Ben Wilhelmi

Paris in B/W, street photography

 

 

Montmartre, a pretty girl having her portrait done…

and an artist selling his art. Cool glasses for the kid but his ice cream handling is still not that cool.

 

les Jardins du Parc Royal.

 

 

Les buttes-Chaumont, a serious hilly park.

 

 

great city to bike, though Parisian drivers sometimes remind me of Tanzanian drivers…

 

les Tuileries, a vast garden opposite the Louvre with his controversial Pyramid.

 

shot on a Leica M6 and black’n’white films. Karine and I are  proud of ourselves: we only shot on films during our month-long vacation in Paris in 2011. I had left my digital things in Aruha.

Paris, street photography, B/W films

 

On the Seine river, dreaming girl. This boat is part of a service called Navigo set by the Metro company in the summertime. Instead of travelling in the tubes, one can stay in the sunny open and enjoy the Seine shoreline, well part of as the tourist operators were not keen to share a big portion of the river.

 

Sacré-Coeur.

 

A newly wed couple and a curious little girl at the Colonnes de Buren, Palais Royal.

 

les Galeries Lafayette… I’m not a big fan of shopping but with a curious mind in gear, that’s a worthy place to visit even without a camera.

 

A member of the René Miller band.

 

The Opéra Garnier.

 

Pretty girl smoking, Canal St Martin.

 

Stylish wedding photographer.

 

 

 

 

Leica M6, films Ilford Delta pro. I still love to shoot the old way and leave my digital gear home.

Paris, Montmartre, B/W photography

 

It was a beautiful spring time. Karine and I loved to wander around with various cameras, though we selected some for each day. Weight is one issue, we were not on an assignment but just shooting for our own pleasure. Another issue is to limit your choice of gear to a minimum so you focus on what you have, not on what you’d love to have, nor what you should have taken. You don’t waste time swapping lenses or even zooming instead of walking around your subject. For instance, that day, I just had a vintage Rolleiflex with the 80 mm built-on lens and B/W films. No hassle to wonder what to do, to think of the many options you’ve got in your bulky bag.

 

 

The city passed a law recently: sketch artists and painters have to take an exam before performing legally in the streets. Similar case for the musicians in the metro. Nothing wrong with that restrictions I’d say. Now one can go at ease and get a sketch done without too much disappointment.

 

The flight of stairs down the Sacré-Coeur, overlooking Paris.

Paris, B/W street photography

 

with a Leica M6, great camera for street shooting. Zeiss and Voigtlander/Bessa for instance have done great similar great rangefinder cameras too. Nikon and Canon too but decades ago...

Paris, B/W, Rolleiflex

 

that is a vintage 1961 Rolleiflex 3.5F

Notre-Dame.

Montmartre, caricature artist at work.

Le Sacré-Coeur

Paris, B/W street photography

 

I know it looks awfully touristic but these guys are often real artists. In Montmartre around the Sacré-Coeur, dozen of them offer their services.

 

le Sacré-Coeur.

 

Place de la Bastille.

 

2 views of Notre-Dame.

booksellers alongside the Seine. I just love wandering near these books shops, I’ve found great stuff there.

All above hot on b/w films and with a vintage Rolleiflex camera from 1961.

Paris, around the Sacré-Coeur, b/w film

 

a little walk in Montmartre with a vintage 1961 Rolleiflex camera, stepping in Robert Doisneau’s steps.