Escalier de la Butte Montmatre

by Oscar
(Ipswich, UK)

I was in Paris two weeks ago and late in the afternoon happened on the steps going up to Montmatre. I remembered seeing Brassai had taken a photo from the top of the steps in 1937. I took a picture and was amazed to see how little had changed. Brassai's photograph is of course superior to mine and he had taken a vantage point which I took unconsciously, because that is how I came to view the steps. Brassai has for me imprinted and made permanent a lot of the street scenes of Paris that still remain intact. He also taught us patience, to wait, to wait, to wait till the right moment comes along. He must have had a lot of patience and endurance to take those photos of Paris by night. His habit of exposing two or three frames carefully is so much superior to shooting a lot of digital shots and not knowing if any of them is any good. I enclose the escalier shot by Brassai and mine next just to show how little has changed and the third shot of a street scene by night must be my all time favourite by this great photographer.

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Thank you for sharing your image and thoughts with us. And how true are Brassai words :
"There are many photographs which are full of life but which are confusing and difficult to remember. It is the force of an image which matters."

Gianfranco
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