Paris

The Eiffiel Tower is Paris, this is one of my long exposure shots.

The Eiffiel Tower is Paris, this is one of my long exposure shots.
The Basilica of Saint-Denis is where the Kings, Queens and royality of France are buried.
Many of the tomb stones of the time have a dog sitting at the feet.
We again stayed in the rue Montorgueil area of Paris. This is in the 2nd arrondissement, just above Les Halls. This is the place to be.
rue Montorgueil
rue Dénoyez has two blocks where all the buildings are covered in graffiti.
La Conciergerie is a former royal palace and prison in Paris, France, located on the west of the Île de la Cité. It is part of the larger complex known as the Palais de Justice, which is still used for judicial purposes.
We enjoying visiting the various passages and galeries of Paris. These are covered retail walk ways that were very popular in the 1800s. The Passage du Bourg-l’Abbé, built in 1828, was part of a line of passages from the Passage du Grand-Cerf to the Rue Saint-Martin by linking up with the open-air Passage de l’Ancre. The passage however lost the eastern end when Boulevard Sébastopol was built in 1854. It is a charming, short passage with a feel of warmth because of the wood.
The Passage du Grand Cerf, in the 2nd arrondisement, is one of the regular walks taken to get back to our apartment. At one time there were 150 passages in Paris, now about 25 remain. Built in 1825, it is three floors in height so it really has an elegant feel.
Some parts of Montmarte are not that attractive, and some are just tourist spots. When I walked by this cafe, I saw the colour tables, that are found throuighout Paris, makiing quiite the colour statement.
I went out one night with friends to practice some Long Exposure shots in the evening. The photo on the left is the street behind the Sacré-Coure as we arrived. We set up our tripods, and with a little long exposure the light trails of the traffic coming down the street are vivid.
I went on the hunt for mannequin shots. A store on Boulevard Sébastopol has one of the best collections that could be shot through the windows.
The cour Carrée et Pyramide du Louvre is the area where the main entrance to the Louvre is found. At hight, the pryamides are lite up, and the whole area has an enchanting feel.

It was good to return to Paris.

As son as we arrived at our apartment on rue Bachaumont it felt that we have returned home! We unpacked, walked along rue Montorgueil, with its many food stores, and picked up our supplies for the next nine days. It is a real neighborhood. Heck there is even a hardware store so I was able to pick up the stove-top espresso coffee pot. Got to have good coffee while we are here!

I had planned on this being a fairly major photo shoot. A cold I picked up in New York slowed me down for the first two days, but after that, every morning was the same. Coffee, pick up the tripod and head out.

Rain, think reflections - Cafe Nemours

We have never stayed in Paris in April and found the weather can be much like it is in Vancouver. It can be sunny and hot, or, it can be overcast and rainy. We had plenty of overcast cloudy days. For my long exposure photography, well this was a blessing. When it did rain, it basically would rain for an hour and then stop. So, not much was lost by the weather, and some photos, never would have the drama if there were not clouds in the sky.

For photography, rain means reflections, and getting out on the streets right after it rained was always a rewarding time. Above is the famous Cafe Nemours, located near the Palais Royal. Oh those reflections.

Since I was down with a cold for the first couple of of days we had to cancel our day trip to Reims and the champagne region. We can do that on our next visit. Always leave a reason to return.

I had heard about rue Dénoyez. Where once it was a street of closed businesses, it is now the centre of the community. I am told that each time you visit it looks different. I can believe that as the afternoon I was there a young guy was added yet another layer of paint to a section of the way.

We also went to the Cathedral Saint Denis. Located in the northern area of Paris, Saint-Denis is home to the royal necropolis - the Kings, Queens and royalty are interred in Saint-Denis.

The nice thing about returning to Paris so many times is that there is no need to rush out and see specific sites. This year, like others, I have always found I was seeing something I have never seen before.

View from Tour Montparnasse

For example, I went to the top of the Tour Montparnasse for fabulous views of Paris. An elevator takes you to the 56th floor and from there you walk up to the 59th floor which is the roof top.

One night our friends Jacques, Vannarith and their friend Kejian go out for a night photography session. They had scouted out some locations in advance, and picked a area in Montmarte that is below the back side of Sacreé-Court. Great, I never would have known about this location and the narrow winding street that runs down a hill was a perfect location for some long exposure demonstrations.

Plumbe et Bille in Paris

I was so busy with photography on this visit that I only stopped by a few pen stores. That's a change! Of course, Plume et Bille is one of the stores I always try to make time to visit. I had a pleasant visit with Brigitte Courson. If I was ever to open a pen store myself, that is the kind of store I would like to have.