walks in Montmartre, Paris. It may be quiet at night somewhere in Paris, but here and in the other areas we visited it seemed that there were always people out and about, and especially sitting in cafes and restaurants well into the evening. We ended up getting into the swing of things and eating dinner hours later than we would at home — and taking much longer to do so.

It isn’t just restaurants that are open, either. There are bars and gelato shops and places where you can get a crepe or a cookie. And these little markets are also all over the place.  One thing Americans could learn from Europeans, at least judging by what we say, is that it is possible to make healthier foods (and wine!) part of regular eating. Even the fast food places serve salads with the fried stuff! This little market had a colorful stand outside that offered a variety of fruits and vegetables.

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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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Night, Photographs: Urban/Street

A Couple, Street Lights, Park

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A Couple, Street Lights, Park
A couple walks past street lights in a Montmartre, Paris park

A Couple, Street Lights, Park. Paris, France. August 11, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A couple walks past street lights in a Montmartre, Paris park

Since our lodgings in Paris on our recent visit were in the Montmartre district, we frequently were able to go out on foot and explore the area. On the day we arrived we set out to “wander,” not really knowing that much about the area. (I often like to not know too much about a new place, preferring to discover it in person.) We began to figure out the maze of streets — a task never fully accomplished! — and discover interesting things in the area. In fact, we accidentally came upon things that turn out to be big deals — like the Sacred Heart church in its hilltop location.

Because we were often busy visiting other areas in the daytime, we probably saw more of Montmartre in the evenings than during the daytime, especially when we went out to look for a place to eat after returning to our hotel. I made this photograph on one of the evening walks as we walked through a small square and encountered another couple out for an evening walk.

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.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.