The next in our interview series, exclusively for 56Paris blog readers, is about the fascinating subject of Paris photography.
We meet American photographer Bill O’Such, whose street photography offers candid snaps of Parisian life and a beautiful glimpse into life in the French capital.
About Bill and his love of Paris
You could say photography is in Bill’s blood – his father first introduced him to the artform when he was a boy. He grew up surrounded by cameras, and they even had a darkroom at home.
After his education, Bill went to work for Eastman Kodak as a photographic engineer, where he was able to hone his skills and learn the art of professional photography.
Bill first came to Paris in 1982, bringing his first SLR, a Canon AE-1, with him. This soon developed into a passion for Paris.
Over a decade after this first visit, he became a Kodak expatriate in Paris, living and working here from 1995 to 1999. Before returning to the USA, Bill and his future wife bought an apartment in the Marais district.
He returns to Paris at least twice a year, always finding something new to capture. His love for our city is just as strong as it was over 40 years ago.
From New York to Paris
56Paris: Hello Bill, it’s lovely to meet you! Can you start by telling us what is your favorite subject to photograph in Paris?
Bill: When I first lived in Paris and was working for Kodak, I was mostly photographing ‘scenic’ Paris.
But on a return visit to the city in 2010, I went to an exhibit of Willy Ronis at the Musée de la Monnaie. It inspired me to venture into the world of street photography, capturing those ephemeral moments that tell a story.
From the exhibit, there was a quote by French photographer Willy Ronis that captures that inspiration – “J’aime saisir ces brefs moments de hasard, où j’ai l’impression qu’il se passe quelque chose, sans savoir quoi précisément…”
In English, that’s “I like to capture these brief moments of chance, where I have the impression that something is happening, without knowing what exactly, and this something disturbs me a lot…”
56Paris: Is photography your profession, or a passion?
Bill: Good question! My first job out of college was working for Kodak in Rochester, New York as an engineer. I ended up developing technology and algorithms – things later incorporated into early digital cameras.
At Kodak, I had free film and developing along with photographic courses, so always had it as a passion and profession but more from the engineering side.
After leaving Kodak and eventually seeing the Willy Ronis (and many other exhibits), that passion blossomed though I was still working in technology. During the last couple of years, I’ve been turning the page towards a new chapter starting with my website.
I still haven’t found the secret to accelerate this new chapter as there are lots of people taking photos of Paris. Maybe one day I’ll have a photo exhibit in Paris, that’s my dream!
Wandering the neighborhoods
56Paris: How long have you been capturing images of Paris?
Bill: My first vignettes of Paris were back in the 80s when I organized a Huggers ski club trip to Verbier, and we passed through Paris for a few days.
Then I had a big gap until I went on an expat assignment for Kodak from 1995-1999, managing a wonderful group of software developers.
Now every couple of months I spend 5-6 weeks in Paris wandering through neighborhoods capturing everyday life and practicing my French.
56Paris: Do you prefer to portray Paris in color or in black and white?
Bill: I always shoot raw and when I get home after a day of being a photo-flâneur (wandering photographer) I delete probably 90% of the photos. Then I look at the remaining ones and determine whether color is important to the story. If not, they become black and white.
Overall, my favorite is black and white, but there are moments where color is critical to the story.
The ‘Shoes of Paris’ project
56Paris: Do you photograph other cities, and how does that differ from photographing Paris?
Bill: I live most of the year in San Francisco, though in the upcoming years I hope to get that to be 50/50 Paris/San Francisco. As a result, I have a number of photos from San Francisco and California in general.
I’ve also visited Moscow, St Petersburg, London, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Sydney, Tasmania, New York and many other major cities trying to capture street photos.
I think the big differences among the cities are the ‘stories’ seem to be different, but also there is a combination of differences in culture and surprisingly, clothing.
One theme that I’ve been working on recently is ‘Shoes of Paris’ which are photos of shoes as people walk through the streets. I recently started doing the same thing in San Francisco and there is clearly a different distribution of shoe styles between the two cities!
56Paris: Where do you draw the most inspiration from?
Bill: I’ve gone to a number of photographic exhibits of street photography in Paris beyond Willy Ronis including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Atgert, Brassaï, Elliott Erwitt, Eugène Atget, Garry Winogrand and Robert Doisneau. I’ve also taken courses with photographers such as Valerie Jardin.
Each of those events plants a seed in my head that eventually blossoms as I take pictures. However, the best inspiration is just random wandering and suddenly seeing a story and capturing it as it unfolds in front of you, and just as quickly disappears.
Living and working in Paris
56Paris: Where do you live in Paris? And how did you find your property?
Bill: Our home in Paris is in Le Marais, close to the Foundation de Henri Cartier-Bresson. We love this vibrant area with its wonderful museums, shops, restaurants, brasseries and cultural history.
After my Kodak assignment ended, I had met my future wife a few years earlier, and we decided to purchase an apartment given my love for Paris and the French language.
I left first and she stayed in Paris visiting dozens of agencies on her own. She saw over 40 apartments during six months before finally settling on one!
It was a ton of work and we wish we’d had an agency like 56Paris at that time to maneuver us through the process.
After the purchase, we did a six-month renovation and then did a second one a few years ago, thanks to our wonderful neighbor who is also an architect.
56Paris: What is your favorite arrondissement (district), and why?
Bill: That’s a very, very hard question! It really depends for what.
I know Le Marais by heart and yet I still discover new things in the area despite being there for 26 years.
Belleville in the 20th district is excellent for street photography as there are lots of interesting and original things happening every day.
I discovered one of my new favorites by taking a walk with a local guide from Greeters Paris, which I highly recommend. That area is Batignolles in the 17th.
If I had to pick three areas, I’d say Le Marais, Belleville and along the Seine.
56Paris: If you could live on any street in Paris, where would it be?
Bill: Similar to the last question, it’s almost impossible to answer as many streets have a unique, compelling charm. But if I had to pick two streets they would Place Furstemberg in the 6th and Rue de Sevigné in the Marais.
The worldwide appeal of the French capital
56Paris: Why do you think Paris has such an allure for people from all over the world?
Bill: It’s really a combination of three things – culture, beauty and food.
56Paris: What is your favorite story about your time living here in Paris?
Bill: In 1997 I put a personal ad in the FUSAC magazine and received an overwhelming response.
This was the era where someone replied to an add by writing a handwritten letter, placing it in the mail addressed to a PO Box, that was later delivered to your physical mailbox.
It was amazing to receive almost 80 handwritten letters, and then meeting a lot of interesting people.
Since then, I have many great stories, including getting to know many French people who are now wonderful friends.
Inspired by Bill’s Paris photography?
We’re sure you’re just as inspired by Bill’s remarkable Paris photographs as we are. Find more of his work on his website, where you can also purchase high quality prints.
If you’re thinking about living the Parisian lifestyle, perhaps by owning or renting a second home, we’re here to help.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch – we’re local property experts – who have been helping people from all over the world find their perfect apartment here.
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