Riom moments... By Claire-Élise, Joséphine, Jacinthe & Camille

Claire-Elise writes:

The new autumn moon was smiling and, full of life, I headed to the chapel on the edge of town, the breeze biting my face. I walked quickly. It is always quiet there at dusk and the chapel looks eerily undamaged. I had been meditating a little while, when, in the spray from the fountain a furious face appeared… I took a snap, incredulous, then ran home, full of dread!

Joséphine writes:

When I climb to the top of my favourite tree, I feel free. The colourful view is wonderful and I can forget the family rows and the tedious routine at school. The church in the middle symbolizes the importance of my faith.

Jacinthe writes:

From the top of the highest tower of the town, she saw a bird speeding towards the distant hills. The girl let loose her long black hair, closed her eyes and slowly spread out her arms. She felt free in the breeze.

Camille writes:

3:15 am. A middle aged man, long salt and pepper beard and gold frame glasses, out of breath, sits on the bench. He listens carefully to all the chirping, splashing, rustling, and creaking around him. “The Holy Chapel garden... I was happy here when I was a kid. I see the gate is still broken... Right, back to work!”. He heaves the heavy package towards his chosen tree, then goes back to the bench to pick up his shovel...

Camille writes:

Saturday night at the Fever theatre: the place is full, for once. Ladies in ball gowns, men in tuxedos... But the show does not go on. The actors drink, the actors practice crying. A few faithful of the dozy audience are there too. It is a wake: two days ago, the body of Mrs Gray, the star of the show, was found at the bottom of the stairs by the theatre Manager (he was Mrs Gray’s lover). Had she fallen or was she pushed? Mrs Gray had talent; people were jealous of her. She was going to go to Paris, to star in a new show and her lover had not wanted her to leave. Sunday morning: the dead body of the Manager lies slumped over his office desk; suicide, probably.

"Buildingsroman" by Auguste

John lives in an abandoned building, the old technical college in Volvic. John is poor, and he is tired of this sad place. Nobody wants to live here. It was abandoned ten years ago. “Why did they leave?” John often asks himself…

After a few years, John is ready to leave too. He has managed to save a bit of money, enough to travel to the USA. He wants to live the “American dream.” He is going to take the plane to New York City!

Coming out of the airport, John takes his first photo of the Promised Land. It’s a bright day. The skyscrapers are overwhelming. John rests in a park.

The buildings are all very different. Each one had its own architect. Some are very tall indeed and very thin. Others are small and squat. Some are old, some are high-tech. The one on the left is very modern, with a lot of glass and iron. The big one on the right is made of bricks. John is very impressed by how tall some of the buildings are.

In the busy street, John feels small and insignificant. The buildings are very impressive, he thinks, but some of them look like the ones he knows back home. The brick structure on the left in the foreground is pretty similar to his old abandoned college in Volvic.

John takes the plane back to France. He is determined to ask the Mayor of Volvic to restore his old squat. John thinks we should rehabilitate charming old buildings, like in New York, where old and new stand together.

Hidden in plain sight... By Auriane and her squad!

Street art is a contemporary artistic movement started in the United States of America in the 70s. It arrived in Europe at the beginning of the 80s. Many variations now exist like stickers, mosaics, stencils and street installations. At the beginning, graffiti was just a small-sized signature of the street artist; it later became more elaborate. In Riom, there are many examples, namely by a famous local street artist called Rino. That's him in the photo!

Here is another example of graffiti. It shows a woman smoking. Behind her is a stained glass window. It’s a trompe-l’œil; it's as if the woman is standing looking out of her window. She is realistically drawn, there are contrasts, and it’s very colourful. She looks like a pin-up "icon" from the 50s; she is wearing a sensual red dress and she has a blue flower in her hair.

This work of art was made using a stencil. Its subject is utopia. It is on a wall near a river in Riom. Street art is everywhere in this town, if you know where to look. The philosophical text reads: “Utopia is on the horizon. If I move two steps towards it, it moves back two steps. If I walk ten steps more, the horizon moves ten steps back too. But then, what is the use of utopia ? Its purpose is to make us walk…” We often think that graffiti is just drawings and scribblings on the walls, but it often carries real meaning.

Here is another type of street art. If you stand in the right place, the name “RINO” appears. The word is written on several beams and on the wall. It is a stunning example of anamorphosis. It was risky to paint too. It’s in a luminous place. The artist wrote the word in black to contrast with the white walls.

This is a painting of an African landscape. It takes up half the wall so we are in total immersion. It is very detailed despite the height of the work and shows off the artistic skill of the artist. There are baobabs, the sky is yellow and orange and it is obviously a very hot day. “FREEMALI” is a political statement inviting people to support the liberation of the people in this African country. The African mask is made from a spray can, symbol and main tool of street artists.

Riom is a small place, but it has true street art masterpieces. We loved taking the pictures and writing this article because we discovered a wonderful if little known aspect of our town.

The sacred heart of cities... By Sylvain

This picture was taken in Barcelona, during a beautiful day in April. The church overwhelmed me by its sheer size. The three towers were like kings and queens. I got the impression the place contained dreadful secrets. I was fascinated and frightened at the same time. This brick and stone building is the most iconic monument of the city; it testifies to its past magnificence.

  

This photo was also taken during my trip to Spain. This tower reminds me of the “Tour De l’Horloge” in Riom. When I was at the bottom of the tower, I decided to climb the stairs slowly, one step at a time, in order to see the city from every vantage point. At the end of the day, on our way to the hostel, I recalled the breathtaking view of Barcelona from the top of the tower: I could see the Sagrada Família, which is the great basilica of Barcelona.

Here is another picture of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona. The basilica rises majestically towards the sky, trying to reach the stars. This construction built in the rock seems to have been built by giants of a bygone Age. From here, the basilica seems to protect the city and its inhabitants. When I was below it, I saw small pieces of stones falling near me like rain; it is the price to pay to see this building up close...

This photo of Saint-Amable in Riom was taken on the 10^th of May 2017. This church has a dark hidden history. In the 17^th century, a group of ten members of the clergy would go to the church together on a daily basis to attend a mysterious ceremony. Other members of the clergy were not allowed to take part and people would hear strange noises coming from inside the church… One day, a little boy went to fetch his ball inside the church whilst the ceremony was taking place; he was never heard of again and the main doors have remained closed ever since…

This photo was taken in the village of “La Moutade”, on the 14^th of May 2017. A legend says that in the medieval period, when the village was built, the people wanted to start by building a church that would be the centre of the village. They found a cat with her kittens under the pile of rocks they were going to use to start building the church. The rocks collapsed on the cats. The kittens all died.  The church is still haunted by the cat looking for her kittens.

Smallville versus the city of lights! By Evie & C°

Riom... Smallville

This photo shows Riom, a small market town located in Auvergne. The place looks old and boring, though it is spring. The street is almost deserted; there are few cars and even fewer people.

Paris... The capital!

This is a photo of a busy crowd in a Paris street. It is clean and attractive compared to Riom. Paris has everything Riom does not: big cinemas, good restaurants, trendy shops, etc.

Why are we not here?!

This picture is of a lively Paris bar in an attractive setting... Something one does not find in Riom.

We do not like Riom, you can tell from our choice of photos! Paris is where we would prefer to be, for obvious reasons!

It’s a dog’s life… by Constance, Benjamin, Amandine, Guillaume and Elvire

Danger lurks...

The first picture is a dog’s point of view. We are at his height; we see what  he sees. The dog is called Filou and he lives alone in the streets, he has no shelter. There’s a car, it is very impressive for Filou. He is always looking out for danger…

Fr(h)eightening!

In the second picture (taken in Edinburgh, Scotland), we see Filou’s point of view again. He has travelled far and is tired. The sky is cloudy, Filou feels unprotected; the buildings are dark and frightening. Being high up like this is unsettling; will he fall? Below right, there’s a bus. The bus looks huge. Filou knows he has to pay attention to traffic, not to get run over.

Hungry streets

The third picture was taken at 10pm. The street is glum and it’s cold. The sky is heavy. There are spooky figures in the distance. The street lights shine down feebly. There is nothing to eat, no shelter; Filou feels alone and exhausted. People don’t realize how hard life can be for a stray dog wandering the mean streets in search of a dustbin full of titbits and a shelter for the night.

I luv rubber bones!

The fourth picture was taken in Riom, France. We again see a dog’s point of view. Milou is playing with his master. It is hot and sunny. The dog is very happy: he will play for hours, and then have a little nap outside. He’s living the life of riley!

Life is a bowl of...

The final photo is of Milou’s food bowl, brim full. Milou is a very lucky dog: his masters love him; he has a safe home, tasty food every day, and his very own dog basket. He does not have to fight for his survival…

Some dogs roam our cities, hungry and scared, whilst others have all the luck! It’s a dog’s life, when you think about it, but not for everyone…

Not just mountains... By Hugo DE OLIVEIRA & Paul JOURDE

The setting...

... of a fabulous town!

Ask a stranger in the street what comes to mind when you say “Auvergne”, he will inevitably answer “cows”, “very rural” or maybe “Saint-Nectaire cheese”. But, what is the Auvergne really like?

Our first photo is a picture of the puy du Baladou in Saulzet-Le-Froid, Auvergne. The colors are amazing. The view from up there is picturesque. You can see the puy de Dôme in the background. Mountains are definitely part of the Auvergne!

We took the second picture two days before Christmas, in Clermont-Ferrand, the regional capital of the Auvergne. It is Place de Jaude, where you can go shopping, get a drink or a snack, or just meet up with friends. New shops open up all the time. It is huge and colorful, especially during Christmas time. On the right is the tramway, shops and offices. In the middle, you can see a tall Christmas tree and a Ferris wheel, one of the biggest in France. It reminds us of when we went to London. You can compare this square with those in any world city! Clermont is very dynamic and full of young people. There are plenty of bars, clubs and restaurants. The Michelin tyre industry was started here. Limagrain, one of the biggest international agricultural groups has its headquarters nearby. The famous ASM rugby team is based here. Clermont, like in all urban areas, has a pollution problem, so that is why we encourage the use of bikes and have brought back the tramway. The great advantage of the city is the fact that it is surrounded by countryside. People live in dormitory towns and it is great for tourism.

The point of our pictures is to remind people that the Auvergne is not just countryside, there are lively and friendly towns too!

Ghost tram. By Flavie DELESVAUX & Laura DE MOURA

We took this black and white photo of a tram crossing the Saint-Jacques Bridge in Clermont-Ferrand on the 26th October last year. It was quite exciting as it noisily passed in front of us.

In the background, you can see the famous "Muraille de Chine" (i.e. the “Great Wall of China”, the nickname given by the locals to this long building). Three people are walking along the bridge.

The second picture was taken on the 14th November in the same place. It is a beautiful day. The tram is nowhere to be seen…

As the tram is too heavy for the bridge, the viaduct has been shut to traffic temporarily in order to reinforce the structure.

Shops. By Louis MOREL & Augustin MORGE

A well-established department store

A new shop

We took theses photos of shops in October last year.

The first picture is in colour because it's a happy place. We heard lots of people talking. Inside it was very warm . We felt happy there because it was crowded. The Galleries is a department store which sells mostly clothes and cosmetics. It is a big and important shop in Clermont which attracts lots of tourists. Judging by the architecture, it's quite old.

The second photo is in black and white because it's sad. There was nobody in this small shop. It was quiet and not very warm inside. We were curious to know why there was nobody in this wine shop. In the window display, there are several flags. we can see lots of bottles of wine. It's not a well-know store.

These photos show that some shops are more popular than others.

World’s apart. By Inès COQUEL & Amélys COURET

 Singapore, the "Lion City" 

Grenoble, the "capital of the Alps"

Inès writes...

This picture was taken on February the 11th 2012 from a famous hotel in Singapore called the Marina Bay Hotel. I felt tiny, lost among so many giant buildings. Singapore is in Southern Asia, on the equator, so the weather is very humid all the time and the temperature quite high. I felt clammy. Hundreds of people were walking slowly along the bay. I remembered what my History teacher said about this place, that it was built on land fill. Less than fifty years ago, this place was was not even here. From the top of this hotel, we can see durian trees, a theatre, a mall, the statue of the Merlion (sea-lion, symbol of Singapore), and the Raffle hotel (oldest building in Singapore, it used to be the Post Office).

Amélys writes...

The second photo was taken in March 2014 in Grenoble, France. We can see the big city with lots of buildings. When I took this picture, the weather was damp and cold. It's a great souvenir now, but I didn’t feel very reassured in the cable car! Grenoble is a very interesting city; there are many different styles of architectures. On the right, in the background, there’s a very long avenue which looks like the Champs Elysée in Paris. There are different types of buildings. In the foreground, there are council flats with lots of windows; it contrasts with the building with the more ornate facade and the slate roof. On the left hand, there is the Olympic stadium. In the middle, there is the City Hotel which is very modern. In Grenoble, there is grass along the tramway. There is a famous cable car which goes over the river and up to an old part of town from which we can admire the view of the city surrounded by mountains.

Singapore is one of the most dynamic cities in the world; Grenoble is not, despite some pretentions at being an important European center of scientific research. Nothing much has happened in Grenoble since the Winter Olympic Games of 1968, apart from the completion in 2009 of the first eco-district in a French city. Singapore, though populous and highly developed, is trying to become a more ecologically-friendly city.

The question is: what makes a city like Singapore become, in less than fifty years, one of the most influential cities in the world, and a city like Grenoble stay so provincial, where the most exciting thing to go on the “bulles”, the Grenoble-Bastille cable car (inaugurated in 1934)?

Continuity and change. By Eloi LEMAIRE, Antoine BOURSON & Antoine MORVILLIER

Sunrise

Sunset

I took the first picture in May 2015 on the Europaplatz in Berlin during a trip with my class. I didn’t really pay attention to how I took the picture because we were in a rush. It was quite hot; I could only hear the noises of my class and obviously of the crowd. I was tired because of the twenty-hour train journey. I also felt glad and curious because it was the first time I had been to Germany. I felt a bit stressed too because my whole class was lost; we had only a few minutes left to find the riverside dock to go on a river trip. We can see a railway station made of glass panels and steel frames. By looking through the wall of glass we can see two catwalks and a concrete bridge with a train on it. The first thing I saw when I took this picture was the small white clock below the name of the station because of its colour; it’s the only thing which is in contrast with the building’s colour. It reminded me that we were in a hurry. The title I chose is “Sunrise” because it was early and there was sun; also, this railway station symbolizes the “dawn” of today's Berlin with its high-tech architecture. The original railway station dates from 1993; it took eleven years to complete. It was modernized in 2006 and is now the biggest railway station in Europe. The curved roof is made of glass panels, which house photovoltaic cells, and steel frames. When trains arrive in the station they are fifteen meters above the street. The bridge is 450 meters long, it goes over the Spree river. The construction of the station cost €700 million. The use of high-tech metal and glass, and the sheer size of the structure, show the wealth and power of the city (to the people arriving).

                                                                                             

I took the second picture from the Monbijou Park in Berlin during the same school trip. I took it from this angle because I wanted to take the cathedral and also the column on the right. I applied few effects; originally the picture was darker. I felt particularly good because we were relaxing in the evening sunshine. It was still really hot. I could hear the noises of the Spree and the boats. I could hear the crowd like almost everywhere in Berlin. We can see the main Protestant cathedral of Berlin. In the foreground, there is a lawn with about ten people resting on it. In the middle distance, we can see columns and a bridge which is above the Spree. In the background we can see the cathedral. It is made of bricks; the cupola is made of copper and gold. We can also see two cranes used in the church restoration. There’s a small wood. I chose “Sunset” as the title because it contrasts with the first picture: it is the end of the day, and the architecture is “old”, symbol of the glorious past of the city. The Berlin cathedral is located on the “Museum Island” in Berlin-Mitte. It was designed by Julius Carl Raschdorff from 1894 to 1905. It is 116 meters tall, 74 meters wide, and 114 meters long. It was damaged in 1944 by Allied bombing. The construction cost, at the time, about €6 million. There are quite a lot of people in front of the church; it shows the place is attractive to tourists and still valued by the Berliners. The crane in the background proves that the city values its architectural heritage.

As a common title, I chose “Continuity and change”. The buildings in my photos show that Berlin both cherishes tradition and invests in modernization.

Painting the town blue and yellow! By Thibaut URBANEK & Amil MUBARAK

 

The calm before...

... the storm!

The photos were taken in Clermont-Ferrand, at the Marcel Michelin stadium on the 22nd of November.

In the top picture, there is nobody in the stadium. It's black and white, dark. There is no sound.

The lower picture shows the stadium full. The picture is bright and clear; it's very sunny. The supporters are clapping, an orchestra is playing and it is very noisy.

A stadium is eerily empty before a match. The supporters arrive slowly, scatter all around the arena, begin to form groups, and, in the end, there is no space left to move!

Rugby is an important part of our culture in the Auvergne. Meeting up with other supporters, clapping, shouting and singing all together, is great. The ASM supporters are the best supporters in France!

When there’s a match, the city streets are deserted. This is because we are all in the stadium, united in our support for our team. Rugby unites the citizens, making them proud of their city.

Fall. By Lila COURTENS & Lalia BOU SAID

 

The Accident...

The Hole...

The first picture was taken on the day the drama occured: the 16th of September 2015. It shows the immediate aftermath of the accident: we can see a fire truck in the corner of the photograph, and in the background a tree that has fallen over. 

The other picture was taken one week after the accident; it shows the stump of the tree like the open mouth of a big monster...

When our friend took the first picture, the weather was cold. She felt worried because she had witnessed the scene: the two women who had been injured by the falling tree, the police and the firemen. She had thought: "It could have been me under that tree… I could have been hurt or even killed!"

When we took the second picture it was cold too. We saw the tree carcass. There was nobody around, no noises, no movement... Just silence. It felt strange.

First photograph: in the left corner of the picture we see a  fire truck so we can imagine that there has been an accident and when we look at the picture more closely we see that a tree has crashed to the ground and we understand that this is the problem. The quality of the photograph is not very good because it was taken using a cell phone, but it gives the picture an appropriate press-photo look.

The second picture just shows a gaping hole. It's mysterious; we can't really recognize what it is. It is a little disturbing.

In “The Accident", we do not know the nature of the accident, its causes or consequences (if anyone has been hurt)…

In "The Hole", the tree stump takes on a supernatural aspect; it is quite frightening, echoing the violence of the accident. Will this deathly thing swallow us up?

"Fall" means to fall (negative) and it is a synonym of autumn (evocative of trees losing their leaves…). Why did the tree fall on this autumn day, just at that moment, just as two women were walking past under it; is it by accident or was it fate?

There is a contrast between the pictures: one looks like a newspaper photo (it is about “fact”), whereas the second is more “arty” and mysterious (it is about emotions). Accidents happen (fact), and we fear them (emotions).

Our pictures are a reminder that something bad can happen to you, anywhere, any time. Living in the city, with its many dangers, real or imagined, makes people feel insecure. Insecurity is a common city sensation...

Green cities. By Clara GRAMMATICO & Yseult DEPOORTER

Town in Nature

Nature in town

The first photo, “Town in nature”, was taken near Pont-du-Château on September the 24th 2015 in the morning with no effects. I was going to high school, it was about 8 o'clock. There was a little bit of wind. It was a sunny day but not really warm. The air was pure. I think I was happy. In the background we can see the "Chaîne des Puys" mountain range. The sky was really blue and there were a few clouds. In the foreground there are corn fields, and on the right we can see the shadow of a car. There is a real contrast of colors between the blue of the sky and the yellow of the corn fields. Pont-du-Château is a dormitory town; most people work in the regional capital Clermont-Ferrand about twenty minutes away by car. It is a nice quiet place, a town surrounded by the countryside.

The second photo, “Nature in town”, was taken in Central Park in New-York City on the 25th October 2015. I chose this photo format because it offers a very beautiful view on New York City and its famous urban cityscape from Central Park. The buildings in front are not tall but still really impressive. And the water reflects them like a giant mirror. This is one of the most beautiful cityscapes that I have ever seen. I was amazed because the contrast between the city and the “nature” is very interesting. It was my first time in the U.S.A. The trees in autumn are so beautiful with their orange and brown leaves. I could hear the cars, taxis and buses, but near me I could hear the birds and the squeak of the squirrels running about. The water was very nice and clear. I wasn't cold, which is strange for autumn, but seasons are not the same in the U.S.A. as in France. The sun was out and the sky was clear. I was cycling with my family all around Central Park on rented bikes. We decided to stop a moment to take some pictures. The title of this photo is "The mirror of Central Park". I chose this title because the buildings are seen reflected in the lake. The city and the nature are together in the same place, and this is just wonderful to see. Central Park was established in 1857 in the center of Manhattan. Construction continued during the American Civil War period and was expanded to 341 ha (843 acres) in 1873. Today, it is an urban park of 315 ha (778 acres) where people can walk, run, bicycle, or ride horses all year. It has about 37 million visits annually according to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The buildings are some of the offices and shops of Manhattan. My picture shows how important it is for people to include Nature within the urban setting, especially in a place the size of NYC.

Routine and rest. By Yacine CHETTOUH & Valentin CHOLLET

To work

At play

I took the top photo on Sunday, Place de Jaude. I like the contrast between the tram, the trees and the sky. I heard the sound of people walking, the tram arriving. The smells were typical city smells: pollution and people. It was a little cold. I was tired because I hadn’t slept much the night before. The bright sky and the autumn green of the trees contrast with the greyness of the city.

The tram is a symbol of routine for me; we take it daily to go to work. People in the tram are mostly bored; they wear headphones or fiddle with their mobiles. They ignore each other.

The tramway in Clermont-Ferrand was created in 2006 and it has made transport easier. The line is nearly 16 km long.

I wanted to take a picture of the Jardin Lecoq to show how beautiful Clermont-Ferrand can be. It was taken on a sunny 26th of November. This 5-hectare park, designed by Paul de Lavenne, dates from 1912. When I took this photo, I felt confident, comfortable and glad. Birds fly all around the garden, they makes noises, the trees are very grand and there are colourful flowers everywhere. People are happy in this place of serenity, after school or work, away from the cars. They can relax and try to forget their daily problems.

City life is about making a living and earning time to relax. Our photos tell this everyday story that most of us live.

The madding crowd. By Valentina GIOVANELLI & Maéva BROUSSE

Within

Without

We took these photos in Clermont-Ferrand in Place de Jaude on October the 4th.

The first photo shows a happy crowd; that's why we left the photo in colour, without no other effects. The photo was taken in front of the runners, when they were starting their run. It shows solidarity and happiness which is the subject of the photo.

The second photo is of a spectator. The black and white symbolizes his “exclusion”. We do not know who he or she is. The photo is about how alone we sometimes feel when we are surrounded by a lot of people but not part of the crowd.

We felt like taking part in the race because it's a movement of a lot of people. There was a very positive spirit. We saw motivated people! We felt a little sorry for the person standing alone; we imagined that he/she would also have liked to take part in the race.

We can see a lot of teenagers who are beginning the race. They all have coloured sun glasses. They are holding hands. They are enthusiastic and motivated. Behind the people there are buildings.

In the second photo, the barrier separates the picture: on one side there is the crowd and on the other there is the person alone. In the background there are buildings.

“Within”: the crowd is taking part in the race; the people are committed to city life.

“Without”: the person isn't with the crowd, he is excluded, he is not so committed to the social activities of the city.

This type of race was created in 2012 in the USA, inspired by religious Indian street celebrations.

The runners symbolize happiness. The race is a sporting event and we like that. The city centre is where we can spend our free time and go shopping. The crowd means that the event is a success and we think that it is good for the association.

"The madding crowd." This title is a reference to the novel by Thomas Hardy “Far from the Madding Crowd” in which the protagonist feels excluded from society.

Our pictures show the solidarity of the urban people, an active city, the fact that there are a lot of young people in this city, where we can have pleasure and help other through a charity event. They also show that some people are excluded, that in a city there are people who live there but who do not (choose) to take part in city life.  

We can see that Clermont-Ferrand is an active place but that some people who live in the town don't like noise and changing their habits…

An urban fairy tale. By Lhena MARQUEZ & Tracy PAKKIAM

Elf Forest

Troll patrol

Photo 1 was taken on the 16th of September 2015 in Place Delille near the Town Hall. We took it at this angle to highlight the contrast between Nature and the man-made thing: the lift. We can see different levels: the houses, the green hills, and the blue sky. The plants on the lift make a link between natural elements and the lift, symbolizing technology.

We, the photographers, didn't really know each other so we got acquainted during our assignment. We ate together and then went to take the photos. We were pleased to get to know each other. It was a sunny afternoon but there was a lot of wind so it was a little bit cold. There were some clouds in the sky; we see them in the photo.

On the right side is the blue sky with some clouds, then the green hills in the middle, and the houses at the bottom. On the left, there is a lift on which there are plants and flowers. This photo shows a beautiful and quiet place; there is a happy atmosphere. This place is the one in which fairies and elves live… The lift represents their house. They have been living there in peace for several years now. We have called this place "Elf Forest" as it is the best place for them because it fits so harmoniously into the natural environment.

The sight of Clermont made us feel like being a bit up in Heaven with the blue sky; it gave us feelings of peace and happiness. It made us forget all our problems.

This photo shows the urbanisation of Clermont-Ferrand. We can see that houses are being built up on the hills. This photo is divided in two: on the right is blue sky and beautiful hills, and, on the left, a lift made of metal and other artificial materials representing human activity.

Photo 2 was taken in the “Rue du port”. It is in portrait format in order to show the street behind, where an elf is walking past… On the left of the photograph, there is a wall with a poster of a troll. He is patrolling the streets to take control of the fairies and the elves! He is the one who has invented the technology which is slowly taking control of the elves and the fairies all over the city by locking them up them in their own houses… On the right, the light of the sun is reflected on the front of the apartments; this is a symbol of hope for the elves...

When we took the photo we were pleased and completely relaxed but also concentrated on taking a good picture. The street has interesting elements and details worth photographing.

We gave this title to the picture because the poster is a real troll, and in the darkness of the corner he seemed to spy on the street to find people to persecute… The poster was for a Rock ‘n’ roll concert but the paper looked really old so it was probably a long time ago. The trolls are becoming the masters of the city, doing everything they can to enslave our city youth with computers and cell phones…

Our pictures are a good representation of the urban environment. They show us the places where elves and fairies live but also hint at the threat to their social and physical environment.

Our beautiful fairy-tale world, close to Nature, is being threatened by the monsters of technology…

Averting one's gaze... By Thomas CASILE

"La galère" (hard times)

Les Galleries (times of plenty)

The pictures we carefully selected for this project were taken in Clermont-Ferrand’s main square. We decided to use colour photos. We took the pictures directly in front of what we were trying to capture, to get the clearest view of the scene possible.

Downtown is always noisy. Nevertheless, it doesn't always smell bad. We were took these pictures just before winter arrived, so it wasn't very cold.

The first picture depicts a homeless man sitting on the ground with his dog lying on his lap. The colours are rather sinister which corresponds to the sad scene we were witnessing. This poor man looked very depressed and tired. It was in fact an emotional moment for us because we aren't used to seeing this type of thing in our daily lives. The title we gave to this picture is: "La galère (hard times)".

The second image is of a department store in Clermont. Not an ordinary one, the fanciest one in town where only the richest people can afford to go. The building is beautiful and well kept. We were mesmerized by its beauty. The Galleries were built in 1906 by Leon and Marcel Lamaiziere. This building obviously symbolizes wealth. The title we gave to the picture is: "Les Galleries (times of plenty)".

Our goal is obviously to illustrate the contrast between wealth and poverty in our city. For that we chose pictures that symbolize poverty and wealth. In one, the poor lonely homeless man with his only friend, and in the other, the place where rich people go to spend their money. The lonely fellow is fighting the cold, his hunger and many other difficulties we don't know much about, while the rich choose to have fun and spend astronomical amounts of money on clothes, etc., instead of helping the homeless. We find this very unfair.

In 2013, in France, 454 homeless people died out in the cold. It is our duty to help people in need because we are all human and everyone has the right to live decently. Are we, as a nation, too selfish to do anything about it?

The common title we gave the pictures is: "Averting one's gaze". We chose this title because the homeless man is averting his gaze (out of shame?) and because we, the well-off, avert our gaze from the problem of homelessness. Not everyone knows about these inequalities and people try not to think about these issues. I think these contrasting pictures succeed in conveying the story. I could have chosen a picture of a rich arrogant man driving his Porsche (which I took) but this would have laboured the point… Instead, I chose the picture of the fancy shop where wealthy people go and spend their money frivolously; that way, no one in particular is aimed at and we are reminded that we are all responsible...

This city is the home of everyone who lives in it and so we should contribute to helping the ones in need who share our space. People should think twice when they come across people begging; try to put yourself in their situation and imagine how hard and tiring life must be…