In all my trips to Paris, I had yet to visit the Père Lachaise cemetary which houses some of the most respected historical figures of French literature, music, and the arts. I finally made the trek out there during my last visit and it was one of the most ethereal yet haunting experiences of my life. It's a very strange feeling to be surrounded by the gloom of death and feel overwhelmed by respect for the greats that informed so many aspects of my life, from the visually compelling Délacroix and Modigliani to the emotionally stirring Edith Piaf and the ever-inspiring Oscar Wilde. I will post the photos I took during my visit, only showing graves that are either significant to me or happened to elicit a great shot, though I really did attempt to be as respectful as possible and limit the pictures taken. The hunt for the graves of my idols were hard to track but the one in the final photo above was perhaps the most important for me to find. As a photographer, how could I not pay my respects to one of the early masters of photography, Félix Nadar. Anyone who has studied the history of photography knows how important he was in the early development of the artform and it was thus necessary to stop and show my gratitude. So appropriate that this nondescript grave tucked far away from the much more visited graves of Jim Morrison and Chopin, is only marked by a flower and a roll of film. Moving, indeed.
