Ben Wilhelmi

Street images, Paris

 

 

 

 

 

Eiffel Tower, 2nd floor views.

 

 

Shot with my new 2nd hand Leica M8.

 

Paris, street photography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paris, street photography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paris, some street photography

 

 

 

is this love or showing off at all costs? The saddle on this kind of Harley is next to nonexistent: 10x10x15cm. It might be OK for a ride in town but for long trips, I can’t believe the guy has an easy time to convince his chick to go along.

 

 

 

up to 34C in July this year. Some pushed their luck in sunbathing….

 

 

Paris, street photography

 

Paris, this summer, a new camera to try out, stunning weather, great walks and exhibitions, perfect company…

French man?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leica M8 at work, great tool for street photography as all the Leica M’s. I didn’t sell my M6, don’t worry, and plan to keep on using it.

street photography, Paris

 

 

 

 

sad…Paris the fashion capital they say.

 

 

street photography, Paris in B/W

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leica M6, Ilford Delta films

Paris in B/W, street photography

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leica M6, Ilford Delta films

Paris, B/W street photography on film

 

 

 

 

 

Paris, B/W film street photography

 

 

 

 

 

Rolleiflex 3.5F, films Ilford Delta

a beauty from 1961, in pristine condition.

Color film photography, Paris

 

Of course some smart ass had to sell padlocks on the spot. To research that padlock fashion on the net brings interesting results.

 

 

 

 

 

Leica M6, Kodak Portra 160 film.

Street photography, B/W films, Paris

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leica M6, Films Ilford Delta

Paris, B/W street photography

 

 

Those bags seem like offerings to some goddess. Goddess of cute butts?

 

Le Louvre… street art can’t be worse than that Pyramid.

 

 

Rolleiflex 3.5F, Ilford Delta.

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.

B/W street photography, Paris

 

with one of my favorite cameras, a 1961 Rolleiflex loaded in Ilford Delta films.

 

The camera looks so special that it brings smiles like from these two cute girls, who have probably never seen one, or a tear in the eye in older people. In turn street photography is sometimes easier. I just asked the girls with my best smile et voilà. Or was it just my natural charm…? Keep on dreaming…

 

 

Sweet moment…I live in Africa and this gesture would be frown up or bring ire in many countries. Or jail time…

Street photography on film, Paris

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leica M6, Kodak Portra 160

Paris, street photography, B/W

 

Dreaming girl, she never noticed me.

 

And there are people against sweet moments like these…

 

 

 

 

 

my favorite toys: a mix of Leica M6 and Rolleiflex 3.5F, Delta 100 Ilford

Street photography, Paris

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paris on B/W film, street shots

 

the Eiffel Tower offers a permanent show at her foot, not only all the way up. Either pretty girls…

…or anti terrorist surveillance teams.

 

…or people, many people, resting on the Champs-de-Mars.

same place but on the military school side.

 

Paris wouldn’t be Paris without its numerous bars, overflowing on the pavements.

 

Montmartre street sketcher.

 

les Tuileries, that long stretch of gardens near the Louvre.

 

les Buttes-Chaumont, a park with hills, a belvedere, a water ring and a nice view around.

 

a 19th century shopping center, incredible architecture with a touch of modernism, les Galeries Lafayette.

 

Shot with Leica M 6

 

shot on a Leica M6, Ilford Delta 100

Paris, B/W pictures with a Rolleiflex

 

for a second I was looking for a horse or something but the fireman truck was modern.

 

shot with a 1961 Rolleiflex 3.5F, a beauty of a camera.

Paris, street photography

 

 

 

Fashion twins

 

 

little tattoo.

 

 

 

 

perfecto? Where is the Harley?

 

Paris, one day in spring

 

street photography, Paris in B/W

 

street photography with a vintage Rolleiflex is not always easy nor convenient but what a rewarding feeling when your pictures are OK, at least technically. Mine is a 3.5F from 1961.

Opéra Garnier and Minnie Mouse.

 

Trocadéro and the gilded statues.

Paris, spring time

 

 

b/w street photography, Paris, Rolleiflex

 

 

1961 Rolleiflex 3.5F, medium format

street photography in Paris near Beaubourg

 

Beaubourg… personally I find this place ugly but there is no need to reopen the debate.

some rest needed.

 

one of the numerous murals to be spotted in Paris, though few are this big.

 

art is not always to be seen on walls… Russian army trousers?

 

 

 

ah a good old Charlie Chaplin picture, Some things don’t change, the kids are still interested. I always worry they might be polluted by mangas and other Japanese sci fi crap…

 

street photography, Paris in B/W

 

Pont des Arts, aka Bridge of Arts? A latest rage is to show eternal love by attaching a lock on the fence.

since le Pont des Arts is covered in wooden planks and reserved for pedestrians, the general feeling tends to get cozy. In turn, it is really tempting to bring food and wine for a peaceful lunch on a bench.

 

Le Louvre.

 

I have no idea who ever started the coin throwing thing but it sure has spread all over the touristic places. Here, les Colonnes de Buren.

 

le Sacré-Coeur, Montmartre.

 

2 lovers, Jardins des Tuileries.

same place for these bikers.

 

artists, Montmartre.

 

Trendy “Parisiennes”, or tourists.

 

shot with a Leica M6 and Ilford Delta 100.

street photography, Paris

 

this spring weather was mostly crap but Karine and I managed to enjoy a few sunny days or half decent.

 

 

some murals were interesting or real pieces of work and art. What a welcome change from awful tags…

 

Paris in colors, street photography

In photography, I love the old B/W classic photography but I indulge myself in colors too, even for street photography. Here are some shots from this spring in Paris.

 

Murals are everywhere, the loony bird was to be seen a coupla times. The caption on the red and white girl says ‘Karma is a bitch’

 

I’ve lost count on how many commercial vans have been tagged like this…let’s have a though for the poor owners.

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This one was a real eyesore in front of these cute houses.

 

those tiny and foldable bikes are all the rage suddenly. Convenient for tube or train movements.

 

the famous Rue des Rosiers in the Jewish neighborhhod.

 

a woman who kept her 70’s clothing?

 

there is art and art…

 

another trendy woman…quite a few in Paris to say the least.

B/W film street photography, Paris

 

aaahh Paris, just grab a camera (or not) and walk, keep an eye open for details…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

why not digital? Well I have a few digital cameras which I heavily use. But like people who fall for old cars, I love my analog cameras. They work beautifully, they require a minimum of brain use, some skills, some patience, some delays in seeing the pictures. I must have about 12 film cameras. I use some for sentimental reasons, like my very first SLR, others because they were way to expensive to buy when I was younger and now that I have them I use them and take great pleasure. Some will even talk of camera personalities! I can relate to that statement.

Paris, street photography, B/W films

 

 

les Tuileries.

 

 

 

the second hand bookshops alongside the Seine river. I love them and hate them, it’s hard for me to resist the temptation. Last time, I brought 6 old books in 5 minutes…

 

the incredible Galerie Lafayette, the building is a historical building, this main part could be a museum so I don’t mind too much when Karine goes shopping there.

 

from les Buttes Chaumont, le Sacré-Coeur in the distance.

Les Buttes Chaumont, another lovely park in Paris. This Belvedere dominates the surroundings.

B/W film pictures, Paris

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

shot the old way, on B/W films. Film is on the rise again, like vinyl LP’s, like old cars or planes. I’m glad I never sold my old film cameras even though I bought digital stuff.

Paris, la Butte-aux-Cailles, street photography

 

la Butte-aux-Cailles is a lovely neighborhood in Paris. For those who enjoy walking and taking time. Lazy youngsters on intravenous Facebook won’t like that I suppose. Though there are some ugly tags out there…but also real pieces of art.

 

mostly the art work in the area were mostly decent like the woman at the window.

 

it must have an industrial neighborhood at some point but serious effort have been made to erase that touch and create a cozy atmosphere. This man definitely enjoys his doorstep I the sun

 

 “The IMF will always screw up poor people”

 

a famous Wallace fountain, clean water and free! Amazing, something for free in Paris…

 

 

smokers on their suicidal path, outside a restaurant. Good law if you ask me.

 

taggers and artists go sometimes a long way to paint on a wall. Some places need some planning to reach.

 

I had been impressed by the amount of cute little houses, sometimes with tiny gardens. Colors and styles vary quite a lot. Tall and modern buildings (and usually ugly of course) seem to surround the neighborhood…

 

 

Polaroid styled wall paper.

 

a warm spring day, terraces fill up.

 

street photography on B/W films, Paris

 

a sunny spring day last week, some people brought their sketchbooks on the Seine bridges. I should do that one day…in the meantime I grabbed my lovely Leica M6 loaded with a B/W film, Karine was probably doing the same with her Contax645. That means we attract glares from other people in this digital ages. Once in a while we meet another film connoisseur.

 

Place de la Concorde….

and entering les Tuileries. André Lenôtre, famous garden designer…France would be different not for his influence.

 

a very cold day but nobody wanted to miss a chance for the first sunny day in weeks!

 

those fabulous buildings are located on Rivoli street.

 

bad hair day.

 

the usual illegal junket sellers. 1 euros for a tower. Up to 8 in a licensed shop! Once in a while, cops will raid the place. So like in every touristy city, these guys are scanning the area and ready to run away, preferably with their goodies. The invisible middlemen take less risks as usual.

Leica M6, 28mm F:2.0, Fuji Acros 100

Paris, street photography, color film

 

le Pont des Arts, a pedestrian-only bridge. A fashion (from China or Eastern Europe they say) similar to dropping a coin in a fountain makes people attach a padlock on the fence and throw the key in the Seine. Names and dates are written on the padlock and there you are for eternal love! Naïve attitude again but it seems to be a popular one. I think the city of Roma has forbidden that movement and even has the padlocks removed once in a while. Paris authorities claim they don’t care about but the padlocks have been removed all at once a few times in the past, at night. Maybe  local avengers? Imagine cutting off and cleaning 1000’s of padlocks in one night?! It must be a battalion raiding the bridge.

 

of course smart asses exploit the ambient naivety and sell padlocks on the spot.

 

 

I don’t know what that girl was doing alone…in memoriam? Love by telepathy?

 

Notice the black and bigger hearts? They belong to a French women’s right group, “Ni Putes ni Soumises” (roughly, no whores nor obedient). One can scan the QR code on such a heart and symbolically free a woman from male violence.

there was also one pair of handcuffs! What was the meaning of that action? A sad soul who wanted to free herself/himself from a nasty relationship? A masochist meaning?

 

happy couple who just did it.

 

a couple? I’d guess so but anyway this was the big debate in France this spring, the gay issue on marriage. Demonstrators took the streets, the pros and cons tended to avoid each others while they supported or opposed the marriage for all. As usual violence comes from the “anti” group. It makes me laugh when they claim to be gay friendly, when they claim they even have gay friends (waow they live dangerously!) but, but… they should look at the various countries which have already passed the law and see what happens. Well nothing basically…10 years or so in Belgium or Holland and all runs smoothly… any the law has just been voted but is now being challenged for another month.

as the joke goes, gay people should be allowed to wed because there is no reason straight people are the only one to suffer the burden of marriage.

 

 

 

 

I used my beloved Leica M6, 28mm F:2.0, and tested a Kodak Portra 160.

Paris, street photography

 

Notre-Dame…now there is a wooden contraption to enjoy a better view and relax.

 

Paris without terraces wouldn’t be Paris.

 

 

 

Old couple watching a very quiet street…

 

tradition and modernism.

 

 

one hot day, people don’t always react the same way. This guy sports a winter fleece, I was hot just with a shirt, like this chick I suppose.

 

Briefly I felt in Tanzania.

 

funny how this streetwear fashion has survived more than 20 years…

Paris, this spring, photography

 

so far the temperatures were below average in France, some areas even mentioned the lowest ever recorded. Then suddenly last Sunday, weather got perfect, everybody stopped moaning and went out. Karine and I did that too, we chose a pedestrian and photo activity in a lovely little neighborhood called Butte-aux-Cailles. Butte means a little hill, a mound, and cailles are little fat birds. Anyhow, this is a place to visit on foot to enjoy the little cute houses and gardens, the quietness, the narrow streets and details like pieces of art on the wall, and I mean real stuff, not fucking tags.

I’m not a huge fan of this style but I admit there is a minimum of effort and style.

 

the woman, the window and the basketball player are fake.

 

Unfortunately taggers feel they belong in the same league…

 

Stencils are quite common.

other pieces are glued on the walls. Karine took on a mission to record any piece of art murals she spots across Paris.

we were not the only ones to meander and shoot in la Butte.

 

Next door is the park Montsouris. Everybody was out that day, grass got definitely crushed, many groups had brought blankets and lunch packs, skins were piling on vitamin D, good mood was the key word, everybody forgot about melanomas…

except this lady with an umbrella! Weeks of bad weather and still…

 

on the way home I spotted these youths, an exercise of ‘sartorialism’ since they’re  dressed like street thugs but the one on left sports a Louis Vuitton bag (fake I bet) which looks pretty odd

the same couple…an Arafat scarf, some things don’t get out of fashion. Karine and I are both keen street photographers so Paris with so many fashions victims, tourists etc is a great spot.

Paris, Eiffel tower and around

 

the army strolls around everyday nowadays…

 

Did they really have to choose a red color for their double-deckers? London chould sue?

 

A peace monument nearby the Eiffel tower. There is a controversy to put it down… I’ve seen worse I must say.

 

 

On another note, the beautiful place des Vosges. Always crammed too with people as soon as a sunray shows up.

street photography on B/W film, Paris

 

Le Louvre and the Pyramid, the controversy is still raging. This married couple doesn’t seem to care.

Les Colonnes Buren in the Palais Royal, another example of mix between modern and classic arts that brings controversy. This model was posing for another photographer so I joined the free ride.

Throwing the usual coins but this place lacks of style as opposed to the Trevi fountain…

 

Inner square, le Louvre.

 

Peaceful reading at Canal St-Martin.

 

 

Les Tuileries garden aligned with le Louvre.

 

Montmartre, the artist square at Place du Tertre.

 

Lunch in style. I don’t blame these visitors considering the skyrocketing prices in many restaurants. Towards the Ile St-Louis, Pont-des-Arts bridge. Notice the shiny stains on the fence. These are the lovers’ padlocks. The city of Rome had theirs removed lately.

 

All shot on Ilford Delta Pro films and Leica M6.

Paris, street photography on B/W films

 

 

La Madeleine showing an ad for a Bosch exhibition.

 

An artist performing at the Sacré-Coeur.

 

Pretty girl at the Opéra.

 

The Tower seen from the Trocadéro. “Troca” in local language.

 

 

Montmartre, sketchers and painters have now to pass an exam before performing here. Guaranteed results?

 

Motorist and prostitute dealing…

Thanks but no thanks.

 

Grandma in a Chanel environment.

 

Personally? These band members had way more talent than Warhol…that old lady singer was bursting with energy.