Paris Street Scenes Feed Curiosity

The Paris Vignettes series features the inspired work of street photographer William “Bill” O’Such in themed installments. 

In my Paris wanderings, I’ve been struck by the theme of curiosity. Stories unfold, narratives are waiting to be told. Street photography taps into the curiosity that these scenes spark, also feeding our creativity. Here are a few such inquisitive moments: Walking into a restaurant with a good friend, we noticed someone painting the interior of a store (“un peintre”). Framed beautifully by the window, he smiled, focused on his work while also glancing at us. Or sometimes what’s inside a store captures everyone’s attention (“vachement intéressante”), like a pop-up clothing store in Le Marais.

Timing is everything in street photography: a door opens (“j’aime ta femme”), making you wonder if the person even noticed the sign you had just seen. Or someone peers into another person’s bag late at night in front of an upscale boutique (“c’est Dior ou”).

What runs through someone’s mind as they touch a towering tree in the Jardin des Plantes (“je sens bien”)? Or as they peer inside a bustling restaurant (“dispo”)? Is there a friend waiting? Or are they searching for an open table? What is the topic of a heated debate (“pas vrai”)? Or the focus of their interest in today’s news (“on lit”)?

All these moments spark curiosity, yet as you continue on, the answers remain elusive, leaving only a lingering sense of wonder of what was really happening (“bien vu”).