Photos: Night cafes and the joy of watching

People watching is an art. Performing it with finesse requires effort, timing, and the ability to make yourself (almost) invisible.

The single benefit of a gloomy, dark January evening is the cover and camouflage it offers for fruitful people-watching.

Holding on with both hands by Natalie Persoglio

Beyond the black glass, we see their faces and features just as their loved ones do - no masks, just honest emotions. Beautiful.

When the mask drops, who are we? How many people see you? Unafraid, honest, and bare.

A young woman wearing a thin silver bracelet and smudged eyeliner, bleach stains along the hem of her skirt.

A man, perhaps just back from the gym, with a flushed face and a black tattoo peeping out from under his sleeve, refreshed his phone screen anxiously.

A bony-kneed teenager, nervously tapping his foot, picked at the skin around his fingernails. On another table, an earnest dark-haired woman held both hands of a young boy, her expression full of significance — what was she about to tell him?

Sweet memories — by Natalie Persoglio

Lone Street — By Natalie Persoglio

In February, I'll visit Paris — the ultimate people-watching destination.

Undressed windows, Parisians orchestrating their lives from tiny amber-lit apartments, steamy brasseries with tightly-wound waiters. Slick, inky streets teeming with people seeking their souls, and the liminality of Gard du Nord’s jam-packed train platforms filled with backstories and characters.

Message me/comment with any suggestions of must-sees. I’m a veteran of Paris but haven’t scratched the surface, so recommendations are gratefully received.

Music to watch people by …