Three views outside of Saint-Sulpice in Paris

Serendipity at work. I had just assigned the next photo project to my students—something on the theme of religion and/or transformation—when I happened upon the following in front of Saint-Sulpice church (the church that no tourists ever visited until the Da Vinci Code cast it in a dramatic conspiratorial role):

A diptych of a visitor and an unexpected attraction.

A larger view of the right...

and left sides of the diptych.

And my favorite shot:

The three friends doing a subversive photo project in front of the church look to be of North African heritage (probably Algerian). They were using a blue veil made of tulle (at times worn like a hijab) as part of their provocative poses. To my surprise, the woman begging in the foreground—Starbucks coffee cup in hand—thought it was just great.