We’ve seen some great series that juxtapose the landscapes of the past with how they look in the present. But, this one turns the idea on its head. Damien Hypolite compares the modern-day Paris with photos of it from 1789 to 1799… well before the invention of photography.
So, how did he do it? Thanks to Hypolite’s computer knowledge and gaming enthusiasm, he printed out screenshots of the video game Assassin’s Creed Unity (which is based during the French Revolution) and then held them up around the city. This involved him spending an afternoon playing the game in HD with a map of Paris nearby, and he virtually visited famous spots in the city and took their picture. Afterwards, Hypolite printed out the screenshots on photo paper and biked to their real-life locations. These combinations were taken on his smartphone and uploaded online.
The clever series seamlessly blends video games with real life, and it’s a testament to just how sophisticated their graphics are. If you didn’t know that the photos were from Assassin’s Creed Unity, you might not ever know.
