Paris (and Elsewhere) Daily Photo Blog

One of my favorite Blogger blogs is called Paris Daily Photo, put together by photographer and savvy resident Eric, who describes himself as a "friendly Parisian" and then adds that yes, they do exist. I like Eric's photos and his cultural and/or factual commentary, and I think he not only does a service to Paris with his blog, but also to creative minds in general. ** What an interesting concept, to take a daily photo of your personal world -- I know that Eric lives in Paris, renowned for being a capital of art and style and history and romance and all that stuff -- but even if you're in a small town or a suburb or way out amid the deep North woods, there's always something to photograph if you look for it. Like about a hundred years ago, an unassuming bicycle shop owner named Philander Barclay rode around on his own bicycle and took many pictures of what seemed like everyday events in Oak Park, Illinois. Those 1,000+ photos are now an integral part of the collection of the Oak Park-River Forest Historical Society, and in general they document a time of great change. How the horse and carriage was replaced by the automobile, farms gave way to homes or shopping districts, telephone poles went up and so did the hemlines on women's dresses, and most men stopped wearing moustaches and hats. Yet we also see how Oak Park has kept many of its older buildings and preserved its unique character. All because Philander went out on his bike with a camera and captured whatever happened to catch his eye. ** I doubt I'll keep up a daily photo journal of my city, but I do want to try for maybe a week or so. You find yourself contemplating the place you live in with new appreciation, I've noticed so far, always looking for an interesting shot instead of just letting things rush by in a familiar blur.