Walking the Streets of Paris

Walking the streets of Paris with my camera, I felt neither alone nor unique. I could not forget that some of the world's greatest photographers were there before me, but I was not deterred. It's because they were there, that I was there. Paris, the city of vanity, demands to be photographed.

Most of my work shows little interaction with people. I find it hard to intrude and invite my camera where it isn't wanted, yet a great number of my Paris images are of Parisians. A contradiction I can only explain by their willingness to be part of such a photogenic canvas and the bravado I felt walking in the footsteps left behind by some of the world's greatest photographers.

Whether shooting its broad boulevards or its august monuments, the very heart of a city that lives and breathes art is evident. The expression of almost bored insouciance worn by its inhabitants adds to the impression of lavish extravagance.

The Eiffel Tower, the banks of the Seine, and so much more are all to be captured in a style and simplicity that allow the viewer to absorb the scene, to feel the moment when the shutter clicks, and to imagine life either side of that moment.  

Explore Giles Norman's Paris collection.