Sunday in Paris

I love Sundays in Paris. Church bells are chiming all over the city; the small streets near my apartment are quiet and free of traffic. I start my day walking toward the Seine. I love to browse the used book stalls on the sidewalk along the river.

“Les bouquinistes” along the quais have been a tradition in Paris for centuries.

If you are a connoisseur of rare books, and you have time and patience, you may find a treasure. As far back as the French revolution there were dealers who salvaged books from raids on aristocrats’ libraries.

Some of the well established bouquinestes’ specialize in unique collections, such as rare Jules Vernes, old art volumes, graphic novels, or old comics.

In the beginning these dealers would arrive in the morning with boxes of books which they would take back home at the end of the day, but at the start of the 20th century, green painted “boxes” were allowed to be permanently installed so the sellers could leave their books overnight.

This trade is strictly regulated; each seller is allowed four of the dark green painted boxes, three of which must contain books. The fourth can sell items such as prints, collectors’ postcards, and souvenirs.

There are about 200 sellers stretching along both banks of the river, so you can easily spend hours here. Unfortunately, I don’t have hours… of course this may be a good thing, as I really don’t want to be carrying books home.

Most of the books are in French, but with art books it doesn’t matter, and I’m sorely tempted by an old book with beautiful
Toulouse – Lautrec prints, but it’s big and thick and heavy … do I really want to add this to my luggage? I gave it a pass, but I’m still thinking about it, and may go back.

Another stall has old photographs. I love to look at these faces from the past. I try to imagine what kind of lives they lived. I’m like a detective, looking for clues in their clothing, staring into the faces, looking at their hands for signs of work, wedding rings, anything that might tell me something about them. These were real people, not just faces on a piece of paper. Real people with hopes and dreams just like you and I. I wonder why and how there photos ended up in a bookseller stall. Why hasn’t their family kept these images of loved ones, of their ancestors? This is what I love about photography…the magic... stopping time, recording memories, people, moments.



11:30 AM
Ok... enough fun, time to get to work. I stop at a small café for a quick croissant au chocolat and caffe au lait, then on to the 10 train and out to the site.

3:30 PM
Nadal has dropped the first set 6-2 to Soderling, but is up 4-3, so I’ll keep my eye on that one and see how it goes. Murray has defeated Cilic in the fourth round .. Good work Andy!!

4:15 PM
Uh Oh, its 6 all in the second set, Nadal/Soderling , and the Swede took the first ..what’s going on here? Why does everything happen at once? I need to go shoot Azarenka and Ivanovic, but if Nadal is loosing I need that too… you see it’s not easy being a photographer. The writers can just watch it on TV then go get the quotes, but I have to actually be there.. Ok .. Rafa just won the breaker 7-2, so I know that its going four. I’ll have time to at least shoot one set of the girls. Anyway, I think Rafa will win now, so I’ll get him again in the quarters.

6:10 PM
Well, I guess I spoke too soon. I’m on the Azarenka Ivanovic match, Az is up 4-1 in the second, I look up at the scoreboard and see to my horror .. Soderling has won the third set .. he is up two sets to love against Rafa. I grab my gear and head to Court Philippe Chatrier. The photo pit is packed .. the photographers are smelling blood. Fortunately, I’m small and manage a seat in the first row in the corner. Soderling is serving up aces, and Rafa can’t break. The tension is almost unbearable. The fans are chanting RAFA, RAFA but still applauding for the Swede, appreciating the great tennis he is playing. I’m sure this is the best match of his career. Rafa is fighting, but Soderling is coming up with an answer to everything Nadal is throwing at him. It’s dark and a little windy, and it feels like rain is emanate. I’m sure that Rafa is praying for a downpour right now, while Soderling is trying hard to end it.

Tiebreak in the fourth .. everyone is on the edge of their seat .. is it possible the four time champion here could go out to the 23rd seed in the fourth round? Impossible. For sure he will pull it out. Soderling is up 6-1 in the breaker!! Can the Clay Court Champion win 7 points in a row? Well, I guess the answer is no. Soderling wins the breaker 7-2. Does he have something against the Spanish, first 14th seed Ferrer in the third round and now Rafa in the fourth. No one can believe it. In typical reserved Swedish style, he throws his arms in the air, but does not give a big match point photo op.

Rafa wave’s goodbye to the fans, and it’s over. Is it the short hair.. Is Nadal having a Samson moment? Does he need his long locks back?

I'm editing my photos .. he looks so sad, but it's probably my favorite photo of the tournament so far.

Just saw the score on Azarenka , Ivanovic ..Unbelievable .. both the men’s and the women’s’ defending champions out in one day.

8:45
Took a break to enjoy a very nice wine and cheese party in the press dining room, but now have at least 500 images to edit and post, so I’m ending this blog for today.

Who Was Roland Garros ?

No, Roland Garros was not a famous tennis player. Roland Garros, born in Saint-Denis France, in 1888, was an inovative and respected aviator.

He was the first pilot to make a non-stop flight across the Mediterranean Sea, from the south of France to Tunisia.

In the beginning years of World War I, Garros played a significant role in the development of a synchronization device that allows a machine gun to fire through the arc of a spinning propeller without the bullets striking the blades. Garros, is credited with being the first pilot ever, to shoot down an aircraft by firing through a propeller.

In 1915, Garros was shot down by German ground fire, landed behind German lines, and was taken prisoner. When Garros was shot down, German aircraft engineers examined the armored propeller on the French built plane and developed and improved, the interrupter gear, which let to them being able to shoot down Allied planes, and changed the tables against the Allies.

Escaping from the German prisoner of war camp in February 1918, Garros rejoined the French army, and on October 18 of the same year, was shot down and killed, one day before his thirtieth birthday.

Stade Roland Garros was built in 1928, and to tell the truth I have no idea why it was named for Roland Garros, I’ve searched the internet, and have not been able to come up with an answer.

There have been many changes and additions since that time, but the grounds still retain a special French atmosphere. Sponsor and merchandise booths, that line the walkways, resemble high end boutiques, the main court, Philippe Chatrier, is the most intimate of all the grand slams. As the slogan goes,

1:35PM
The seeds are starting to drop. Thirtieth seed Samantha Stosur has just taken out fourth seed Elena Dementieva, in three routine sets.

2:10 PM
Well, it looks like Arod might be learning to play in the dirt. For the first time in his career, the big serving American has made it past the third round! Congrats Andy!! High five Andy!! So far in his three matches, Roddick has served up 33 aces, nailed 90 winners, and not dropped a set. He’ll face either twenty fourth seed Jurgen Melzer, or 11th seed, Gael Monfils in the fourth round. He’ll have to keep his high level of play to defeat either of these clay court specialists, and if it’s Monfils, he’ll also have the French fans to contend with.

4:20 PM
Monfils just defeated Melzer so going to be Roddick against the wild Frenchman.

7:00 PMOh my word. Both the men’s and the woman’s fourth seeds lost today… is that an unlucky number? First Dementieva, now Djokovic lost is straights to Philipp Kohlschreiber.

9:00 PM

I’ve been here long enough... Going to post this and wrap it up for tonight.

A Perfect Day in Paris

4:45 PM
I’m starting this blog late because it’s been such a beautiful day I wanted to be out taking photos rather than sitting at my desk writing. This is the first really nice day we’ve had. Sunday and Monday were sunny, but horribly hot and humid, and the last three have been freezing cold and dark. But today... perfect, cobalt blue sky, no clouds, bright sunlight, and a temperature of around 21C or 71F. Even the flowers looked more beautiful.

Fans gathered in the plaza to watch matches on the giant TV and enjoy the day. Others picnicked in the shade, while some took naps in the sun.

My shooting day began on the Venus Szavay match.
Venus seeded third here was an odds on favorite to defeat the 29th seeded Agnes Szavay of Hungary, but Szavay come out strong and never faltered, defeating the American 6-0, 6-4. Yeah, Szavay, pronounced “Sa-vay”, was the savvy one today. Actually, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I looked up at the scoreboard and saw 6-0. Wonder when the last time Venus ate a bagel … and this one wasn’t even served up with cream cheese.

Back to the press room... edit, post photos, and head for court one to catch the end of Soderling/ Ferrer. The 23rd seeded Swede sent 14th seed Ferrer packing with a tiebreak in the fourth.

Next up, Nadal/ Hewitt. Wow, Hewitt’s tennis looks flat. He has no fire. No “C’MON”, no fist pump. He’s a fighter, and doesn’t give in to Nadal without a battle, but he doesn’t look like the rowdy Aussie kid anymore. Of course he is not the rowdy Aussie kid anymore, he’s a husband and father, so maybe this is just part of growing up. Rafa is up two sets to love, and serving at 5-1, hits and ace for the final point, which is called out. He comes to the net and very nicely points out that it was in, the chair umpire is called down, makes the call with a flat palm and it’s all over. Rafa and Lleyton both smile embrace, and shake hands. Rafa is through to the fourth round.

6:15 PM
Murray is playing Tipsarevic in the best light of the day, so I head up to the top of the stadium. Late in the day is my favorite time to shoot. The light turns golden, and the clay is even more orange/red. Beautiful. There is only about an hour and a half left before shadow covers the court, so whenever we have sun I try to make good use of it. I love the long shadows, creating an elongated double image of the player. \

I stay up on top for a few games, but I also want to shoot some from courtside. The late day light is also nice here. The strong side light makes interesting images, and there is also what we call “rim” light, when the light just hits the edge of the subject. So there, you have a little photo lesson. If you like photography, try shooting at this time of day and you may be surprised at the result.
Tipsarevic is up 5-2...but Murray digs in and wins the set in a breaker! Fantastic comeback Andy! It looked for a while like this might be one of those great clay court marathons, but the glasses wearing; tattooed Serb withdrew with leg cramps after Murray took the second set 6-3, so the pride of the UK is through to the fourth round.

More On The Fashion Watch

Thursday May 28, 2009

2:50 PM
Venus scores another minus in the fashion watch column. What’s up with the crazy blue, green and purple lightning patterned fabric on her dress? I guess she is wearing it now because for sure Wimbledon wouldn’t allow it. Considering the awful ensembles everyone here is wearing, I’m starting to see the reasoning behind the “predominately white” rule at the Championships in London. I’m disappointed, unlike her sister; Venus usually comes up with something pretty nice.

Her tennis however, was another story. No minus column here. Pushed to three sets against Lucie Safarova of Czech Republic, Venus, with the wingspan of an eagle, can still cover the court. That, and her steely determination pulled her through to a 6-7(2) 6-2 7-5 victory.

Tennis father Richard and his new wife Lakeisha, who, at thirty is only one year older than her new stepdaughter, cheered “V” on from a courtside box and got nearly as much attention..

3:30 PM
Another day is flying by. I just looked up on my TV monitor and saw that Acasuso and Federer have split, and the Argentine is up 3-0 in the third ... better head over to Philippe Chartier. Huge story if Acasuso can win this one.

4:50 PM
Looks like the Swiss Wonder is still the Swiss Wonder. Down l0ve-3 in the third Roger won the set in a breaker, totally taking the wind out of Acususo’s sail, and then cruised to a 6-2 victory in the fourth.

On the fashion watch, Nike gets one point of approval for Federer’s apparel. Conservative, yes, but it seems right for him, and the subtle orange trim is a nice unexpected touch.5:30 PM
It’s cold and dark, and there are no matches that are inspiring me, so I think a little shopping therapy is in order. On the way to the Roland Garros Shop, I pass court two where French veteran, Arnaud Clement is battling the Belgium, Christophe, Rochus the line to get into this match is huge … check out this guy .. may as well do a little reading while he's waiting.

5:40PM
The Roland Garros Boutique is jammed with shoppers grabbing up 25 euro ($36.00) toddler tees like they were the bargain of the century. Clothing the color of red clay is a big item. Want to accessorize your new outfit? How about a swatch watches with the RG logo on the band, or, of course, RG logo head and wrist bands. A little gift for the man in you life? Roland Garros ties and cufflinks are always nice. Need something for you home? How about a set of RG towels, or, perfect for entertaining you tennis buddies, an RG espresso set. Of course all of this shopping will could max out your credit card unless you are a Wall Street broker with a million dollar bonus check in hand. I decide I’d better get out of there because I definitely don’t have a bonus check coming.

6:05 PM
Roddick is just starting, so I’m going to go grab a few snaps before it gets too dark.

6:55 PM
Arod is up two sets to love, 6-2, 6-2, so I'm abandoning the American to check out Tsonga and Monaco. These are two of my favorite players. Tsonga rocketing every ball, cheering, diving, making great photos, and the Argentine, Monaco, so cute, so nice, with a beautiful clay court game.

7:50 PM
Well Arod didn't exactly cruise to victory, but did win it in a third set tiebreak. And Tsonga Monaco... Wow, great match. The French star won in a gut wrenching 10- 8 4th set tiebreak. The French fans were wild. You had to feel sorry for Monaco battling both the opponent on court and the crowds in the stands. In the end Jo-Wilfried fell to the court, while the fans chanted TSONGA! TSONGA! I truly gave you chills. I always wonder what it would be like to have thousands of fans chanting my name.

There was a nice moment when the players met at the net to shake hands, with Monaco congratulating Tsonga. He's a good guy, it must be hard after a loss like that.

Brazilian Nights in Paris

Wednesday Noon

I’m a little slow today. Spent the night dancing, and partying at Favela Chic, which is one of my favorite places in Paris. It was an invitation only party celebrating the clubs 9th year. And what a celebration it was. The best of the Brazilian party folk in Paris were there. Great live band, followed by terrific DJ. If you’re concerned about getting a lot done the next day, do not hang with the Brazilians.

The Samba beat starts outside the club and only gets better as the night goes on. Caiperinha (the national drink of choice in Brazil) is flowing... this is very dangerous refreshment. Made from sugar cane liquor, and fresh lime it goes down easy but packs a potent punch. By two people are dancing on the tables, and by closing at three no one is ready to go home.

After dancing and drinking for hours I needed a snack so stopped at my favorite crepe stand which, thank heaven seems to always be open. Finally made it back to the apartment around 4 actually that’s not too horrible, I figured if I slept until 10 I’d still get 6 hours which I can get by one quite well.

3:20 PM
It’s cold, dark and there are random raindrops, but I need to get some more pix of Sharapova. She could loose this match, so it may be the last chance I get to shoot her.
Petrova is playing tough and Maria looks a little shaky.

5 PM
Wow! Sharapova pulled it out with an 8-6 win in the third. After trailing 2-4 in the third, it seemed as though her sheer will to win was what pulled her though. The screaming and pouting as strong as ever.

And speaking of fashion...another disaster .. Petrova’s navy and white dress looked like something the designer couldn’t make up their mind about. What could have been a nice looking tennis dress turned into something wrong, wrong, wrong. The cute little accordian pleated skirt under the navy panels is overly tricky and certainly doesn’t look good on Petrova.

So far the fashion score is: Nike minus 2, and Fila, minus 1, we’ll see how this goes the rest of the week.

5:20PM
I needed a little snack before editing, and the media dining room is closed, so I had to venture out to the public stands. I was rewarded for my effort by running into Nicolas LaPente… for sure one of the most gorgeous and nice guys on the planet. Got a little kiss on the cheek which will keep me warm for the rest of the day.

8:10 PM
Man, I am really missing the days when we used to hand over out film to the lab and go out for drinks. I still have a couple of hours of work to do and I’d really love to have a nice dinner and an early sleep.

8:15 PM
I’m going to try and see if I can make it over to the Safin Ouanna match. They are in the fifth and it will be Marat’s last match here. It’s so dark, getting a photo will really be a challenge, but I’m going to try.

9:00 PM

Unbelievable match! The Frenchman won 10 - 8 in the fifth. The fans went wild, and Marat waved farewell from Court Philippe Chartier for the last time. Sad to see the big Russian go, but he did go out in style.

Cynthia's Rainy Adventure

Monday 10:30 PM
It was a warm beautiful evening so I decided to walk to the Tour Eiffel to do some photos. The tower is quite beautiful at night, a golden pillar glowing against the midnight blue sky.

I’ve seen this French symbol many times, but I still wonder at its beauty, feel lucky to be looking up at this lacy steel structure. I wander around taking photos, and suddenly I feel a large drop of rain. Should I look for cover? Well, it was just one drop, maybe it will be ok. Uh Oh, another drop, I head for the snack stand where there is a little shelter, plus the added benefit of eating Chocolate Crepe.

Suddenly, lightening strikes, thunder roars, and it starts POURING I mean raining hard, There are about 30 of us huddles under the three foot awning stretching across the front of the stand. The wind is howling and blowing the rain, but I manage to stay reasonably dry, and protect my crepe from getting soggy.

After about 10 minutes, it lets up and a few brave folks run for the cab stand across the square. For sure they are first time tourists because anyone who has been here before knows that you will never get a cab when it’s raining in Paris.

I hold tight under the awning and try to figure out my next move. I’m about a half hour walk from my apartment, and am not close to a metro stop. It slows to a drizzle, and I decide to start for home, making it from doorway to doorway until I either get incredibly lucky and find a cab or get to the apartment. Just as I get across the square, there is a loud clap of lightning, and I know it’s going to start pouring again. I spot a phone booth with one girl inside, and run for it. Soon another girl squeezes in, and then a man who wants to make a phone call joins us.

Four people are a small phone booth! I wouldn’t mind it was Carlos Moya or Nicolas LaPente, actually if I were trapped in a phone booth with either one of them, I might hope it would never stop raining, but with these four .. I’m praying for a break.

It turns out that they are all Pakistani and he has a car and offers to drive them to their hotel, they leave, and I’m on my own. I decide to see if I can get a few photos from inside the phone booth... It’s blowing so hard I hope it keeps standing.

Suddenly … I can’t believe my eyes... an empty taxi... I run out in the street, flag it and YES!! He stops and I’m on my way back to my place. Of course nothing is that easy. He does not speak a word of English and has no idea where my street is; he’s looking it up on a map and driving verrrrrry slowly looking at every street sign. We are about 4 blocks from the apartment, I see that the meter is up to 9.20, and I know I only have a 10 Euro note, so I tell him to stop and I’ll walk the rest of the way. Fortunately there is only a light rain so I make it back without getting soaked. So much for exciting nites in Paris.

10:30 AM Tuesday

Still raining. I don’t want to go to the site and wait for rain delays, so I stay inside, answer e-mail, and start writing my blog.

Noon

I need food, so I’m going to have to brave the rain and make it around the corner to the “Sup Pair Mar Kit” as the French call it.

3:00 PM

Finally make it to the site without getting too wet.

4:50 PM

I’d really like to shoot some of the Fish Gonzalez match, but its freezing cold, windy, and looks like it could rain any minute. Court 3 is way on the other side of the site and not close to shelter if the sky starts to fall. They’ve split and its 3-2 Gonzo, so I’ll keep an eye on it and maybe venture out if it looks like Mardy has a chance.

So far today, I’ve refused to leave Suzanne Lenglen, which is where the photographers have desks, and you can get to the court without going outside. It’s been ok because first I had Bobby Reynolds, who lost in three to Monfils, and now Serena, so I’m thankful that the American’s are playing here.

6:50 PM

Too bad, Mardy lost in four, but the good news is I’m saved from going to court three.

Check out this photo... notice where Serena is looking... not at the ball maybe this is why she took three sets to defeat Klara Zakopalova of Czech Republic who weighs in at 50 kilos, to Serena’s 68.2. Which converts to 110 pounds, for the Czech, and 150 pounds for Williams?

And what about that dress on Serena... is she kidding... one of the worst yet, and she has had a lot of lows. Someone commented that from a distance she looked like she had a bare midriff… and could they design a dress that doesn’t show her white bra? I wonder if any of the clothing manufacturers ever test run their designs by having someone actually play tennis while wearing them. So far Nike has a fat zero in the fashion department.

8:30 PM

Its still freezing and windy, I’m not going to shoot anymore today, so I’m locking it up for tonight.

May 25, 2009

12: 40 PM
Starting your day with a little eye candy is always a good thing. Rafa and Marcos Daniel of Brazil, hitting grunting, slipping, sliding... very nice. Thirty year old Daniel,

with leading Latin man good looks, currently ranked 97 in the world is Brazil’s highest ranking player. He’s making Rafa play, but the world number one is not going down in the first round without a huge battle, and I don’t think Daniel can prevail.

Pretty in Pink
So now that we’ve talked about the tennis... what about Rafa’s outfit? Pink is good, yellow is good, pink and yellow is good, but do not like the slate grey shorts, and am not sure about the grey and pink shoes. It’s like they’ve taken a very boring shirt and shorts and tried to jazz it up with hot colors. The shirt looks like its too small, it’s too short, not flattering, and although I like the pink and yellow combo, I’m not sure about the yellow head and wrist bands. It’s sort of like a woman with too many matching accessories... Rafa doesn’t need to be jazzed up with pink and yellow... Rafa is gorgeous enough …just put him in that sleeveless shirt so we can appreciate those beautiful arms.

And speaking of Rafa... check out his neat habits... shirt hung on the back of his chair to dry, towel spread on court so his bag won’t get dirty in the clay … wonder what his room looks like.

2:45 PM
As predicted Rafa is winning pretty easily in the third. Daniel gave him game... Rafa won the first two 7-5, 6-4, but Marcos is down 1-4 in the third so it looks like a wrap.

3:00 PM
The battle of the air conditioning is on!! This is a constant argument between the American’s and the Europeans in the press room. They like it steamy and hot, we like it cool. Our cool to them is freezing and their “comfortable” to us is unbearable. Since there are a lot more Euros here they usually win, but I’m a tough opponent, and I’ve learned how to turn it down to a reasonable temp and will keep up the good fight.

3:10 PM
Need food … will report on lunch as soon as I return.

3: 25 PM
I left long enough to grab a salad and bring it back to my desk and someone turned the air conditioning up to TWENTY THREE… TWENTY THREE!! Do you know how hot that is … double twenty three and add 32...EIGHTY EIGHTY degrees Fahrenheit! .. Are they kidding? Where do these people live? In the Sudan?

5:30 PM
I’ve been a very busy person. Shot a few games of Sharapova .. We’ll talk about her dress later .. Next the young Frenchman, Guillaume Rufin, then on to Franko Ferreiro of Brazil, and Feliciano Lopez. Today seems to be my day for Spain and Brazil, and I’m not complaining.

First I’ll take on Sharapova’s dress … awful! What are those designers and Nike thinking? Start with the color .. Not attractive, and what’s up with those tulip shaped sheer panels on the skirt? Is she going to a cocktail party or is she playing tennis? As for her game, well the screaming and pouting are still paramount, but she did manage to pull out a three set win over injured Anastasiya Yakimova.

Next up I wanted to catch the end of the young French wild card Guillaume Rufin. The French fans were going mad, you could hear them all the way over to court one. Rufin whose current world ranking is 599, defeated 81 ranked Eduardo Schwank of Argentina 6-3, 6-1, 6-1!! Good job Guillaume, and thanks for the great match point photo.

Franko Ferreiro and Feliciano Lopez are still playing. The Brazilian won the first two sets 7-6, 6-4, but dropped the third in a breaker, and Lopez is currently leading 6-5 in the fourth set. This would be a huge upset for Franco who is ranked 185 against, Lopez who is the 28th seed here.

Well, Lopez just won the fourth, I’d love to go catch the end, but don’t know if I can handle making my way through the fans again. The crowds are massive, and it’s hot and humid here. Think I’ll just take the easy way out and watch it on TV.

6:40 PM
OH MY WORD! Ferreiro and Lopez have been playing for FOUR hours and the score is 4-2 Lopez … Ferreiro was having his legs massaged during the changeover ..No wonder.. 5 sets in this heat is a killer, bet he won’t be doing the Samba tonight.

6:53PM
It’s over .. Lopez took the fifth 6-2.

7:15PM
Signing off for today.