Known as 'the city of light', Paris is one of the most widely visited cities on earth. It's architecture is famed the world over and this is coupled with it's reputation for fine dining and romance. Like most things the reality can be a little different. I recently became aware of a medical condition called 'Paris Syndrome' which seems to particularly affect people from Japan - arriving in Paris Japanese visitors are so shocked to find that the harsh reality of Paris is so completely different from the magical image they had been led to believe that they have a sort of nervous breakdown ending with their embassy having to take charge to repatriate them back to their homeland.
I have spent a lot of time in Paris and when living there I tended to live in the, how shall I put it, less exclusive parts of the city. Of the many commissions I have carried out for magazines and guidebooks across the city there are areas I have never been asked to photograph. These parts of Paris, especially the 10th arrondissement, have largely been ignored and forgotten by both Parisians and guidebooks alike. I decided I wanted to get some images concerning this, showing the parts of Paris that others choose to ignore. Ironically these were the parts of the city I knew best, the image above was taken a few meters from the front door of my old flat on the Boulevard de Magenta between Gare du Nord and Gare de L'Est, having spent some time away from the area this far from uncommon sight now made quite an impact on me. The writing above the unfortunate soul in the shot also acted as a catalyst for me as it juxtaposed the reputation Paris has as a city of romance and the uncomfortable reality of life for some in the city.
Below are a few more shots on the theme, I'm in Paris regularly so this project I feel warrants being expanded upon.
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