Paris vue depuis les toits, by Alain Cornu

'Paris vue depuis les toits', translates to 'Paris, as seen from the rooftops'... These majestic photographs are the work of French photographer Alain Cornu. I recently stumbled across his work, as well as an interview with the photographer, on the Vivre Paris website. It's no secret that I am taken aback by all that is Paris. And, I mean,  'literally' taken aback, to when I used to live in this magical city. But one can live in Paris all their life and never attain this secret glimpse of night-time rooftops that Cornu has captured...

My favourite shot is the one just above, with the Sacre Coeur. When I look at this image I just think 'home', because for almost four years of my six spent in Paris I lived just behind this breathtaking church. Beyond my emotional little link, however, the image is nevertheless excellent in its composition. It captures the grandeur of the Sacre Coeur in the background, all while bringing to light the notorious bargain den that is Tati, in all its neon glory. Moreover, I see at least four different stages of life that Cornu has captured, giving this image all that much more depth for the viewer to escape into; the street, the metro line above the street, the high windows of the Tati store, and then the Sacre Coeur in the heavens...   

If you dabble in French, there is a really good interview with the photographer on Vivre Paris. He talks of how he gets access to the rooftops via friends, and friends of friends, because it is really difficult to attain access through official channels, especially during the night. He explains that he chose to capture Paris from its rooftops because he has always loved the mountain, and the relation to being at a height gives him an aspect of danger as well as goose-bumps. He is also asked which is his favourite monument in Paris, to which he responds that it is the Sacre Ceour. While it appears to him as a grandiose cake at first glance, look at it longer and it turns into a beautiful Indian palace... 

Source - vivre paris

Images - vivre paris

Photography - alain cornu 

Related Nest of Pearls post - The sheer magic of Parisian rooftops, by Michael Wolf 

European theatres photographed from the stage, by Klaus Frahm

We never really think about just how much work goes into a large theatrical production, and these behind-the-scene photos reveal a world that we don't usually consider. It is the world behind the stage, the world we don't see as spectator while being entertained.

Hamburg-based photographer Klaus Frahm is the creative eye behind these images, which are part of his series titled The Fourth Wall. Taking photos of European theatres from the stage towards the spectators, he opens up a secret door and let's us peek into the magic of what is behind the scenes. The juxtaposition of the ornate and opulent theatre seating area in contrast to the stage is quite dramatic. The lit-up theatres seem to create an image within an image, framed by the dark, high-ceilinged and dominating warehouse-like back-stage. These massive spaces can be up to three times bigger than the theatre itself, and appear quite cold, with scaffolding, electrical equipment, and props...

Despite a certain coldness and emptiness of the back-stage, I do like the notion of the unveiling of a certain magic, a secret space not usually shared with the viewer. And not only does Frahm's work divulge back-stage secrets, it actually turns the notion of 'stage' on its head. In his photos, the spectators become the centre-stage, while the back-stage is the viewer.

Source - thisiscolossal.com

Images - thisiscolossal.com

Photography - klaus frahm

Related Nest of Pearls post - The softest of beauties, by Peter Gentenaar

Vivacious photography by Metz + Racine

How crazy cool are these photos from the photography team Barbara Metz and Eve Racine! Working under the professional industry name Metz + Racine, the two women founded their eponymous photographic studio in 2000, and to date have enjoyed great success, having worked for clients such as Hermès, Krug and Chanel. Their photography is simply fun, vibrant, refreshing, and so rich with detail.

Metz + Racine are very well known for their 'not-so-still' still-lifes, as well as their love for colour, art, storytelling, food and fashion. Their pictures are attention-grabbingly fantastical yet classical, all at the same time. On their website, their work is described as the type that 'brings a welcome sense of puckishness to the sometimes stark and masculine world of still-life photography. In a Metz + Racine photograph, intimate objects are brought gloriously to life.'

Of their many sleek and colourfully sophisticated projects of work, I've here selected three Metz + Racine editorials to share; De Chirico for Casa Da Abitare, Acrobazie for Case Da Abitare Extra Soft for Corriere Della Sera Living.

Source - metzracine.com

Images - metzracine.com

Related Nest of Pearls post - Rainy Sunday colour whiz-bang fun, by André Britz

Captivating Paris Reflections by Joanna Lemanska

Joanna Lemanska uses puddles as a tool of art. Unlike the more typical tourist photos of Paris, that all seem to have been taken from the same vantage points, Lemanska's photography captivates the viewer and presents them with a Paris we haven't quite seen before.

Using a central, horizontal line in her photography, Lemanska takes us into what appears to be an abstract world of the city that we know. There is quite a distinct play on our perception of what we see to be reality within the shot, and what we see to be a test on our senses. In the original article where I initially came across this story, there was a phrase that I really loved; 'Her mirrored images create serene moments of time, so her images look more like futuristic dreamscapes than a bustling tourist hub'. I feel this is quite a good observation, as some of the shots that I've included in this post I find are not too dissimilar from scenes out of Kubrick's 2001: Space Odyssey.

Personally, I easily lose myself in these photos... In addition to seeing photography of a city that I love, I also enjoy delving into the world of the reflection, analysing how things are the same but not quite the same, finding the gentle blur that the reflection gives to both colour and light... but most of all I get a real kick out of finding the geometric shapes that live on that fine line where reality meets reflection...

Source - huffingtonpost.com

Images - huffingtonpost.com & tuxboard.com