See Paris through the eyes of Dennis Wile, one of the region's most celebrated photographers...

Man with Cane (Paris, 1985)
This photo was taken during the construction of the Forum des Halles on the former site of Les Halles, the old Parisian cast iron marketplace, captured beautifully on many occasions by photographer Robert Doisneau, and referred to by the French writer Emile Zola as "the belly of Paris". The new steel arches are a reference to the original structure built between 1852 and 1870. In the background and to the left is the 16th century Cathedral of Saint-Eustache, where, among other well-knowns in French history, Louis XIV, Cardinal Richelieu, and Madame de Pompadour were baptized.

"During the last forty years, I have led parallel lives as a street photographer and a portraitist. Though I am known primarily for my portraits, I began my photographic work in the avenues and neighborhoods in and around Marseilles. From these beginnings in the south of France, and alongside my portrait work, I have continued to photograph the street in many places throughout the world.

The art of photography is my passion, and the means by which I create my vision of the world. Each art form possesses specific qualities from which its inherent charm derives. Photography's charm resides in its near perfect rendering of particular moments, creating the illusion of stopping time--in effect achieving the impossible. The spell that a photograph casts on us comes from the feeling that, by some magic, the limits of the possible have been exceeded. It is this spell that captivates me.