Reasons to love Paris are hundredfold… Reasons to love Paris when you’re involved in photography are thousandfold. Especially in November, which became the Month of Photography in 1980, a time when the capital pays special tribute to the full spectrum of photography from vintage to modern, through prominent fairs, salons and events. One of the world’s largest fairs, Paris Photo, prides itself on continuing to attract la crème de la crème in terms of buyers and art collectors on its 23rd edition.

Paris has been radiating an aura for centuries, on a commercial, intellectual and artistic level, and keeps renewing its attraction on the world, constantly gathering people in its heart.  And since Paris is so dear to our hearts, it was natural to make it the theme of this first edition. In this regard, we offer you in the News column an overview of current art residencies and sponsorship initiatives in the Greater Paris to keep the discussion going on modern-day art and creative processes, as well as how to better integrate the visual content market afterwards. Dive into the world of photographer Yasuhiro Ogawa and the Impressionists in Hitting the Bullseye which looks back like a mise en abyme at Japan’s and France’s (epitomized by Paris) mutual fascination.As we are soon to enter the year of the Metal Rat in Chinese Zodiac, a sign characterized by patience, resilience and the duty to fight for their rights, we see Paris working its magic like a true magnet for minded individuals with an iron will to succeed and thrive. Likewise, seven brave foreign photographers tell their stories in Talent Talking on how and why they settled in Paris to pursue a career in photography.

Looking towards the future comes out as a quality inherent to Parisians, both native and adopted, and that’s the spirit we wish upon our society. And since living with our time is instrumental to success, we dedicated the Campus column to adaptation and renewal based on today’s evolving business model, implying a bigger role for technology. If past generations were driven by production, the new one is driven by consumption and the concerns, notably those stemming from global warming, weighting upon it. Working more efficiently, using fewer resources, and for the benefit of the end user is the trend we’re moving towards. For photographers, it can translate as using platforms and digital solutions to streamline their workflow. 

Adaptability is not the preserve of youth, we believe everyone is concerned. On emerging technologies, we see increasing numbers of adopters over sixty, we see elders wishing to connect with their relatives, and older entrepreneurs opening up Instagram accounts to keep up with the competition. Changing our ways doesn’t come easy (especially for older generations) but may prove beneficial in that we can now access a larger audience regardless of our starting position.

Three Parisian talents showcase their work in Spotted On Instagram with a fresh perspective on city gazing. You can take the Parisian out of Paris, but can you take Paris out of the Parisian? We will let you be the judge of that.

Happy exploring!

Valerie Hersleven
Ooshot Magazine Founder