Running for shelter on the Arab World Institute terrace, 1989 – black and white photograph

In the rain, terrace of the Arab World Institute, 1989 – Photo © Sebastien Desnoulez

Terrace of the Arab World Institute in 1989

In 1989, we are on the terrace of the Arab World Institute in Paris. The IMA’s recent architecture, its modern lines and the panoramic view over the city provide an ideal playground for exploring the relationship between geometry and the urban landscape.

After making several photographs, I step back further with my Nikkor 24 mm f/2.8 Ai-S, which was my favourite focal length at the time, and move inside, pressing the lens against the glass so that the building itself becomes a compositional element. The glazed façade on the left of the frame, with its repeating metal structure, turns into a long vanishing plane that leads the eye towards the horizon line and towards Notre-Dame de Paris.

The shower that follows completes the composition by adding reflections of the railing on the wet floor.

A sudden shower and three fleeing silhouettes

Just as I frame this relatively static scene, a sudden shower starts. Three people who had been enjoying the view over Paris begin to run towards the rooftop restaurant to find shelter. The rain starts to cover the terrace, though a strip of dry paving remains under the railing on the left, confirming how recent the shower is.

The three running figures then become the main subjects of the image. Their forward-leaning posture, bent legs and coats pulled tight around them show their immediate reaction to the rain. Their reflections appear on the shiny surface of the floor, reinforcing the impression of movement and adding a second layer of reading to the scene. The whole remains clear and factual: a terrace, a modern building, a rain shower and a few people simply trying to get out of the rain.

Film archives and negative digitisation

Like many of my images from this period, this photograph long existed only as an 18×24 cm print with a white border, its 24×36 negative filed away in my binders. I brought it out again recently as part of a process of rediscovering and digitising my film archives.

Read the dedicated articles How to scan your film photos: flatbed scanner, Nikon Coolscan or camera? and Digitizing black and white negatives with a camera and developing them in Lightroom to learn more about my method for digitising 35 mm slides and negatives.

An image representative of my practice

This photograph of the IMA terrace, taken in 1989, is one of those images that sums up my way of seeing. It is not part of a constructed reportage or a carefully prepared series, but rather a scene from everyday life where architecture, light and human movement come together over a few seconds. The framing is built on the building’s lines and the perspective of the terrace, while the sudden shower and the running silhouettes introduce an element of unpredictability at the heart of the image.

It now belongs to my film photography archives brought back to light, which I enjoy rediscovering, digitising and sharing in their digital form.

About the Author

Sebastien Desnoulez is a professional photographer specializing in architecture, landscape and travel photography. Trained in photography in the mid-1980s, he covered Formula 1 races and reported from around the globe before devoting himself to a more demanding fine art photography practice blending composition, light and emotion. He also shares his technical expertise through hands-on articles for passionate photographers, built on a solid background in both film and digital photography.