Nights in Bayeux
A couple of shots captured during the lovely, soft light of blue hour, in the small French town of Bayeux.
A few years ago, we took a trip to France, and one of the things we wanted to make sure to do was visit Normandy. It’s a beautiful area and there are several towns that looked interesting, but we settled on Bayeux and spent a couple of nights there. Of course, I hit the streets with my camera as much as possible, because shooting in foreign cities just makes me happy. It wasn’t crowded at all, which is great for me, and I was able to wander freely and shoot quite a bit. I just have a thing for street scenes, and doubly so when they are European. These two were captured on my wanderings. Nothing particularly spectacular about them - just everyday spots under the soft light of twilight.
The Moulin Rouge
A long exposure taken at the Moulin Rouge in Paris…
Such a great spot for night photography! We were in Paris and sorta near this part of town one evening, and I just had to pop over here and get some long exposures of the spinning wheel at the Moulin Rouge. It’s a colorful part of the city and one worth exploring. Then again, the whole city is just amazing. In other words, if you are planning a trip here, be sure you make it a long one! ;-)
Sunset in Montpellier
A stunning sunset from Montpellier, France…
When I visited Montpellier, France I was mostly expecting to shoot the city a bit, capture some interesting architecture and street scenes, and just enjoy hanging out. But one evening I was out in their big open park area known as Promenade du Peyrou and it was obvious that the sunset was going to be spectacular. Sometimes you can tell, when the light and clouds start getting all set up, and you can just feel it. So I hung around and waited for it, and it was well worth it. The park is not that large, but I took hundreds of photos during that time because the light was just amazing. This is the view looking out towards the aqueduct at the back side of the park. The two figures walking down there made it for me.
Night in Strasbourg
A dark night in a little town in France…
Oh boy do I love to wander in European cities at night!
When we visited Strasbourg, France a while back, I made a point of wandering as much as possible. It’s a gorgeous town and even the newer, more modern parts looks great to me. I captured this towards the end of my wandering, as this tram was pulling up for a stop.
Night at Moulin Rouge
A long exposure from the Moulin Rouge in Paris, France…..such a gorgeous city and a gorgeous location for photography!
Ah, lovely Paris at night! So gorgeous there!
I love Paris as much as the next person does - maybe more. I have so many photos from there and even the bad ones are beautiful in some way...that's just Paris. It's all gorgeous. One night while there on my last visit I headed over to the Moulin Rouge. I was hoping to get a long exposure of it because I know the windmill blades turn, so I thought if I could get it right it would be a nice big blur...and it worked great!
Morning at Notre Dame
One morning in Paris I was up and out shooting really early. I started at Notre Dame and although the sunrise wasn’t interesting, it was great to have this icon to myself!
Two versions of the same photo - which do you like better?
I often edit the same photo a couple of different ways. It's a great creative exercise and one that stretches my imagination a bit. It causes me to think differently and forces me to experiment with filters and ideas that may not occur to me naturally. Plus it's fun.
So in today's photo I did just that, taking this morning shot from Notre Dame in Paris and editing it a couple of different ways. In this case the differences are mostly about color tones but many times I will do much broader experiments to see what else I can come up with. Give it a try if you don't do this regularly. You just might discover a cool new technique for yourself!
An evening in Paris
A lovely night scene in Paris...
The last time we were in Paris was a while ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. The city just embeds itself in my psyche and doesn't let go. I love it there. While there are so many landmarks to visit and photograph, I get an equal amount of enjoyment from wandering the streets and shooting the little, overlooked scenes.
Today's photo is a perfect example of that. I had been shooting Les Deux Magots, which is a famous cafe where Hemingway and others hung out back in the day. Afterwards I just strolled around that area for a few minutes and saw this scene, which just begged me to stop and shoot. There's just something romantic and ethereal about nights in Paris. The architecture, the little plazas, and even the lamp posts just all draw me in.
Winter evening in Paris
The streets of Paris on a cold winter night...
A quick snap from a winter night on the streets of Paris!
I absolutely love Paris, and I love street scenes, so when I can get both in one shot I am a pretty happy guy! This was one winter evening when we were visiting Paris and out shopping and generally just enjoying the amazingness that is Paris. As is often the case, my wife and daughter were in a store somewhere and I was prowling the street outside, firing away. I'll take that trade any day!
This is a 3 exposure HDR created in Aurora HDR and then I took the image into Luminar to add some filters and make general color adjustments.
Le Consulat
Le Consulat in Paris, during twilight...
A nice little scene in Paris!
Prior to our last trip to Paris, I had written out a list of places I wanted to photograph, and noted where they are in the city. Atop that list was Le Consulat, this little cafe in Montmartre. I have seen plenty of pics of this place over the years, and was glad to finally get there one evening. As you can see the area wasn't too crowded, so I was easily able to get my shots without having to wait too long!
Up early in Paris
Before sunrise in Paris, when all the tourists are asleep...
Do you get up and shoot sunrise when you travel? I do, and it's usually amazing.
I would say that sunrise is my favorite time to shoot, especially when I travel. Most of the tourists are still asleep, so normally crowded spots are empty, like this one. This is the path along the River Seine in Paris, in front of Notre Dame. At 6am it looks like this - empty. I'm willing to sacrifice sleep to get things like this to myself!
Sunset in Strasbourg
A stunning sunset in Strasbourg, France...
Such an amazing town in France!
Last year at about this time, we hopped on a plane and flew to Paris. It was awesome. I mean, it's Paris. It's always awesome. But part of the trip was to take a side trip over to Strasbourg and see the Christmas markets. This was an amazing little detour and well worth it.
We only had a couple of days to spare, so although it was a quick visit we crammed a lot into it. The train took us there from Paris in something like 3 hours, and we rented an apartment right on the edge of the beautiful historic district. So we had about a 5 minute walk to get to the markets and explore all the beauty of this town.
The historic quarter is known as Petite France and that's where I captured this shot. I wandered around looking for interesting things to shoot, in preparation for sunset. It turned into a real beauty and I spent a good hour here firing away. So awesome. I want to return!
Vintage France
Chateau de Chambord from the Loire Valley of France...looking a bit vintage in today's post.
Chateau de Chambord in the Loire Valley
This place is just incredible. We visited a few years ago and I took so many pics that I still haven't gotten to. The setting is serene and beautiful and it's hard to deny just how impressive that facade is. In this one I went for a vintage look just for fun. I enjoy experiments in the digital darkroom. :-)
Twilight along the Seine
Evening in Paris and I was walking along the River Seine taking photos...
Paris at night is spectacular!
Actually, Paris is spectacular any time of day. But at night it really has a glow about it. I captured this shot of the Conciergerie with a passing boat one evening near Notre Dame. We had been out and about, and I was firing away happily. I saw the boat coming so I set up to capture it as it passed. Now and then I actually plan ahead - at least by a few seconds!
Moulin Rouge at night
A long exposure of the Moulin Rouge in Paris, taken after dark one evening...
This place is magical after dark!
I love neon signs when they are all lit up at night - I just find it gorgeous. On our last trip to Paris, I made sure to get over here to the Moulin Rouge one evening so I could capture it. On our previous trip, I ended up here during the day which is definitely not as exciting.
So I arrived after dark and set up on a little pedestrian island sort of in the street, trying to keep people from standing in front of my camera while I took this long exposure. Generally they were considerate, which is great, and I was able to capture exactly what I wanted.
Yes, that windmill thing atop the Moulin Rouge does turn, and that was my goal - to capture a long exposure so it would blur out and look like it is spinning pretty fast. Done!
Blue hour in Amboise
An evening street scene from the lovely little town of Amboise, France...
Here's one from a few years ago - I love this little town!
We were in the Loire Valley of France a few years back, checking out all the amazing chateaux that dot the countryside there. It's well worth a visit, if you haven't been yet.
If you want to see my previous blog posts from the Loire Valley, you can find them all here.
We stayed in the little town of Amboise and just loved it. Small and quaint, with a beautiful chateau atop the hill and lovely little streets just built for wandering - this town just captured my heart. This was one evening while I was out with my camera, making memories.