Paris Illuminated Due For Release 17th October 2009

If ever a city had so much impact on other cultures and cities throughout the world, then that city remains Paris! Steeped in history, from around 55BC when it was occupied by the Romans, succeeded by the Franks, through to the Middle Ages where the city flourished as a religious centre with many outstanding architectural masterpieces still present to this day. It also thrived as a centre of learning with the university of Paris attracting scholars from across Europe.

Paris emerged during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment as a great centre of culture and ideas, and under the rule of Louis X1V it also became a city of immense wealth and power. The city underwent a massive renovation under Napoléon III and his préfet Haussmann, who levelled entire districts of narrow-winding medieval streets to create the network of wide avenues and neo-classical facades of modern Paris. Champs-Élysées is a classic example, connecting Place de la Concorde and Arc de Triomphe. This avenue has been called “la plus belle avenue du monde” (“the most beautiful avenue in the world”). Today it stands as one of the world’s leading business and cultural centres, and its influence on design, media, fashion, science and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world’s major cities.

To many, Paris is known as the “City of Love,” that’s a sentiment I’m sure many of you share, myself included. One can’t fail to be influenced by evocative images from screen or print, which have shaped our perception of this beautiful city, especially those stunning images of Paris portrayed at night. Having spent many an evening strolling around this beautiful city with my wife Linda, it’s almost impossible not to endorse the fact. Paris is transformed into a spectacular array of colour and light, with many of its Iconic buildings and Avenues brought to life, the Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Coeur, Arc de Triomphe, Musée du Louvre, Notre-Dame, sit along with their contempories in the business district such as the Grande Arche de la Défense and the Pompidou centre. The Avenue Champs-Élysées at night, transformed into a sea of moving light, as are the numerous other avenues and ancient cobbled streets, which make up the 14 districts of Paris. No wonder Paris is dubbed La Ville Lumière (“City of Lights”). Some thirty-seven bridges span the Seine, the oldest being Pont Neuf dating back to the 16th century, whilst the latest edition Pont Simone de Beauvoir, opened as recently as July 2006. With such a diverse culture, an incredible depth of history, and some of the most amazing architecture, one can see why Paris claims to be the most popular tourist destination in the world, with over 30 million foreign visitors per year.

Surrounded by a spectacular array of architecture and grande avenues it is impossible not to be inspired photographically, an even greater challenge is posed by photographing these at night, and in the panoramic format. Although I’ve been working now, for a while in this format, which has a ratio of 3 to 1, almost identical to our natural vision, certain obstacles still had to be overcome. The choice of film, shooting at long exposures (up till 10 minutes) meant the use of a sturdy tripod, dealing with flair, caused by excessive light entering the lens mainly off street or flood lights was one of my biggest concerns. Even trying to avoid the odd security guard gave rise to some light-hearted moments, especially around the Métro, which without the help of Linda, would have scupperd some of the shots. Shooting at night didn’t pose to many problems, especially with regard to people moving in and out of the scene, as they are rendered timeless due to the length of the exposure. Perhaps the greatest challenge posed was the locations and composition, you might be thinking that its near impossible not to stumble upon them at every turn, but having seen so many images of Paris before, my personal goal was to offer you the viewer, a series of photographs both evocative and stimulating which portrays Paris through the night, but also through a different pair of eyes. Mine!
You will see as you proceed through this book, how I’ve tried to vary my approach, with numerous images shot on a perverse angle. You are encouraged to view several of the images by rotating the book around its horizontal plain, these obscure angles are meant to challenge the Viewers perception, inviting you to participate into the comprehension of my thoughts, as well as the more traditional approach to viewing these photographs.

The book is scheduled for nationwide release on the 17th October. It will be available to purchase on the website as well.