Tableau Vivante

I took hundreds of photos in France. Hundreds. I’m still sorting through the first batch - selecting the best, tweaking the ones that can be tweaked, labeling them, and then storing the ‘finals’ in special folders for later printing.

I was hoping to do a series of market posts, but I think that will take too long. So I’m going to do random shots with brief explanations here and there with the eventual goal of doing a big wrap up post when I have a clearer idea of exactly what I have. Food. Is. Everywhere. In France. It’s displayed in beautiful ways, set out on cushions, and lit just so. We know it’s a foodie paradise. If I may specialize the beauty even more - it’s a food photographer’s paradise. You don’t even have to go in to markets or restaurants to enjoy the view - it’s all set out on the sidewalks, luring you in with big, bold colors and smells.

This was at a market stall in the evening along Bd St-Germain in the Latin Quarter. There are these impossible little mazes of side streets and alleys there that weren’t listed on my map and I got lost for a while trying to find my way back to the Metro. Bd St-Germain saved me (it was the main drag on my map) and I ended up strolling there late one night just to take it all in.

The fromagerie next to the seafood stall had a gorgeous display out front. I opened the ap up as far as it would go (it was night time after all) and the result is…I have no idea what cheese this is - the ap blurred out the sign. Bah. But what eye candy. I’m assuming it’s a paprika -covered soft cheese but anyone with more knowledge out there is welcome to enlighten me.

More “little tastes” later as I process the pics. I leave you with one final shot of a very amiable butcher who spoke to me at length in French regardless of the fact that I couldn’t understand a lick of what he was saying. I credit him with making me more brave with the language. Francois - merci.

As an aside, next time I go to France, I’m getting a room with a kitchen. Eating out all the time wasn’t torturous. But not being able to buy at the markets and then prep food myself was. I longed, LONGED, to grab veggies, meats, and other delectable meal bits. Lesson learned.