Happy Halloween
These friendly fellows by Olaf Breuning & Bernhard Willham are part of  an exhibit  at the Conciergerie focused on art from 1959 -2009, but they just seem appropriate for today...!

SALONS, SALONS, SALONS


Well fueled on "chocolat" (see previous post below) I headed to Salon de la Photo running concurrently with Salon du Chocolate at Port de Versailles, Paris' big trade show venue, but couldn't pull myself away to yet a third show on home furnishings and gadgets!




Opportunities galore...
For checking out all the latest photo gear - some not even released yet!

Or to have your digital sensor professionally cleaned...

Or to take pictures with that new camera your thinking about buying...

Salon du Chocolat


Whether you want to taste it, bake it, drink it, wear it, buy it, or just admire it, this is the place!

FOOLED


After a hard rain had been swept away by chilling winds, I loaded up my tripod and other gear for what promised to be a colorful and dramatic sunset shoot from Pont des Arts over the Seine.  Just as I locked my Velib and started setting up, dark clouds rolled in to obscure the beautiful light I was chasing...

 But, as usual, Paris had something else to offer.  As we approached the St. Paul Metro we heard the distinctive, lively sounds of a brass band playing....

Don't be fooled by the "TEXAS" sign, these kids were pure French!

Sparks Are Flying


Not 100 paces around the corner from the pampered pooches we encountered workmen repairing pipes.  Sparks were flying as we strolled by.  Seeing what I was doing,  the workmen offered to fire up their laser welding device just so I could get additional pics.  Who says the French aren't friendly!

CINEMA CHIENS 

For years now John has urged me to photograph the varied, ubiquitous dogs of Paris.  So today as we were walking back from lunch he was delighted to spot a pack of canines.  These were certainly not wild dogs, au contraire, these pampered pooches were well trained movie actors being filmed in front of Cathédrale de Notre-Dame des Victoires along with actresses in a variety of fur coats.  

I am always amazed by the casual attitude here... When I asked if I could photograph the hounds, their handler not only agreed, but instructed them to LOOK at me...

The cast and crew seemed to welcome the gawkers strolling through the set as they made their calculations and wardrobe changes....

Paris - always a surprise around the corner....

THE EYES HAVE IT...
These large mysterious eyes started to appear along the quai of Ile St. Louis at the end of September 

and continued across several bridges

These, along with other images were installed for Nuit Blanche, an annual all night festival with venues spread around the city.  

Be sure to note the people on the quai and the bridge to get a sense of the enormity of these images.  Up close, the image itself disappears as the texture of the subject and the stone walls takes over.


This is all part of a much larger project called Women Are Heroes - check it out and watch the videos, particularly the extract for the upcoming movie and the one posted Oct. 8th which shows the mural being applied... It's worth a few minutes!

Chartres


An easy day trip from Paris

Not to be - missed a lecture (1 1/4 hour) by  Malcom Miller,  a charming, humorous scholar!

And a walk through the town with its half timbered houses...

TUILERIES GARDENS

The classical sculptures of the Tuileries garden often shares space with temporary installations of more contemporary works.  This happy fellow, the work of sculptor Ugo Rondinone, is part of his Cycle of the Seasons. 

    

Perhaps he's just enjoying a sunny day and these sailboats with their new sails...