Street Photography in Paris

Hermann Groeneveld (HG)

Hello Grégoire, would you like to briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

Grégoire Huret (GH)

I’m Grégoire Huret, a street photographer based in Paris. I live here since 2009.
I love walking in Paris, shooting strangers, situations, details, moods, clothes, outfits, atmospheres, portraits, meeting people, negotiating, arguing. It makes you feel alive! And then, I think what I love above all is the act of creating. Just like the photos themselves aren’t an end in themselves. They are a means of creating dialogue, discussing things with people, conveying messages, like when I hold an exhibition – what I love is telling the stories behind the photos. The same goes for zines and posters pasted on the streets.

HG

How did you get into photography?

GH

As I’m now 40 years old, first I learned photography through analogue. Then around 2003 I bought my first digital cam. I used this camera mostly to photograph my travels, my friends, and my nights out, without any real artistic intent. But the real turn was during my first trip to NYC around 2012 or 2013, I brought a tiny Rollei 35 SE (my dad offered me, it was one of his cameras) and Kodak Tri-X rolls. The camera was small and I loved using it during my daily life in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens.

That time I went back to Paris, I’ve developed the TriX Rolls and it was love at first sight. The atmosphere of NYC on black-and-white film really sparked in me a desire to go further in that direction. This period also coincided with Cheryl Dunn’s documentary Everybody Street (2013), which features Elliott Erwitt, Jill Freedman, and Mary Ellen Mark, as well as photographers I was less familiar with, such as Boogie, Ricky Powell, and Jeff Mermelstein. Then I went there twice and always with analogue cameras (Contax RTS with 50mm Zeiss lens and Leica M6 with the Summicron-M 50 f2).

HG

So you’re still working analog?

GH

I’ve never stopped shooting film, walking kilometers, and developing my own black-and-white films in my kitchen, here in Paris. Sometimes I feel that shooting 35mm film takes too much time and I catch myself dreaming of digital, but most of the time, when I develop my film, I feel a real sense of satisfaction from having done something myself. I get even more satisfaction when I order a large print and see the final result. What a joy!

HG

Your style of street photography gives viewers of your pictures the feeling of being immersed in the hustle and bustle of Paris. How do you go about it?

GH

I take my photos while walking; I choose streets with a lot of traffic, and I’m more of a „hunter” – I have trouble staying put and waiting. I shoot quite quickly and without asking. As I get older, I allow myself to ask for a few street portraits sometimes; I think the most important thing is the photograph, and a little less the approach. As long as you stay honest with yourself, the result is positive.

I like my photos to reflect the spirit of the street, for you to feel the closeness to the people and the surroundings. Of course, I look for the decisive moment, but I don’t treat it as an absolute rule. Sometimes it’s only after I’ve scanned my negative that I realize what makes the photo special: a smile, a repetition, an attitude, a provocation, a play on words with an advertisement.

HG

Let’s talk briefly about technology. What equipment do you use?

GH

Since 10 years I’m exclusively using my Leica M6 with the Summicron-M 35 f/2. Beyond the Leica M6’s reputation, what I appreciate most is its reliability. The body is robust (I had the bad luck of dropping it once, but it was more fear than harm  – it still works perfectly), the rangefinder is dependable, nothing shifts; it’s truly an excellent camera. And the 35mm Summicron is incredible — even in low light and at slow shutter speeds, you can get stunning portraits.

I’m using a lot of black-and-white films (Kodak Tmax 100, Kodak Tri-X 400 and when I’m low budget Ilford Delta or Ilford HP5 plus). I’m doing 75% BW 35mm film and 25% of color (Kodak Portra 160/400 and Kodak Pro Image 100). I’d love to do more color, but the prices are insane.

HG

Do you process your photos in a darkroom?

GH

Only developing my negatives in my kitchen. I’ve learned quickly by my own with youtube and it was my best moove. Then I scan (the boring part of the job). Sometimes I go to Picto Paris and order prints. I’ve made a beautiful serie of large prints (40x60cm) about street photography during Paris Fashion Week. For the record, I’ve nerver been in a darkroom to print my own work, but I now it’s just a question of time.

HG

You don’t seem to be particularly fond of digitizing your analog films?

GH

That’s true. As I said, I scan with Epson Perfection V750 Pro, and actually, I don’t like this part of the job at all. It’s too much time spent on a desk, but of course it’s necessary. II have to admit that scanning is ultimately a good way to back up huge amounts of photos. I used to say “scanning is boring” but it helps to work faster than always go in the darkroom to see your works.

HG

On your website, visitors can admire various forms of publication of your images. And, of course, purchase them. Zines, newspaper and books, for example.

GH

That’s really exciting. Recently I made a street photography journal, called Paname Paper #1. With Paname Paper, I wanted to maintain the spirit of street photography, right down to the choice of the published object. The newspaper format was an obvious choice, as it is the very essence of the street’s literature – you find it at the newsstand in the morning, in cafés, restaurants, bistros, and bars at noon, and later in the day, crumpled up on the bus or subway.

However, editing and publishing it was a real challenge for me. The first issue covers fashion in Paris and is titled Modell de vie (Lifestyles), which is a pun combining fashion and the way Parisians live in the city. I’m happy, the journal was well received, and it is available for sale at Ofr Paris, La Fab, B50 Gallerie, The Analog Club and of course on my website. I’m actually working on the second issue.

HG

How do you create your own newspaper?

GH

I started by creating and printing small zines called How to find your way, which were very simple to make. An American photographer friend of mine (big shoutout to Nathan Kane) showed me this concept:

You take an A3 sheet of paper, fold it, cut it in the middle, and it becomes a small 8-page booklet with a poster. This format allowed me to show my photos at a very low cost, since it used standard paper. The concept was fun. I always added a map showing where the photos had been taken. I made editions on NYC, London, Geneva, Rome, Sicily, Paris, Finnish Lapland, but also on Paris Fashion Week and Paris during COVID.

HG

That sounds like a lot of loving handiwork. And yet it’s limited to eight pages? Isn’t that rather unusual for a newspaper?

GH

Yes, that’s right. But as with everything I do, I always try to push further. That’s how I decided to create Paname Paper. For printing, I used an online newspaper-printing service called PaperNews. I chose the Tabloid format, which is the smallest newspaper size but still quite large (260 × 370 mm), with 36 pages. I printed 100 copies.

HG

What target audience did you have in mind when you launched your personal newspaper project?

GH

It’s an object you can approach in two ways: either as a collectible zine with beautiful film photographs that capture the spirit of Paris, or as a newspaper you simply browse and leave on your table.

My first newspaper was very well received. I still have about thirty copies left, and I’m currently working on Issue No. 2, which will be released in 2026. I must briefly recount a funny story about the public perception of my very first personal newspaper:

I had already printed a first batch of 100, but with an art direction inspired by the visual identity of a major French daily newspaper. They found out and quickly sent me a cease-and-desist letter from their lawyer.

My goal wasn’t to profit from their brand — it was more of a tribute to the quality of their publication, especially to the space they give to photography as a form of information. In any case, it pushed me to rethink the design with a graphic designer (big up to Kekli) and create my own identity.

HG

What do you expect or hope for from the future of analog imagery?

GH

I hope the price of film drops. I still remember buying my black and white film for around 5 euros. Today it’s just inaccessible. Also, I really need to find a new setup to scan faster and more quietly.

More About Grégoire Huret

Home Gallery – Grégoire Huret Photography

Grégoire Huret in SilvergrainClassics, issue 24.
Issue 24 is currently available in our shop at a special price.