Paris- suggestions please

[fursan]

My son has just completed his medical internship and his brother has entered medical
college.

As a celebration, my wife and me have decided to take them on a fully paid vacation to
paris ( the place they have not visited ) during july/august ( i know not the best time of year)

There is a possibility that if I can get some unique images/themes of Paris, they could
be sold.

I need your help to design some unique themes that i could capture during our visit to
this beautiful and fully photographed city.

Your suggestions shall get my non-existant creative juices flowing.

I shall be taking my m8 amd m7. I have most of the lenses I need except the 24mm.

Thank You, thank you.


p.s i am doing a search for paris in these forums.

[Dantist]

Hi Fursan,

The best period to visit Paris is from July 13th to August 15th. Most of parisians are away for vacation, this means a important reduce of traffic, most devoted to tourists, plus facilities going along. You will encounter much more english spoken than french

Themes for photo are numerous : architecture, people, cemetaries, luxury and shop centers, places having a link with movies... make your own choice !

Best should go to libraries and fix what's most interesting for the subject supposed to catch attention, in order to expect good sales.

Cheers,
Michel

[fursan]

Hi Michel,

Thank you so much for the quick response and suggestions. cemeteries and links with
cinema seems very interesting.

regards.

Originally Posted by Dantist

Hi Fursan,

The best period to visit Paris is from July 13th to August 15th. Most of parisians are away for vacation, this means a important reduce of traffic, most devoted to tourists, plus facilities going along. You will encounter much more english spoken than french

Themes for photo are numerous : architecture, people, cemetaries, luxury and shop centers, places having a link with movies... make your own choice !

Best should go to libraries and fix what's most interesting for the subject supposed to catch attention, in order to expect good sales.

Cheers,
Michel

[jaapv]

You'll enjoy it. The creative settings for your unique photo's will have to come from your own inspiration though. Paris is probably the most photographed city in world .Every object you will see will have been captured by somebody before. So you will have to look at the people more than the architecture for uniqueness. Good luck and have fun. My favorite time (I've lived there) is May. Paris in August Ugh... The closeness of the weather, the dust, the tourists... I would not advise it. Paris au mois d'Aout as the locals call it perjoratively.

[stephan_w]

personally I don't mind the season. In summer you can even find a parking place as a lot of the police is in holidays also :-)

I like to visit the marine museum near Eifel tower, it has a lot of world class models (but you need a polarizer, as much is under glass).

Other interesting themes: The waist water system (even if i doubt much photographic potential), train stations, houses and house-keepers (Concierges), metro and and and ...... if you are more interested in architecture, visit the new suburbs of paris (there is an administration for that, i just don't remember where it was).

[richam]

Check out Place de Vosges if you like street photography. Musicians, small bands, mimes, acrobats, and the like. Have a great time.

[stunsworth]

Off the top of my head...

Rue Moufftard on a Sunday morning for the market. Palais Royale, Louvre - and pyramids, Pont des Arts, Notre Dame, Luxembourg gardens, Marais, lots of other places too. The best thing is just to wander around.

Metro stations can be good too. If you're there for any length of time get a 'carte orange' rather than a tourist pass, they are awailable for a week or a month and much better value. I think they're available for non-residents but I'm not sure.

Oh, Eiffel tower for sure, but if you don't want to queue and do want a shot of the tower, try the Monparnasse Tower which has spectacular views from the top. The other bonus is that since you're on top of the tower you can't see the damned thing. I always felt that the best view from the Eiffel tower was from the second level. The top platform gives you further views, but a lot of detail is lost.

The orangerie in the Tuilleries (another place worth visiting) is now open, so you can see the huge Monet water lilly paintings once again - well worth a visit if art's your thing.

The left bank from the Seine to Blvd St Germain has lots of narrow streets, though it's a bit touristy. I'd walk across Pont des Arts, through the Institute Francais, and then up rue de Seine. There's a photo agency behind the institute that always had some interesting old photographs in the window.

The latin quarter is great if you like cheap greek food - especially if you like kebab and frites to take away. I expect it's changed a lot since the 1950s.

Personally I hated the wide boulevards with a vengence. Perhaps I walked the length of rue de Rivoli one too many times. I prefered the narrow streets in the first 6 or so of the arrondisements.

You must - especially in July/August have a Bertillon ice cream on Ile St Louis, the only problem is I think they may be shut in August.

There are lots of camera shops on Blvd Beaumarchais, lots of Leicas too. Just don't expect any bargains. If you need to buy any photographic supplier then I'd suggest one of the large FNAC stores. There's one in Les Halles, on the Champs Elysees, and another near Gare St Lazare, plus others.

Of all my favourite places in paris - I lived there for a couple of years - the two at the top of the heap were Pont des Arts and the Palais Royale. I could sit and 'people watch' for hours in either.

I must try and have a least a long weekend in Paris myself this summer. Even though I lived there for a while I've never tired of it. I still get a rush when I go back.

[stunsworth]

Also you may get a better response if a mod moves this to the bar section of the forum.

[Dantist]

Jaapv,
"Paris au mois d'Août" refers to the liberation of the city in August 1944 by General Leclerc. The today meaning is most about a desert city

The one place on summertime for singers, acrobats, talkers (and pickpockets...) is the modern museum Beaubourg (metro Rambuteau), bit west end of le Marais, to Châtelet-Les Halles.

(Re)discovered this week-end the museum for ancient monuments, opposite side to Marine museum, at Trocadero. Gorgeous and gigantic...

There are lots of interesting places less than half an hour trip by train : Chantilly, Compiègne, Versailles, Fontainebleau, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Port-Royal, Fontenay-le-Comte, Vincennes, Villandry... One full day must be planned to visit only one of them. And you must think that you will spend one complete day to visit only the Versailles castle itself OR the gardens, never expect to have a good look to both of them within 8 hours on your fast toes .

Check this link, all these museums around Paris are free of charge for entrance : Arts & culture - France - Les musées nationaux gratuits en Région Parisienne

Of course, there is a very sweet place to end the day with fresh air, having dinner on sidewalks, without cars, but a gentle turmoil that inspires so much fun : Place du Tertre, Montmartre, with painters, typical kellners, and so on...

[Dantist]

Steve,
You put the point on the must-be-seen places : rue Mouffetard (or rue de Buci, St Germain) are very nice on saturday morning fresh markets, le Pont-des-Arts is surely a track often blocked for movie-making, Luxembourg is the dreamed place for "existentialists" (50's), Ile Saint-Louis just pops up from 19th century, and Palais Royal is THE silent place in the center city, le Pont-Neuf was crowded with tramps during 17th century, hard to cross... endless stories...

The press agency rue de Seine is Rapho.

[stunsworth]

Personally I always disliked Montmartre, great views over the city, but the area around the place was too much Disney and not enough Paris IMHO.

[fursan]

Jaap, thanks for responding. Inspiration...?. August is predetermined based on children's
vacation.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by jaapv

You'll enjoy it. The creative settings for your unique photo's will have to come from your own inspiration though. Paris is probably the most photographed city in world .Every object you will see will have been captured by somebody before. So you will have to look at the people more than the architecture for uniqueness. Good luck and have fun. My favorite time (I've lived there) is May. Paris in August Ugh... The closeness of the weather, the dust, the tourists... I would not advise it. Paris au mois d'Aout as the locals call it perjoratively.

[fursan]

Stephan, you have given material for thought.
Regards.

Originally Posted by stephan_w

personally I don't mind the season. In summer you can even find a parking place as a lot of the police is in holidays also :-)

I like to visit the marine museum near Eifel tower, it has a lot of world class models (but you need a polarizer, as much is under glass).

Other interesting themes: The waist water system (even if i doubt much photographic potential), train stations, houses and house-keepers (Concierges), metro and and and ...... if you are more interested in architecture, visit the new suburbs of paris (there is an administration for that, i just don't remember where it was).

[fursan]

Michel, this seems to be worth exploring for me. let's me see what google comes up
with. thanks for pointing me to it.

take care.

Originally Posted by richam

Check out Place de Vosges if you like street photography. Musicians, small bands, mimes, acrobats, and the like. Have a great time.

[fursan]

Steve, I have printed your response.
Grateful to you for bringing back memories of paris when i visited some years ago.

Yep...the place to be.

Thank you kindly sir.

Originally Posted by stunsworth

Off the top of my head...

Rue Moufftard on a Sunday morning for the market. Palais Royale, Louvre - and pyramids, Pont des Arts, Notre Dame, Luxembourg gardens, Marais, lots of other places too. The best thing is just to wander around.

Metro stations can be good too. If you're there for any length of time get a 'carte orange' rather than a tourist pass, they are awailable for a week or a month and much better value. I think they're available for non-residents but I'm not sure.

Oh, Eiffel tower for sure, but if you don't want to queue and do want a shot of the tower, try the Monparnasse Tower which has spectacular views from the top. The other bonus is that since you're on top of the tower you can't see the damned thing. I always felt that the best view from the Eiffel tower was from the second level. The top platform gives you further views, but a lot of detail is lost.

The orangerie in the Tuilleries (another place worth visiting) is now open, so you can see the huge Monet water lilly paintings once again - well worth a visit if art's your thing.

The left bank from the Seine to Blvd St Germain has lots of narrow streets, though it's a bit touristy. I'd walk across Pont des Arts, through the Institute Francais, and then up rue de Seine. There's a photo agency behind the institute that always had some interesting old photographs in the window.

The latin quarter is great if you like cheap greek food - especially if you like kebab and frites to take away. I expect it's changed a lot since the 1950s.

Personally I hated the wide boulevards with a vengence. Perhaps I walked the length of rue de Rivoli one too many times. I prefered the narrow streets in the first 6 or so of the arrondisements.

You must - especially in July/August have a Bertillon ice cream on Ile St Louis, the only problem is I think they may be shut in August.

There are lots of camera shops on Blvd Beaumarchais, lots of Leicas too. Just don't expect any bargains. If you need to buy any photographic supplier then I'd suggest one of the large FNAC stores. There's one in Les Halles, on the Champs Elysees, and another near Gare St Lazare, plus others.

Of all my favourite places in paris - I lived there for a couple of years - the two at the top of the heap were Pont des Arts and the Palais Royale. I could sit and 'people watch' for hours in either.

I must try and have a least a long weekend in Paris myself this summer. Even though I lived there for a while I've never tired of it. I still get a rush when I go back.

[stunsworth]

Forgot, the Canal St Martin just north of Republique, some very nice canal side shots, pretty bridges over the canal, locks and some pleasant canal side cafes. Salgado lives - or used to live - in the area. If you've seen the film Amelie, the scene where she was skimming stones on the canal was filmed at one of the lock gates on this section of the canal.

There is a boat trip you can go on from Bastille to La Villette that journeys up canal St Martin, but I never bothered. Takes a few hours and the first section is underground.

La Villette itself is worth a visit. A former slaughterhouse it's been transformed into a science museum. There's a submarine in the grounds - not in water alas - that you can visit. Very claustrophobic.

[Dantist]

Standing in the heart of Le Marais, few steps from place des Vosges :

Maison Européenne de la photographie
5 r Fourcy 75004 Paris

[robsteve]

My best shots from Paris came from meeting up with residents of Paris from the Leica forums and just going out and shooting with them. Steve Unsworth was one such resident of Paris that gave me a fine tour of the city.

[stunsworth]

Thanks Robert, I wish I was still living there to do the same again some time.

One other thought for the original poster. If you're there in August visit Paris Plage. A large section of the right bank of the Seine is turned into a beach with various attractions.

One tip, there's a listings magazine printed each Wednesday called Pariscope. It has details of just about everything that's happening in Paris for the following week. even if you only speak little or no French it's useful. Cost is just a few cents, and it's available from any newsagent.

[andybarton]

Gets hot in Paris in mid-August

(But not as hot as Riyadh, I suppose, so bring a sweater )