If these images made you smile, made you think of a loved one, or simply inspired you to pay more attention to the world around you the next time you walk down the street, we invite you to discover the entire collection. You can follow Myriam and her wonderful project directly on Instagram at @Handsofparis. It truly deserves a spot in your feed!
And if you love photography and visual storytelling as much as we do, stay close to Vemen Magazine! Follow us on social media so you don't miss our next recommendations, interviews with talented artists, and subjects that go far beyond the surface image. We always have a good story ready.
Vemen Magazine
Paris Beyond Clichés: The Art of Reading a City Through People's Hands
When you say Paris, you automatically think of the imposing architecture, the Eiffel Tower, and the bustling boulevards full of tourists. But there is another kind of Paris. A quiet, intimate one, which most of us rush past without noticing. Fortunately, photographer Myriam stopped to look.
Through her Instagram project, @Handsofparis, Myriam does an absolutely fantastic job: she gathers people's stories not through classic portraits, but by focusing exclusively on their hands. She has managed to create a gallery with an impeccable aesthetic that simply makes you stop scrolling and feel the emotion of an ordinary gesture. Because we absolutely loved the way she manages to cure the city of visual clichés, we invited her to tell us how this project came to life.
"An invitation to slow down" – The story of the project, told by Myriam
"My name is Myriam, I’m a Paris-based photographer, and also the founder and curator of Hands of Paris.
Photography has always been a way for me to observe everyday life, to catch those small gestures and fleeting moments that usually go unseen. I had been photographing Paris for some time when I realized that hands could be the common thread subtly connecting all these images.
Hands of Paris is, at its core, an observational photography project. It tells the story of the city through the hands and gestures of the people who live in it. Rather than focusing on monuments or the classic shots we all know, I prefer to look at the quieter details of everyday life — hands working, holding tight, touching, waiting, reading, carrying weights, or simply resting.
In the beginning, the project only featured my own photographs, but it gradually transformed into a beautiful collective gallery, gathering images from both professionals and amateurs. For me, what matters most is the authenticity of the moment. It's fascinating to see how much a simple gesture can reveal about a person, a relationship, or even the city itself.
Ultimately, this project is an open invitation: to slow down a bit and rediscover Paris through details we might otherwise overlook."