Housed in a wonderfully modern building perched above the pedestrian streets of the Quai on the left bank of the Seine river, the Bibliotheque Nationale de France (BNF) is hosting an exhibit entitled "Photography in 100 Masterpieces" until February 17, 2013. The BNF's imposing grand external structure prepares you for the never-presented exhibit encountered on the inside. See the photography of Atget, Alvarez Bravo, Cartier-Bresson, Man Ray, Kertesz and Brandt alongside the works of lesser-known and even anonymous photographers...

Manuel Álvarez Bravo (1902-2002) appears to be a man torn between two worlds, one practical and the other full of aesthetic pleasure. With a modest beginning, his unique story evolves into a tale of a man with tenacity and great creativity. Álvarez Bravo created a vaste and diverse body of photographic images, which documents the history of his country’s evolving social and cultural atmosphere. The Jeu de Paume is showing 150 of these images in the exhibit "A Photographer on the Watch", on until January 20, 2013...

From November 2012 through to 13 January 2013, the Maison Europeene de la Photographie in Paris is hosting - as part of the "Mois de la Photo 2012" - an exhibit entitled “Photography in France, 1950-20000”. From the romantic and idealized visions of France in the 50s, through to the more risky and commercial-oriented period of the 70s and 80s, and back to the more conservative 90s, this must-see exhibit shows just how photography evolved in the last half of the last century...

I finally managed to see the André Kertész photo exhibition presented at the Jeu de Paume until February 6, 2011. Although Kertész donated all his negatives to the French state when he passed away in 1985, it is actually the first real retrospective of his work in Europe. The exhibition presents a large number of original prints covering the various periods of his life, from Hungary where he was born, to Paris where he became a leading figure in avant-garde photography in the late 1920's, through to New York where he lived for almost 50 years...

The 'rentrée' (back to school) is officially behind us, marking the beginning of new cultural events taking place in Paris after the long Summer break. The Henri Cartier Bresson Foundation currently presents photographs of American photographer Harry Callahan (1912-1999) in a exhibition called 'Variation'. The selection of about 100 black and while photographs gives us the opportunity to discover Callahan's favourite subjects: Nature, the city and his family...

If you find yourself in Paris between now and August 22, 2010, you will not want to miss the Willy Ronis photo exhibit called "A Poetics of Engagement". Willy Ronis, who would have turned 100 this year, is considered one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century. Along with Doisneau, Cartier Bresson and Izis, he belongs to the humanist photography movement, which is about taking people as the main subject of the photograph. His place in that movement is confirmed in this exhibit, which is at the Monnaie de Paris...

Robert Doisneau (1912 - 1994) was an expert in street photography, walking or biking through Paris with his camera, catching fleeting moments of poetic and romantic Parisian scenes that made him famous. His work is however much more complex than his famous idyllic images. For its first exhibit of the year, the Henri Cartier Bresson Foundation is showcasing about 100 of Doisneau's photographs. Even if the famous 'Baiser de l'hôtel de ville' is among them, most of the other work presented is rather unknown.

Between 1976 and 1980, the famous photographer Robert Doisneau walked through some of my favourite Parisian covered passages, taking pictures in Passage Verdeau, Passage Jouffroy, Galerie Vivienne, Galerie Véro-Dodat, etc. His pictures were published in 1981 in a book titled: "Passages et galeries du XIX siècle. Le piéton à Paris" ("19th Century Passages and Galleries: The pedestrian in Paris"). Until January 15th, 2010, you can see a free exhibit presenting a collection of these photographs at the Musée de la Monnaie de Paris.

Until 24 January 2010, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BNF) is presenting a retrospective of Michael Kenna's photography. The exhibit includes images from his early work inspired by Bill Brandt through to his more recent images from various countries such as Japan, India, China and more.

The black and white photos along with Michael Kenna's minimalist compositions and sense of design make his work both timeless and modern. Playing with light and texture, Kenna is a master at creating dream-like images, drawing the viewer into his work and making it easy to imagine being in there alone...