Places need people. By Alice DE FOUCHIER & Adèle DE LAHARPE

Solitary shadows

Show of solidarity

We live in a place full of life called Clermont-Ferrand. Sometimes, though, the city is completely dead…

The first picture was taken in the Place de la Victoire. This square was built after the French Revolution. It contains a fountain at the top of which is a statue of Pope Urban II who launched the first crusade from Clermont in 1095. This statue, raised in 1895, is the work of Henri Gourgouillon. The square is surrounded by oppressive grey buildings. There are trees along the side which make you feel shut-in. We were astonished to see that there was no one in town. So we tried to make the spot look even more morose by shooting a picture with no sharp colors. We accentuated the contrast between the solitary statue and the buildings in the background. It shows the sensations we experienced while taking the photo. Indeed, we were dismayed because on this day nobody else was enjoying the urban environment in this square.

To contrast this melancholic atmosphere, we chose a second picture which represents a crowded place inspiring joy. We took this second photograph at the “Color me Rad”, in the Place de Jaude. The “Color me Rad” is an American concept which consists in running under a rain of colors. It’s a sort of race which banishes the stopwatch, originally inspired by the Holi Festival of colors in India. Since the first one in Phoenix, Arizona, in January 2012, the race has crossed the Atlantic. We chose an angle where we could see the most people because all seemed to transmit joy. We haven’t added any effects because it already portrays the emotions we felt during the race, namely enchantment and gladness. We took the picture in the middle of the race to see everybody running. Strangely, all were smiling; they seemed to be blissful together. Indeed, after the race, everybody was laughing, shouting and dancing to the music and partying together. Solidarity was emerging…

The two photos show different aspects of the city. On one is a big and empty square. We feel sadness and solitude because of the absence of life, color, or sound. The wind carries the leaves which adds to this feeling of a lifeless spot. Some days, even when the weather is good, people don’t seem to want to hang out in this square. The other picture shows a smaller place but with more people. The weather is not nice (we can see puddles), nevertheless there are a lot of people and all of them are smiling. The photo makes many feelings emerge as it is very colorful and cheerful. The atmosphere is also noisy and festive. Everybody is wearing the same tee-shirt and the same sunglasses but in different colors which encourages solidarity. It shows the “togetherness” of all these people who are wearing the same clothes but also their differences with the variety of colors. Here, we can see the need that people have to be together.

The first picture we have named Solitary shadows because of the absence of colors and also because it expresses feelings of loneliness and sadness. The light and colours and joy in the second photo inspired its title: Show of solidarity. It gives us positive feelings and a sense of belonging.

Finally, the common title is Places need people because when nobody is in town it becomes such a sad city...