One of the most remarkable things about Paris is its light. The quality of the light is simply luscious. It lovingly caresses details as no other light, glowing like velvet in the shadows and pinching the highlights into sparkle. Santa Fe, New Mexico is the closest thing we have to it in the US. Yes Paris can be dirty like any other large city. There is sometimes litter in the streets and dog droppings, but its beauty overcomes. I suspect the light plays a large part. Even cigarette butts and rumpled packages and grafitti are beautiful. 
In 1826, a Frenchman named Nicéphore Niépce, created the first permanent image formed by light. in 1839, an English Ben Franklin, Sir John Herschel searched for a name for this new invention. He used two Greek words Graph (write) and Photo (light) to make up the name, Photography. Among many other things, Sir John is credited with the invention of sodium thiosulfate, commonly known as "fixer" which is used stabilize and set the final image onto film. Sir John's invention was in common use until the turn of the 21st century! Indeed, even today, there are some film fanatics holding out against the pixel parade. 
As a young photographer, I was enchanted with the idea of drawing with light. It's not that the subject matter isn't important, it most certainly is, but much of photography's beauty lies in the creator's use of light. If it is an image that is important to me, flash is not beneath me, but flash is like Habanero Tabasco Sauce: a little goes a long way. For me ambient is the right light to write.
Alex
Paris April 23-30, 2017 |
