When: September 2014 Weather: warm, 20-23C
Leica M240. 35mm F1.4 summilux. 21 mm F3.4 super elmar
2 days in Paris to shoot two of the most iconic landmarks in Paris. the Eiffel Tower and Sacre Coeur church in Montmartre. Although I’d been to these places several times before, I’d only ever taken postcard style photos(ie boring) before… So it was to the Eurostar terminal at St pancras for the 2hr 20min trip to Paris.
St Pancras Eurostar Station detail
the Eiffel Tower in the evening
as the sun set, the lights came on
beautiful in the night sky
In B&W
From the river
Photographing the Eiffel Tower in broad daylight is always a challenge..a challenge in making the images different and unique. Night shots of the lit tower just shows its beauty more clearly rather than grey on grey in the day.
The metro is as reliable as ever…less closures than the London undeground
Dawn on the Champs Elysee
war memorial
Grand Palais
90 year old gentleman enjoying lunch at Les Bouquinistes
view of the Sacre Coeur church on the hill in Montmartre as seen from Musee d’Orsay
Wanting to shoot the Sacre Coeur church at dawn meant a 630am start to get to the Abbesses metro station by 7am to catch the funiculaire up to the church…arriving there about 710am…..the Parisians would do well to do something about the unbearable stench of piss everywhere around the Sacred Heart church…obviously the grounds serve as a place for merrymaking at night and there were broken beer bottles and trash everywhere. Clearly the lack of toilet facilities up there mean that the grounds of the church become the latrine…..most unbecoming of a beautiful place.
Daybreak over the city from the top of the funiculaire
the church was still illuminated
the colours changed by the minute
the sun soon began to appear
and cast its golden glow on all of Paris
beautiful pink glow on the church
view through the arch
lovers viewing the sunrise
the warm glow bathed everything
rising sun glow
B&W
It was reassuring that Paris’ finest were patroling the area
as the sun rose, the clouds took up formation
floral borders
The Natural Traveller 