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Book Giveaway: Nichole Robertson’s Paris in Color

June 26, 2012  by Nichole Robertson

We have been fans of Nichole Robertson ever since we first discovered her blog, Little Brown Pen, many moons ago. She manages to capture details of our favorite city that render it accessible, touching, intimate — even to those who haven’t walked her streets, ogling marché produce and perfectly coordinated café chairs in many years. We’re delighted to be offering a copy of her latest book, Paris in Color, to one lucky reader today — simply leave a comment below and we’ll pick a random winner on June 29. Want an extra entry? Pin this post and leave a link to it below in a separate comment (to ensure you have two entries!) – Geneviève. UPDATE: We have now selected winner. Congratulations to Jessie K. from Nova Scotia!

In January 2009, I moved to Paris with my husband, and two young sons. Despite the damp cold and relentless gray, we enjoyed exploring our new neighborhood. One day, I noticed a few objects in a similar shade of red, and shot them. As I walked, I found other things I liked in that shade and photographed those as well. When I returned home and uploaded them to my blog, the response was, “more!”

I quickly became obsessed, and spent weeks singling out different shades. Searching for colors is a surprisingly democratic process, as it’s just as likely to appear on something spectacular (Notre Dame) as it is on something pedestrian (a trash can). I didn’t question whether the object was famous, old, or important, I just shot it. The serendipitous nature of the process meant that I never had a plan, and that was part of the fun.

She also does postcards and prints! These are from her Valentine’s set

About a year later, I realized I was taking the kind of photos of Paris that as a raging Francophile I wanted to see, but could never find. There are plenty of photos of the Eiffel Tower and sunsets over the Seine, but when I wasn’t in Paris I wanted to BE in Paris–on the streets, sitting at a café, peering into a cheese shop, admiring the light on the cobblestones, noticing a charming sign for a €10 bouquet of tulips. I didn’t want the dressed up, tourist version of Paris, I wanted the Converse and t-shirt Paris. The Paris you see when you step out of the shadows of the monuments.

I’m consistently drawn to the way color contrasts Paris’ neutral facades, the way layers of paint erode into a form of abstract art, and to the details that are often overshadowed by the Eiffel Tower and other iconic landmarks. And that is what the Paris Color Project is about.

To win a copy of Paris in Color, simply leave a comment below and we’ll pick a random winner on June 29. Want an extra entry? Pin this post and leave a link to it below in a separate comment (to ensure you have two entries!)

Written by Nichole Robertson for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, London, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.


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Written by Nichole Robertson

Nichole RobertsonNichole is a writer, photographer and author of Paris In Color (Chronicle Books, April 2012). She began the Paris Color Project when she moved to Paris in January 2009. What started as daily blog photos blossomed into a three-year project.When she's not photographing Paris, eating French butter, or baking cake, she's writing. Nichole co-runs a multidisciplinary creative studio with her husband Evan, and writes copy for clients like Real Simple, Bravo TV, Tribal DDB, Amala Beauty and Estee Lauder brands.

Website: Little Brown Pen

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