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Paris, the City of Lights. By day or by night, from the Bastille to the Marais,
from the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, the Eternal City, its riverbanks, cathedrals,
boulevards, monuments, architecture, cafés, and neighborhoods all offer
endless opportunities to create stunning images.
You’ll want to visit and photograph all of the famous spots: Montmartre
and Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame, Ile de la Cite, the Eiffel Tower, The Marais, Palais
Royale, the Champs Elysees, and the Arc de Triomphe. But, to do it right, you’ll
need to look for something a little out of the ordinary; something more than
the usual stereotyped, postcard-style shots everyone is so familiar with. A
little forethought will help make your visit a memorable one.
TIP 1: Try Something Different
One thing to remember when photographing Paris: it’s all been done before.
Every monument, church, cathedral, and sidewalk café has been photographed
from every imaginable angle and at every time of the day or night. It stands
to reason, then, that to try to find a new way to shoot, say, the Eiffel Tower
(probably the most photographed site in the world), would be something of a
challenge. The secret here is to scout the entire site thoroughly, and learn
to see what you’re looking at.
I wandered around the tower and gardens for most of an afternoon. Conditions
for shooting were poor:. It was crowded and hot; the light was flat, and the
sky was lacking in detail. I cropped, distorted, framed, and peeped through
railings and gaps in foliage. I even shot from directly below the center of
the ironwork. Eventually, I did come away with a few images that pleased me.
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TIP 2: Paris Is All About Color
The Eternal City. The City Of Light. To locals and tourists alike, these are
the names we most associate with Paris. But Paris is also a City Of Color. Everywhere
you go, whatever the season, the city is ablaze with all the colors of the rainbow.
The markets, sidewalk cafes, shop-fronts, the flowers and décor, even
the clothing worn by its people, all offer unlimited opportunities to create
dozens of striking images.
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TIP 3: Paris Is For Lovers
As everyone knows, Paris is the city of romance. Simply watch the Parisians
and you’ll see what I mean. On every corner, on every park bench, at every
sidewalk café, and at every hour of the day or night, you’ll see
couples arm-in-arm, or holding hands as they stroll the boulevards and streets
of Paris. Lovers everywhere can be seen embracing and kissing and, for the most-part,
they take little notice of the camera. Just try not to be intrusive or obvious.
Use a long lens, if the light permits, or simply use a wide angle lens and make
your couple just a small point of interest in a much bigger picture. If you
do decide on the “big picture” approach, be sure to observe the
rules of good composition—employ the rule of thirds and place your couple
at a point where two of the lines intersect.
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TIP 4: Paris Is All About Architecture
Nowhere else on earth can you find so much magnificent architecture centered
in one city. Street after street, boulevard after boulevard, incredible buildings,
cathedrals, churches, and palaces line up one behind the other. If ever a city
has a glut of anything, Paris has a glut of marvelous buildings. Talk about
being spoiled for choice. As always, though, I could hear that nagging little
voice in the back of my mind telling me “it’s all been done before.”
So, what to do?
In the interest of trying something different, I looked for patterns. The layout
of the streets, the rooftops, the flying buttresses of the great churches and
cathedrals—even the buildings themselves— all seemed to have an
appealing symmetry. Be selective. Use your zoom lens to crop and retain interesting
sections of roofs and buildings.
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