Regardez Les Regards: Looking at Parisian Looks

The Paris Vignettes series features the inspired work of street photographer William “Bill” O’Such in themed installments

When I took a Street Photography class in Strasbourg, Nijat focused on a the key principle of capturing a “look.” Whether directed at the photographer or at something else, this regard illustrates the interaction between people and their surroundings. It’s a challenge to do with every photo, but I’ve kept it in mind as I wander the streets of Paris.

Sometimes the regard is direct, such as the owner of a small home-museum in the Porte de Bagnolet area (“Bienvenue dans mon musée”) who happened to walk outside while I was there and invited us back after his shopping. Other times, it’s a well-dressed woman at a neighboring table starting a conversation (“Esprit de quartier”) or a furtive glance from a fellow photographer wandering past my lens (“L’œil vif et curieux”). There are moments of genuine connection, like the walk with Josselyn, a Paris Greeter, where we met a friend of her husband in a hidden neighborhood near the Place des Fêtes (“Un moment de partage”). Near Trocadéro, a unique bike-bar wheeled by (“Venez avec nous”) with riders welcoming us to join the fun, or a boulangerie worker offering a sample of their latest treats (“Voulez-vous les goûter ?”).

Other times, the regard is indirect: a gentleman on the steps of Trocadéro whose glance tells a silent story (“Sur les marches du Trocadéro”), two people wandering past a sign that seems to watch them as they watch each other (“Les affiches regardent”), an interested buyer peering at shop windows (“Je l’achèterai”), or a musician playing for passers-by on the Pont des Arts (“L’accordéoniste”).

These direct and indirect looks (“Deux regards différents”) enhance the story, helping us imagine that split-second dynamic that soon disappears from the street, only for another to appear.