Paris28 Sep 2019

The first Urban Photo Race in Paris ran on Saturday 28 September 2019, organised with the Photo Club Paris Val-de-Bièvre in the classic format: twelve hours from 10:00 to 22:00, four checkpoints and six themes. It started at La Lingerie in Les Grands Voisins in the 14th arrondissement, went on to a newsstand in the 17th and a houseboat on the Seine, and finished at the Spéos photography school in the 11th.

There were sore feet but radiant faces, and the weather was at its best, mild and sunny with beautiful light. A techno parade, some yellow vests and a few closed metro stations only made the race more Parisian.

The themes, So chic, Opposition, Nature around the corner, It's so good, Funny?! and Quick!, showed different sides of Paris, and every racer had a different favourite. The winners hung, and every photograph was projected, at the opening on 7 November in the Art Deco annexe of the Mairie du 14e, where the exhibition ran until 17 November during the Mois de la Photo.

The race was coordinated by Annette Schwichtenberg with Frederic Anterion and Gilles Hanauer, all three of the Photo Club Paris Val-de-Bièvre.