City Living in Paris
A striking black and white photo featuring a classic view of city living, as seen from the top of the Arc de Triomphe, in Paris, France.
Paris is incredible because it seems, somehow, to exist outside of time. The city is full of nostalgia and romance, yet it’s a very busy city with millions of inhabitants.
Paris would have to be the most beautiful mega city I've yet visited. Churches, public buildings and palaces provide great subject matter for tourist and architectural photographers alike.
There is so much to see that the opportunities for photography seem, almost, endless.
Paris really is one of those places where it would be good to spend 3-4 months exploring the city, documenting its rich history and expanding one's perspective.
I say that because travel isn’t just about where you go and what you see, but who you meet along the road.
About To Travel?
Paris | Life Inside the Museum
Visiting Paris is like entering a living museum. History is alive through the cities grand churches, palaces and public buildings.
But Paris is not only one of the world’s most popular tourist cities, it’s also the place where 21 million Parisians live.
These local folk must go about their life, with the same dreams and desires, in much the same way most other folks do in other parts of the world.
The fact is that, with all the important religious and public buildings in Paris, there also has to be somewhere for people to live.
I wonder if we think about that when we make our photos.
A rooftop view towards the Sacre Coeur Basilica on Montmarte in Paris from atop the Arc de Triomphe.
Your Photos Are Embedded with Memories And Meaning
The photo at the top of this post was made from atop the Arc de Triomphe looking down on what, I assume, are a group of Parisian apartments.
It's so different to my own background growing up in a small town in southeastern Australia.
The 3/4 acre block, while rarely the size of the actual house and land package, came to symbolize the aspirations of most Australian couples who grew up in a house, owned by their parents, with a decent sized front and back yard.
Things have changed and that dream is no longer possible for many, particularly folks living in major Australian cities like Melbourne and Sydney.
Thank goodness for the Tiny House trend, which I’ve been following with interest for several years.
I believe tiny houses are going to offer hope to many, including young home buyers and those long stuck in the rental trap.
I also look forward to tiny homes being part of the solution for the long term homeless, many of whom exist on the fringe of our society.
Wonderfully detailed statues high up on the facade of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France.
An Unusual Perspective Brings Perspective
The view from atop the Arc de Triomphe is fantastic, providing a grand 360 degree birds eye view of the surrounding area.
The buildings and architectural elements shown in these pictures are beautiful and talk to the history of this iconic city.
And the closer you get the more that’s revealed.
I love the geometric layout of the buildings in the photo at the top of this post. I also love the humor of the headless bishop above one of the entrances to the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
City Living Where Space Is A State Of Mind
Life in Paris is so very different from my own upbringing, most of which was spent in a small weatherboard housing commission home in a small country town.
We were fortunate to be able to move to a beautiful home with a lovely garden when I was seventeen years of age.
But I left that existence when I moved to Melbourne, long ago, for a formal education in photography.
It seems to me now that city living is, by its very nature, a place where space is a state of mind.
Golden Rock and the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, located at the top of Mt Kyaiktiyo in Myanmar, has been a site of worship for Buddhist devotees for over 2,500 years. I found viewing this truly beautiful structure to be a wonderful experience and I was deeply moved by the devotion of the faithful as I quietly observed them lighting candles, burning incense and chanting in front of the Golden Rock.