#CelineB&W

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Sunday Black & White - taking a moment to appreciate art.

I always offer to take picture for people when I'm out and about in town, especially when I see them struggle taking a selfie and having the background in the photo. People always appreciate it.

It's interesting how people were more inclined to ask passerby to take their photos before mobile phone and "selfies". You would give your camera and hope that they would take an in-focus photo of you and the background and you would only find out the outcome once you have developed the film.

I also like to take candid pictures of people (often from their back) and show them. I have airdropped a lot of those photos to the subject.

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Sunday Black & White - Bord de Seine

There’s walking along the Seine and there’s walking along the Quai.

You technically would see the same Paris landscape but being closer to the water there is something different. The people are different, the pace is different.

We have parks where we can gather on the grass and it would me more comfortable. But there is something about meeting along the Seine watching Péniches full of tourists passing by while talking about everything… or nothing.

I like walking along the Seine when I go places. I like walking along the Quai when I want to flâner (wander without a purpose)

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Sunday Black & White. Olympic Game Edition.

The Olympic Flame will burn for the duration of the Olympic Games in the Jardin des Tuileries, near the Louvre.

Created by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, the Olympic cauldron is a giant ring of flames* topped by a gigantic balloon. It took to the skies on Friday, after being lit by Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner [In keeping with the spirit of the Games, which are intended to be the most gender-balanced in history] . At a height of 30 m, the cauldron will soar 60 m above the ground every evening, from sunset until 2am.

*A 100% electric flame made of water and light, with no fuel. For the first time in the history of the Games, the Olympic Flame will shine without fuel, thanks to EDF, Premium Partner of Paris 2024. A meticulous combination of a cloud of mist and beams of light, the Olympic Flame will flicker with electricity as its sole energy source. As part of its partnership with Paris 2024, EDF supplies 100% renewable electricity produced in France to power the Games venues, of which the Vasque is now a part.

Visible and warm, this Flame is also a technical feat. The ring-flame is almost 7 metres in diameter, and incorporates 40 LED spotlights to illuminate the cloud created by 200 high-pressure misting nozzles. Above all, EDF has succeeded in guaranteeing the flow of electricity and water 60 meters above the ground, when the Vasque is in flight.

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Sunday Black & White - A good book and a good place.

Sometimes it’s all you need to have a good time.

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Sunday Black & White - Les amoureux des bancs publics*

“S’étonner Est Un Des Plus Sûrs Moyen De Ne Pas Vieillir Trop Vite” Be Surprised is one of the surest ways to avoid aging too quickly.

September and early Fall is probably my favorite month/season, the craziness of the summer is over, people are back in their pre vacation rhythm, the temperature have cool down but it’s not quite cold yet. It’s sweater weather -for the SNL fans ;-) a light jacket and a scarf and you are set for the fluctuation of the temperature. You can feel the warmth of the sun not its burn. It’s the period friends catch up at cafe or in parks after the summer break and before everyone hibernates for the winter and resurfaces in the spring.

*it’s very rare that a French quote comes to me when I post but this line from an old song by Georges Brassens fit perfectly.

Les amoureux qui s'bécotent sur les bancs publics (Lovers snogging on public benches) Bancs publics, bancs publics (Public benches, public benches) En s'foutant pas mal du regard oblique des passants honnêtes (Not giving a damn about the oblique gaze of honest passers-by) Les amoureux qui s'bécotent sur les bancs publics (Lovers snogging on park benches) Bancs publics, bancs publics (Public benches, public benches) En s'disant des "je t'aime" pathétiques (Saying pathetic “I love you's” to each other) Ont des petites gueules bien sympathiques (Have nice little faces)

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Sunday Black & White - Barely perceptible.

That time in between. Not summer anymore but not quite falls... yet you can feel it in the shadows

I love Musee d'Orsay. I especially love the building. When I walk along the Seine river I always make my route pass by. The arts collection is impressive, the exhibitions always on point but I never go in without gasping at the infrastructure. From a railway station that was supposed to be demolished because not in used and too small for the time to an amazing backdrop to art pieces.

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Sunday Black & White. Shadow & Depth

I love this time of year when the sun is low on the horizon and you get those amazing shadows.

Combine with the effervescence of the Quai de Seine, if you are patient enough you get this multi layers photo.

Side note: if I was photographing with my camera I would most likely shoot in burst mode to get the perfect frame. I always have my eyes checking what’s going on around and waiting for THE moment. Since I shoot with my iPhone I take a lot of photos in succession but I also have my setting on Live Photo so I can pick the best frame.

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Sunday Black & White - New York Edition - Metro conductors.

While advances in automation allow most transit systems to use one person train operation (OPTO), a few, such as the New York City Subway, Toronto Transit Commission and Sydney Trains continue to employ conductors.

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Sunday Black & White… it looks simple. It needed a lot of simple explanations to create the vision.

It’s not easy being the subject and the creator.

Show and tell… But in some situations, the color version is better.

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Sunday Black & White - Non digital fun

It's school vacation in France and the weather gods have been nice to the parents and grandparents who are taking care of the kiddos as the weather has been gorgeous (mostly). Walking thru the different gardens of the city you will find those little boats and kids running around the fountain to push their sailboat with a sick.

There is still some pocket in town of simple pleasures

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Sunday Black & White

You are telling me it’s Monday again tomorrow* and it’s already June.

Where does the time fly?

* says the girl who doesn’t have to go to work 😉

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Sunday Black & White. This is not a Black & White photo.

The season were you don’t need to desaturate your photos to make them (appear) monochrome.

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Sunday Black & White - I’ll stay by your side.

Still Life is called Nature Morte in French (literally “Dead Nature”…we don’t sugar coat things in French 😉).

The weird pre season when there are still leaves on the trees, not green anymore but not quite autumnal either, yet because it’s raining so much the leaves fall before their time.

Or I don’t have any other Black & White picture to post for my series 😂

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Sunday Black & White - Reading a physical newspaper

Paris has a strong cafe culture. We like to sit down to enjoy our cafe, people watching, catching up with friends or just by ourselves reading while the passerby are zooming by on their daily life.

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Sunday Black & White - Arcade at Palais Royal

Black & White on Black & White. Squares on Lines.

NB: photographers must be the most patient people because we can wait minutes (in some circumstances hours) until we get our shot. She was filming but people kept on walking in her shot and I was waiting for her to be centered and also without people in the background. But with patience we both got what we wanted.

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Sunday Black & White. New York Edition - Grand Station details.

First you see the historic monument, then you see the details.

You know you’re a New Yorker when you’ve told a friend to “meet me at the clock”! (~ From the Grand Station website)