Pictory

Floating through Paris ∞

In the plaza near the Pompidou Museum, a man blows bubbles to amuse children.

Fire on the Avenue de La Bourdonnais ∞

While waiting for the sun to set, my girlfriend and I noticed some smoke rising up from one of the streets near the Eiffel Tower. The smoke got much thicker and we began to hear a lot of sirens. It was starting to look fairly serious and a little worrisome that the fire was going to be a huge problem. Luckily, the fire crews were able to quickly knock it down and not let it spread. With so many beautiful, old buildings so close together, I can only imagine how bad it could have been.

View from Sacre Coeur ∞

I photographed this street performer during the Fete de la Musique last summer in Montmartre. Doing juggling tricks with his soccer ball on the ground was obviously not challenging enough — before I knew it, he climbed up a lamp post to continue his act.

View of Sacre Coeur ∞

The most beautiful summer. Wanna go back. Wanna stay forever.

View from the Top ∞

After a wonderful day on the Paris streets, my son and I took the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Life Appreciates Art ∞

A girl contemplates the great master’s work in the Musée de l’Orangerie.

Rue Berthe, Montmartre ∞

I was told that snow is rare in Paris. The same was true of heat in my apartment there. After this storm, I ventured down my street in an attempt to warm up.

Rue Berthe, Montmartre ∞

Jetlag kept me up all night and sleeping in every day during a short visit to Paris. I suspect that’s one of the better ways to see the city though, when the color and light stand out against the shadows of winding streets.

Advice ∞

Take a break from sightseeing. Ignore the hotspots. Just walk across the small streets that make up Paris. It’s the only way to notice the details of the buildings and roads, the smell of the air, and the lifestyle of native Parisiens. What better way to explore a place?

Slices Of Paris ∞

The multiple exposures of this image approximate the way my mind remembers Paris. I find it fascinating how we only remember a selection of the things we see in our lives.

Basics ∞

Even in the modern city amongst all the hustle and bustle of daily life, un café et une cigarette and a certain laissez faire remain a constant in Paris.

Stranger in a Familiar Land ∞

I am Parisian. However, six years ago I moved to Africa. Every year I come back to Paris, home for one month. I am now a tourist in my hometown. I have never appreciated Paris as much as now. This photo taken near the Marais and Quartier St-Paul is symbolic of Paris Life.

Juxtaposed ∞

The Louvre is an interesting museum, but it’s even more intriguing from the exterior. Old world elegance meets starkly modern design. Cold and warm at the same time. It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful Paris is, and how contradictory it is.

Looking In ∞

I took a break from wandering the Louvre on my trip to Paris and when I looked up, I realized I was underneath one of the smaller pyramids — and these friendly faces.

Confused ∞

We rented bicycles and were cycling around Paris when we came across this billboard. Our daughter had lots of questions. Why were the ladies wearing black scarves over their faces? Why were they drinking funny colored fizzy drinks? Why the sunglasses?

We answered that in the Muslim tradition some women like to cover their faces in public but that perhaps the billboard suggested that they could still have fun with it. She is now in fifth grade, studying the cultures of the world, and we think it’s great that she has had so much exposure to diversity already.

Night Dreaming ∞

I have always loved Paris at night, with its electric yet contemplative kind of beauty. Outside, on the plaza surrounding the Pompidou Center, diverse crowds gather throughout the day. But it’s during the evenings when I’ve spied some of the most intriguing faces, like this young man.

Je Ne Sais Quoi ∞

Everyone comes to Paris to feel Paris. I spotted this man sitting in the courtyard at the old Musée de Cluny. I love that you can tell this is a photo of Paris, in the small details, even though it’s not a shot of a famous monument.

Fellow Patrons ∞

Exhausted from touring and in dire need of a drink, my friends and I sat down at a local pub close to where we were staying. We felt very out of place that day, being strangers and all. Only one of us spoke French, the rest of us getting by with crude hand gestures and botched phrases from a book. After a few drinks and lively conversation, the frustration slipped away and I was entranced by the people sitting across from us. They were just like us; young, passionate, filled with drive and energy. Suddenly I didn’t feel out of place at all.

Table for One ∞

In the spring of 2010, I moved to Paris to improve my French and get to know a city I’d always wanted to be a part of. During my first few weeks there, I remember thinking to myself that while so many of us want to fall immediately in love with Paris, it’s Paris that decides when she wants to love us back. The woman in this photograph embodies that: beautiful, but impenetrable. Over the next few months, Paris slowly let me into her world and it was magical. It wasn’t perfect — but it was and always will be completely fascinating.