Portraits from Paris

Ingrid

You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you.

                                                                                    —Frederick Buechner

The above words describe exactly how I feel about Paris, the rest of France, French life and my many friends and contacts overseas that I first came to know quite some time ago.  Those words also refer to my sentiments toward my ex-husband, Stéphane.  I feel very blessed that we’ve been able to hold each other so dear even though it has now been many years that we’ve been apart.  We were in touch last week by e-mail and I learned that he just launched his new Web site.  He’s a photographer in Paris and I invite you to take a look at some stunning shots of movers and shakers and just ordinary folks in France and beyond that he has captured in portraiture.  (I was even thrilled to see that he included some images from a shoot he did at Clemente Latham, my father’s former company, many years ago.)  If you possess an elevated sense of aesthetics, you must take a peek.  Lovers of Avedon, Snowdon and Leibovitz will not be disappointed.

Stéphane de Bourgies, www.bourgies.com

Jean-Pierre Pont, Journalist

Oh, and since Steph has always been well informed about the world of French music (he has photographed many French singers over the years), I asked him who is currently hot in France right now.  He provided me with the names and links of three young French singers that are just smokin’!  Click on the below to take a listen.  And don’t be surprised if you hear a little English.  C’est normal.

Christophe Maé, www.christophe-mae.com

Christophe Willem, www.christophe-willem.com

Mika, www.mika.fr

Deezer, www.deezer.com; this might be the best site to go to to listen to free music from all over the world.  Check out Christophe Willem’s song Double Jeu (version remix) to hear one of France’s current hits.