We Americans have a general perception of what a Parisian looks like — a stereotype perpetuated as recently as last weekend’s Saturday Night Live. But just as most of our major metropolitan areas are incredibly diverse and impossible to contain in a single cultural stereotype, Paris is a melting pot, full of individuals with various backgrounds and identities. Russian photographer Constantin Mashinskiy is currently documenting the city’s inhabitants on his blog, 365 Parisiens, on which he posts a picture of a different stranger every day. (Think of it as an artier Humans of New York.) In his stark, black-and–white photographs, Mashinskiy captures the essence of a vibrant city through the various, sometimes extreme personalities of its residents.
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy
Image credit: Constantin Mashinskiy