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Last July, I was on a business trip that included one week in Paris. The first week-end, I was on my own. My wife flew the following Wednesday, and we stayed an extra couple of days with the kids enjoying life as a couple in beautiful Paris.
The first week-end, I strolled around Paris, with my camera hanging around my neck, revisiting all the nice places that we visited so often when we lived in this city for almost 10 years. I knew the best places where to look for photographic opportunities, but my goal that day was not photography in itself: I was simply enjoying walking around Paris, my head filled with beautiful memories of the beautiful years we lived in there.
Paris is cut almost in half by the river called La Seine. Most of Paris most famous landmarks are right on the borders of La Seine: Notre-dame de Paris, the Louvre, the Musee d’Orsay, Trocadero, and the Eiffel tower. On the southern border of La seine, there is a nice walkabout that goes on for miles. As I was going under one of the bridge, I noticed this young couple holding hands, staring at each other, in deep love.
Initially, I did not want to take any picture of this couple, out of courtesy. However, with the darkness under the tunnel, I realized they will simply appear as dark silhouettes without features. I put a long lens on, handholding the camera, and started shooting. When they started walking again, I ran and introduced myself to them, and offered to send them a picture: they were ecstatic. I was too. One of the photo turned out very nice, with the couple kissing, while unknown people are passing by without noticing this couple.
I made the picture black and white, to emphasize form over color. Then I tainted the trees back in green, to give the photo more life. For some reason, in pure black and white, the photo appeared too static. The green gave it back more life, more dynamism. I kept the version with the green trees.
This picture reminds me of our years in Paris, a young engaged couple, running hand in hand, and singing out loud under these tunnels on the river. This is the Paris of my youth, this is the Paris that I want to remember.
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