From the Inside Flap

Paris is the City of Light, love, and savoir vivre. And this world-class capital is surely one of the planet s most photographed destinations, whether by tourists snapping a quick souvenir shot or professionals with high-end cameras. The brief preview we provide here shows how special this city really is. Paris has never been showcased as impressively, meaningfully, or dramatically as it is by the French photographer Serge Ramelli. His vision of the city like all of his images is unmistakably inspired by cinema. In addition to his second passion, filmmaking (which he does when he s not taking pictures), he is also fascinated by the films of Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Ridley Scott. Ramelli s interpretation of the bustling metropolis of Paris is at once impressive and fabulous. Pulsing with life both day and night, the city appears nearly devoid of people a heavily symbolic place with many facets to explore, shining with an inimitable light.

From the Back Cover

Paris is the City of Light, love, and savoir vivre. And this world-class capital is surely one of the planet s most photographed destinations, whether by tourists snapping a quick souvenir shot or professionals with high-end cameras. The brief preview we provide here shows how special this city really is. Paris has never been showcased as impressively, meaningfully, or dramatically as it is by the French photographer Serge Ramelli. His vision of the city like all of his images is unmistakably inspired by cinema. In addition to his second passion, filmmaking (which he does when he s not taking pictures), he is also fascinated by the films of Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Ridley Scott. Ramelli s interpretation of the bustling metropolis of Paris is at once impressive and fabulous. Pulsing with life both day and night, the city appears nearly devoid of people a heavily symbolic place with many facets to explore, shining with an inimitable light.

About the Author

Serge Ramelli s'inscrit dans la longue tradition des photographes arpenteurs, société intimiste dont Eugène Atget fut certainement le grand fondateur. Ramelli parcourt la ville, appareil en bandoulière, à l'affût des lumières et des scènes de rue opportunes. Mais dans ses images parisiennes, il évacue la dimension documentaire traditionnellement associée à la street photography. La figure humaine en est ainsi totalement absente. Exit également cette — déjà vieille — volonté de rendre surréaliste le banal, le quotidien, volonté souvent exprimée par l'usage du cadrage resserré ou du zoom. Les angles de prise de vue sont élargis, les formats s'agrandissent, et surtout, la retouche vient «cuisiner» le «cru» de la captation originelle. Bien que citadins, les sujets semblent être photographiés avec une distance similaire à celle de la photographie aérienne. L'image respire.