02Pilot
Malcontent
This summer I traveled to France. The trip was planned long in advance, as these things are, but the timing of it was such that we arrived at our destination - Nice - less than a week after the Bastille Day terrorist attack. We never considered cancelling, but many others did; according to the locals we talked to, tourist numbers were way down, and the flight over was half empty. As the days passed, we did see more people - hopefully the downturn was short.
In any case, we set about our vacation. We purposely did not rent a car, preferring to stay mostly in and around Nice, using trains (and in one case, a boat) to get around when not on foot. We explored some of the neighborhoods, took day trips to Monaco and up into the mountains, and swam in the Mediterranean. We had a proper vacation, albeit one that ended a bit sooner than we would have liked, but that's not unusual.
Still, it was impossible to ignore the aftermath of the attack. Heightened police presence and soldiers patrolling the streets were unavoidable, as were the memorials, which were everywhere, large and small. Unsurprisingly, people were still on edge, and it showed - the street behind our hotel was evacuated for several hours for some reason, cordoned off by police for several blocks. We walked that street everyday, as we did the Promenade des Anglais. Our hotel was three blocks from where the attack began.
From a photographic standpoint, there was an added dimension to the subject matter at hand. Along with taking the usual sorts of photos that one might take in a place like the south of France, there was the need to document the immediate aftermath of the attack, both directly and indirectly. I had two Leica bodies with me: a IIIc with a Canon 28/2.8 and a IIIg with a Summitar 50/2; I also had a Canon 100/3.5 for occasional use. We shot a lot of pictures - 24 rolls for me, 17 of HP5+ and 7 of Portra 400. I'm still working on get them finished.
Here, then, are the first of my photos. They are grouped sort of geographically and temporally, but it's a loose organization. I'll get a few more batches up as time permits.
More to come....
In any case, we set about our vacation. We purposely did not rent a car, preferring to stay mostly in and around Nice, using trains (and in one case, a boat) to get around when not on foot. We explored some of the neighborhoods, took day trips to Monaco and up into the mountains, and swam in the Mediterranean. We had a proper vacation, albeit one that ended a bit sooner than we would have liked, but that's not unusual.
Still, it was impossible to ignore the aftermath of the attack. Heightened police presence and soldiers patrolling the streets were unavoidable, as were the memorials, which were everywhere, large and small. Unsurprisingly, people were still on edge, and it showed - the street behind our hotel was evacuated for several hours for some reason, cordoned off by police for several blocks. We walked that street everyday, as we did the Promenade des Anglais. Our hotel was three blocks from where the attack began.
From a photographic standpoint, there was an added dimension to the subject matter at hand. Along with taking the usual sorts of photos that one might take in a place like the south of France, there was the need to document the immediate aftermath of the attack, both directly and indirectly. I had two Leica bodies with me: a IIIc with a Canon 28/2.8 and a IIIg with a Summitar 50/2; I also had a Canon 100/3.5 for occasional use. We shot a lot of pictures - 24 rolls for me, 17 of HP5+ and 7 of Portra 400. I'm still working on get them finished.
Here, then, are the first of my photos. They are grouped sort of geographically and temporally, but it's a loose organization. I'll get a few more batches up as time permits.
More to come....
lynnb
Veteran
lovely! Looking forward to more in the series...
dwojr
Well-known
Nice pics and story.
jpa66
Jan as in "Jan and Dean"
Beautiful stuff! I especially like the third one (but they are all very well done).
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
Good examples where BW film triumphs. Harsh sun, deep shadows... beautiful pictures!
newspaperguy
Well-known
Thank you for sharing.
B&W rocks when done this well.
You have a very discerning 'eye'.
B&W rocks when done this well.
You have a very discerning 'eye'.
______
Well-known
The title of the post is sure sexier than "In the south of France with Minoltas".
raid
Dad Photographer
We were in Nice last summer, and our hotel was located across the small street from an Israeli consulate(?) or similar, and maybe this is the street that you wanted to take to walk towards the corniche.
I like your photos!
I like your photos!
02Pilot
Malcontent
Thanks for the kind words, folks. Glad you've enjoyed the photos thus far.
Michael Markey
Veteran
Add me to that list ... lovely shots indeed.
dougcee
Member
Very nice stuff 02!
Bingley
Veteran
Very nice work! Looking forward to seeing more. Thanks for posting.
DwF
Well-known
These are very nice! Thank you for sharing here.
David
David
MCTuomey
Veteran
beautiful indeed - thanks for taking the time to post
leica M2 fan
Veteran
Very nice shots, looking forward to seeing more of these.
daveleo
what?
Saw these on my cell phone and immediately came down and booted the computer for a better look.
Absolutely LOVE these pictures.
Absolutely LOVE these pictures.
Huss
Veteran
Really looking forward to seeing more!
lxmike
M2 fan.
very nice thanks for sharing, very cool
pepeguitarra
Well-known
The shots of Nice are nice!
The shots of Nice are nice!
Beautiful work. Great eye for composition. All are excellent, my favorites: 5 & 8.
Keep them coming.
The shots of Nice are nice!
Beautiful work. Great eye for composition. All are excellent, my favorites: 5 & 8.
Keep them coming.
02Pilot
Malcontent
You're all very kind. I really appreciate your comments. I should have the next set up over the weekend. Thanks for your patience and continued interest.