Pere Lachaise Statues

Pere Lachaise Cemetery is one of the most famous cemeteries in the world. It's romantic and gothic and peaceful (when you can get away from all the other tourists). There are over 100 acres of tree-lined, cobblestoned paths that weave through nineteenth century tombs. Almost every sculpture and monument seems to be trying to outdo the others around it in ostentation. We wandered around for hours, both humming The Smiths' Cemetery Gates the whole time. For this week's post I'm focusing on some of my favorite statues there.

 A dreaded sunny day
So I meet you at the cemetery gates
Keats and Yeats are on your side
While Wilde is on mine...

 

Header shoot

I thought I'd break up the Paris posts with the shoot I did for my long overdue blog header. These were my top 3 choices. I opted for the first, obviously (even though I really like the way the lens looks on the third). So what do you think, did I make the right choice?

Marche aux fleurs

Just blocks away from Notre Dame in Ile de la Cite is the Flower Market. The last of its kind in Paris. It was like a little oasis in the city when we were there. No tourists, no lines, just beautiful colors and smells surrounding us as we strolled through.

Notre Dame's Gargoyles

I cannot begin to tell you how long I have wanted to photograph the famous gargoyles atop Notre Dame. These gargoyles  – half man, half beast – have presided over Paris since the medieval era. They have frightened away evil spirits and carried rain from the roof of Notre Dame's Cathedral for over 700 years.

Can you imagine 700 years? The Black Death, the Hundred Years War, the French Revolution, the Rise of Napoleon, the Impressionists working on the banks of the Seine, the Industrial Revolution, the impact of two World Wars... All these events and many more have come to pass under the gargoyles' watch.

To them, whole generations pass in the blink of a stony eye. I'm a gothic romantic at heart and I felt these guys deserved a vintage look. It's sort of my homage to my elders.

Bonjour Pari!

We have returned from Paris - city of lights, city of love, city of romance. Call it what you will, but you cannot deny that this city's soul is infectious. It's a place where time slows down and worries seem to disappear. To borrow a quote from Ms. Hepburn, "Paris isn't for changing planes, it's for changing your outlook! For throwing open the windows and letting in... letting in la vie en rose."

I now understand what Hemingway meant when he called Paris a moveable feast. I love this city. Every bit as much as I thought I would. And I know that it will stay with me, wherever I go for the rest of my life.

I quite literally took THOUSANDS of pictures. Chances are good that all the blog updates for the rest of the year may be of Paris. I could think of worse things. Besides, Paris is always a good idea!

 

Through the Looking-Glass, and What Christy Found There - Part II

This is the Part II of the shoot I did where I was playing off the whole Looking-Glass/Wonderland theme. I had three concepts in mind for the header of this blog. The first one, this one, and the still-yet to-be-revealed header. Although these don't work for my header idea, I still had fun with them. The middle one is my favorite. It reminds me of the disappearing cheshire cat. How cool would it be to appear and disappear at will?

 

Lake Greenwood in August

This is part 3 of the 4-part series I've been working on this year that documents (in HDR) the changing seasons reflected in the Lake Greenwood landscape. Part 3 is Summer. Take a look at Spring and Winter. In another 3 months, after I shoot Fall, I'll showcase all four images in one tetraptych. Although, I may need to revisit Spring. It's really not a very good image. Maybe I was uninspired that day. 

Lake Greenwood in August ~ HDR (5 shots - 2 up, 2 down)