Off the beaten path in Paris

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Barrington photographer Susan McConnell has earned a reputation as a portrait artist, whose "Finding Strength" exhibit recently toured Northwest suburban venues, showcasing cancer survivors.

Now, her work has taken a different spin, but it continues to support her favorite cause: Wellness Place in Inverness, a cancer resource center.

Her newest collection, "Have You Seen Paris Like This," opened April 3. The show takes place at Belongings, a high-end resale shop in Barrington, whose proceeds benefit Wellness Place programs and services.

The shop itself is of interest to art lovers. Its donated pieces of art, furniture, china and jewelry are displayed amid the confines of a restored 19th century two-story home.

Fifty percent of the proceeds from the sale of prints of McConnell's work benefit Wellness Place, which offers an array of support services that are free to cancer patients.

In this new series, McConnell takes viewers beyond the typical tourist attractions in Paris, to sites off the beaten path. She took the images while on a trip visiting her oldest son, who is taking a semester away from the University of Illinois to study in Paris.

"I hired two guides, and asked them to take me to places that were distinctively Paris, yet nontraditional," McConnell explains. "They took me to rooftops of buildings, fancy department stores and down winding streets. I bet we walked 15 miles every day."

For lunch, her guides took her to small French restaurants where they combined lessons on the native language with etiquette and politics when dealing with the locals.

"Before I took someone's photograph I would ask, in French, if it was all right," McConnell says. "Most of the time they would say, 'No,' but sometimes they would politely say, 'Yes.'

"My favorite photograph is of a guy cleaning glass shelves in the window of a wine store," she adds. "I went inside and asked him if I could take his photograph, and he was very happy. He kept doing what he was doing, and then once, and only once, did he look at me and smile."

Her shots include detail images from some of the historical architecture in Le Marsais, as well as more colorful ones from the markets, delicatessens and pastry shops in the city's Jewish Quarter.

"To date, most of my work has been in black and white," McConnell says. "It wasn't until I arrived in Paris and started shooting that I decided that this collection had to be in color.

"Color dominates everything in Paris," she adds. "This will affect my work going forward, I'm sure. Color is new to me, and I love it."

Wellness Place officials love the fact that McConnell is such a dedicated volunteer. Her Finding Strength exhibit not only showcased their clients, but her more of her shots can be seen in their recent Annual Report.

"Susan is always coming up with ways to help us get the word out about who we are and what we do," says Stefanie Brunner, Wellness Place spokeswoman. "We're thrilled to be involved with this exhibit, and see it as a terrific example of community partnership."

If you go

What: "Have You Seen Paris Like This?" photography exhibit, with proceeds to benefit Wellness Place cancer resource center

When: Prints will be available through April 30

Where: Belongings, 205 S. Cook St. in Barrington

Web: www.parislikethis.com