Around the World in Analogue: Paris in Black & White

Ah, Paris. The City of Love. For community member Jessica (@jess_spd_), it represents so much more. The city has transformed her, and she has these black & white photographs as a remembrance. Here is her story.

Name: Jessica
LomoHome: @jess_spd_
Social Media: jess_spd
Camera: Lomo LC-A
Film: Lomography Earl Grey B&W 35 mm ISO 100
Location: Paris, France

I think it was around 2012 or so when I was doing a post-diploma course. I had just completed my high school diploma: a diploma in Photographic Image Technician. Being passionate about analogue photography (my first shot on film was so long ago that I don't remember it exactly. I must have been about 4 years old and I was playing with my Dad's Yashica, under close surveillance for fear of breaking it), and honestly, I didn't see my future as a photographer since everything was digital in the working world. To think that I was doing very badly in digital subjects (like modifications with Photoshop etc.), but very well in photographic techniques where they made us develop rolls and print them later. I also remember that the professors gave me a lot of expired films (35 mm and 120) and they were thrilled when I showed them my shots.

But let's get back to the story, where I remained in the post-diploma course as a Marketing Officer. Only 10 people who attended this course would have had the opportunity to go to Paris to do an internship, with room and board but without pay. What better occasion for a nice black & white film to capture the best of the city? I decided to pack a camera that could always be carried with me, but that would give me the opportunity to experiment. What other choice if not the legendary Lomo LC-A? In the few hours I had available every day (French school in the morning and an internship in the afternoon) I ran to every corner of Paris to take monuments, streets and cemeteries. At that time I understood that analogue photography was part of me, of my being.

The rides to see the Eiffel Tower were always sold out and the tickets were too expensive. So I just had to enjoy it from below, together with its neighborhood.

The Louvre museum to see that mythical stamp of the Mona Lisa was all sold out, but it gave me great backlights that I never imagined. My favorite shot was the one where the light created a design that almost looks like the image of a heart. A heart on Paris!

Finally, a stop at one of the most famous cemeteries in the world could not be missed: Pere Lachaise. Some might think it's a bit macabre, but they give me infinite peace. Only silence and the noises of the birds. I almost forgot that I was in the center of one of the most beautiful cities in the world!

I should come to a conclusion, but it's not easy... This journey helped me grow, both as a person and as a photographer. I discovered the beauty and elegance of black & white, which knows how to express stories of ourselves and our surroundings without being intrusive. She enters on tiptoes but pierces the heart.

Want to take us Around the World in Analogue? Drop a line to sunshine.reyes@lomography.com with the subject Around the World in Analogue and share your unforgettable travels with the rest of the community! Read the guidelines here.

2022-06-30 #gear #people #places #around-the-world #black-and-white #b-w #paris #france #louvre #champs-elysees #around-the-world-in-analogue