Street Photography in Paris

[Stan Raucher]

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Greetings,

 

I will be spending several weeks in Paris this May. This will be my first trip to Paris and I would appreciate any suggestions for interesting places to do street photography. I know that the entire city will be wonderful, but I would like to visit and photograph some unusual or lesser known areas of Paris. I would also appreciate any general tips or recommendations for street photography in Paris.

 

I plan to bring my M8 with 21mm, 28mm and 35mm lenses. I haven't yet decided if I should also bring along 15mm or 50mm lenses.

 

If any M8 users living in Paris would like to meet up for a coffee or some photography, send me a PM.

 

Cheers,

 

Stan

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[haika]

before my recent trip to paris, i asked a similar question in barnack's bar. check this link

http://www.leica-camera-user.com/barnacks-bar/21726-paris-suggestions.html

quite a few members gave me very good peaces of advice.

 

cheers,

günter

[MJLogan]

Spend some time in Belleville and along the Canal St-Martin, both in the northeast of the city. The ratio of real people to tourists is much better. You'll see everyone from hipster artists to recent immigrants, and get a feel for how real people live in the city.

 

If you're in town between May 11 and 14, I strongly urge you to go to the open artists' studios weekend in Belleville. I've been a few times, and it's always a lot of fun.

 

http://www.ateliers-artistes-belleville.org/

[stunsworth]

Stan, I'd be tempted to bring the 50 for slightly longer shots - and the 15 takes up so little space that you may as well bring that 'just in case ;-).

 

I don't know where you are staying but I think the best advice is just to wander about. Paris is full of photographs.

 

And you _must_ try an ice cream from the Bertillon shop on Ile St Louis. Make a detour if necessary :-)

[avsearle]

Try looking at this french guys work-pick out what you nee.

 

http://www.pbase.com/francist/parisparis

 

 

Regards

 

Avril

[rpierce]

Thank you for the info about Paris. Very timely. My wife and I will travel there next week for 3 days, then 5 days in Provence (Tavel) and 4 days in Nice. The M8 will compliment the D2X.

 

Bob Pierce

[photolandscape]

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The area around the Pompidou Centre, and the Centre itself, is a good place to see all sorts of people. Best thing to do in my opinion is--get up at dawn, and spending the next 14 hours walking or moving via the Metro. You won't suffer from a lack of things/people to photograph.

[mwilliamsphotography]

Robert, when in Nice rent a car and make the 40 minute trip to the mountain town of St Paul De Vance. Have lunch at the Le Columbe d' Or where Matisse came to dine and discuss art with the founder .. and paid with art, as did Picasso, Leger and a host of others... the place in crammed with masterpieces. There is a huge Calder piece reflecting in the pool. A nice walk up to the Catholic Church in the middle of the the town and you can leave a stone on Marc Chagall's grave

[losta]

Last May I attended a street photography workshop in Paris. This was before my M8 and we were asked to pick one camera and one lens and stick with it. I shot the project with my 5D and 35 1.4 L.

 

http://web.mac.com/losta/iWeb/losta/Paris_2006.html

 

Enjoy Paris, walk around alot. If you like gardens a nice half day trip by train to Giverny to see Monets garden is a wonderful outing that time of year.

[dugby]

I thought the streets north of Gare du Nord were interesting....as you head along the streets in the Chateau Rouge Metro region.

 

However I was warned by relatives living in Paris as you venture further north, to avoid provocation in where you point a camera....and unfortunately (at the risk of stereotyping) it's the teen/younger adult generation that can be the problem....not the wrinklies....

 

Maybe a Cron'd-M8 looks less threatening........ and easier to hide.

[stuny]

Stan -

 

Here are some notes that we gave to my niece for her European vacation following university. But first, a recent restaurant recommendation. It's very costly, but it is superb:

 

Taillevent (8th arr.) In ways it is like a mix of Daniel and Picholine in NY. Superb food and service, and not only a warm and professional staff, but one that is respectfully playful with the diners. What a delight, and a truly world-class restaurant in a top eating city. L'Univers Taillevent

 

Notes to my niece: The Seine roughly divides the city into the Right (northern) and Left (southern) banks of the river. The Seine actually arcs so it's not precisely north and south. Paris is segmented into districts called arrondissements. These arrondissements are arranged in an outward spiral beginning at the center of Paris. So, the 1st arr. is at the Ile de la Cite (a small island in the middle of the Seine with Notre Dame on it) and the Right Bank, which includes the neighborhood of the Louvre. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th (Le Marais) are on the Right Bank, then the spiral switches to the Left Bank for the 5th arr. (the infamous Latin Quarter where the Sorbonne resides), 6th arr. (St. Germain-des-Pres) and the 7th arr. The 8th is back on the Right bank, etc. The higher the number of the arrondissement, the farther out it is in the fringes of the city. Zip codes in Paris reflect the arrondissement, for example, 75001 is in the 1st, 75002 would be the 2nd, etc. Paris streets are winding and it's easy to get lost. It pays to buy "Paris by Arrondissements" which includes not just a map of the whole city with Metro and bus maps, but also detailed street maps within each arrondissement. You can get this at any newsstand. It's worth the cost. Definitely buy a Metro pass rather than individual tickets. It's good for unlimited use within its time period and can be used on buses also. The Metro is easy to figure out.

 

Here are suggestions for Paris:

• One of our favorite museums in the world is the Picasso in the 3rd or 4th. It's housed in a 17th century mansion. One proceeds through the 27 rooms in chronological order of his work, which is accompanied by newspaper articles (in several translations) showing what was happening in the world and the artist's life in each period that influenced his work.

• The Musee d'Orsay is a mid 19th century train station converted into a stunning museum. Arrive one morning when it first opens, and go immediately to the top floor so that you can enjoy the Impressionists without anybody blocking your view. This is the collection that had been at L'Orangerie, and then some. Consider lunch in their sit-down dining room. We've found it to be almost universal that fine lunches are served in the restaurants of good museums. Or, it's open late on Thursday nights (check to be sure that's still the night) and that's a good time to go. It's in the 7th arr. on the left bank of the Seine.

• At Notre Dame, pay the few francs and climb up into the parapets to be surrounded by the gargoyles and the view.

• Down the street is La Sainte Chapelle (within the walls of the Palais de Justice). Downstairs is the incredibly ornate chapel for the common folk. Upstairs is the over-the-top chapel for the aristocracy. You can almost hear Louis' and Marie Antoinette's heads rolling. The

• Conciergerie (the old dungeon) in this complex is also interesting.

• If you like Rodin, there is the Rodin Museum down the street from Les Invalides (not far from the Musee d'Orsay). The house has many of his sculptures, the front yard has one of our favorites (the Gates of Hell), and the gardens in back are lovely and peaceful.

• If you're a Napoleon freak, his tomb is in Les Invalides. Even better is Field Marshal Foch's tomb, which looks like several 1st world war soldiers as pall bearers of Foch's actual casket, all in stone.

• From Les Invalides, you can walk up the Champs de Mars to the Eiffel Tower. Across the Seine from the Tour Eiffel is the Palais de Chaillot. It has an interesting cinema museum.

• One of the best things to do in Paris is to just stroll along the banks of the Seine and into the charming neighborhoods, such as Le Marais and St. Germain-des-Pres, which have lots of art galleries, cafes and shops. La Place des Vosges in the 4th is one of the prettiest squares in town. Victor Hugo's house is open as a small museum.

• You have to start at the Tuileries, cross the Place de la Concorde, and walk up the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. It's especially beautiful at night. Don't be tempted to hang out in the cafes on the Champs Elysees, they're overpriced and touristy. Better to go to one in the chic Marais section.

• The Latin Quarter is the student's area and it has many inexpensive restaurants. The Moroccan ones are particularly good, couscous is terrific. La rue Mouffetard has a colorful outdoor food market in the mornings. You can buy some interesting tidbits and have a picnic lunch in the nearby Jardin des Plantes (botanicalgarden).

• After visiting Notre Dame, walk around the back of the cathedral and over the small footbridge to the Ile St. Louis. Incredibly charming little island with wonderful old houses, boutiques, restaurants, etc. and a great ice cream shop - Berthillon.

• The fancy shopping street is la rue du Faubourg St. Honore in the 8th, which houses the top designers. There are lots of great boutiques in le Marais but clothes are expensive unless you catch a sale or a discount place.

• If you want to see the Mona Lisa, get in line before the Louvre opens, and go immediately to her room. Use one of the less crowded side entrances, don't enter through the Pyramid. Later, it's impossible to get within 10 ft. of her. She's far better in the flesh than any reproduction. If you plan to visit museums, buy a museum pass, it's a very good deal and you probably can get an additional student discount with id. There are dozens of more things to do, but those are among our favorites.

 

Eating? Here are some interesting choices:

• L'Oulette in the 12th - country French. The last time we were there we had excellent 3 course dinners with complimentary appetizers (amuse-bouche) and petit fours, and the just arrived Beaujolais for about $55 each.

• Gaya in the 8th - The bistro of a far more expensive seafood restaurant and excellent in its own (friends tried it as recently as last November and report it is still superb).

• La Charlotte en L'Isle - A tiny chocolate shop on the Ile Saint-Louis. We went there before dinner one night and had hot chocolate that seemed to be nothing but melted Belgium chocolate. We still wake up moaning about it. It operates at odd hours, you have to check her sign.

• Le Grizzli - an authentic old-style bistro with a good fixed price menu. It's near the Centre Pompidou (all the French refer to the CP as "Beaubourg")

• Brasserie Flo - it's an old tourist institution, but it's really lively and fun with an incredibly friendly staff and good food. Reservations required. It is near the Bastille in an alley (cours des Petites-Ecuries, I think, which is off la rue des Petites-Ecuries)

No one eats early in Europe. 7 pm is considered early for dinner except at the tourist places. Not sure which clubs are hot in Paris these days.

[jlm]

if you are waliing around the Latin quarter, don't miss the Cluny Museum, the Parthenon and the church of St Severin

[luigi bertolotti]

Greetings,

 

I will be spending several weeks in Paris this May. This will be my first trip to Paris and I would appreciate any suggestions for interesting places to do street photography. I know that the entire city will be wonderful, but I would like to visit and photograph some unusual or lesser known areas of Paris. I would also appreciate any general tips or recommendations for street photography in Paris.

 

I plan to bring my M8 with 21mm, 28mm and 35mm lenses. I haven't yet decided if I should also bring along 15mm or 50mm lenses.

 

If any M8 users living in Paris would like to meet up for a coffee or some photography, send me a PM.

 

Cheers,

 

Stan

 

There is an easy way to find M8 users in Paris : Summilux : a french org, list of members on-line, lot of parisiens, easy to contact: registering is quick, if you want.

 

Lot of suggestions has already been posted, I see: for my, I can add to look with care at the "greens" of Paris: Jardin du Luxembourg, Parc Monceau, Jardin Des Plantes, and of course Bois de Boulogne and Buttes-Chaumont : all great shoot places. If in May, I would advise a trip (45 min train) to the Monet House at Giverny... more flower than street photography... well worth. Another personal advice : try photog in the night: Paris illumination can give nice effects.

[michael friedberg]

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Just came back. I've been in Paris perhaps a dozen times but never with an M8. I think Paris offers great street photography because everyone is always out --there's so much on the streets going on. Some of my favorite places to shoot were around the Place des Vosges and the Marais District. Also don't discount the Champs du Mars --for a park it offers a lot of life.

 

Everyone has a favorite Parisian restaurant, but our latest find was Christian Constant's Violin Des Ingres. The menu has been changed to brasserie fare, and for the two of us the bill came to 150 Euro (with a bottle of wine). Almost a bargain today, and unlike half the places in Paris the place is authentic. We were probably the only tourists there.

[Guest WPalank]

Stan,

My favorite city! You truly must take a morning or afternoon to stroll around Luxembourg Garden. One of my favorite places on earth since a young child.

In that general vicinity you will find Les Editeurs on Rue de l'Odeon near Odeon Metro stop (which is a large hub) which is great for breakfast. A friend turned me on to the place when I visited him there about 3 years ago. They serve a basket of Petit Pan Au Chocolat (small chocolate croissants) about the size of a silver dollar that are out of this world.

[ café restaurant les éditeurs - café littéraire au carrefour Odéon Saint Germain - Paris 75006 ]

After a stroll around the garden you can walk to St. Germain-des-Pres as Stuart suggested (actually I agree with everything Stuart suggested) and sit down at Café de Flore where the Parisians watch the world go by. Order a Champagne de la maison and relax.

Le café de Flore

A the top of Pompidou Center is Restaurant Georges, that is excellent.It is owned by the Hotel Costes people. There is a private elavator on the side of the center with the fountain (you can't miss it!-the fountain). Just look for a large body guard like guy standing near a small door. Tell him you are going to the restaurant and you by pass the numerous confusing esclators through the center. When stepping off the elevator at the top, hold your breath and look around. Everything is glass and you have one of the best 360 degree views in all of Paris!

http://www.jetsetting.net/article.php?sid=76

As Stuart suggested, only one of the towers at Notre Dame is open to the public (from the outside. I believe it is the North tower. You will se a line and possibly have to ask. It's a long walk up the stone steps but worthit to immerse yourself with the gargoyles and spectacular views. Enjoy!