Photo Essay: Paris, the City of Lights

Since I am off to Paris for business meetings and those meetings end on Friday I think to myself that it is time to spend a long weekend there to photograph all of the icons of Paris at night. It’s April so I do know that the weather might be a little iffy, but it is April and the sun must set early in the evening so I have plenty of time to accomplish my goals. So I think.

It is now Friday evening and the meetings are done, so off to the City of Lights. Since I was so busy working I had not noticed what time the sun set. As I am heading into the city, it’s 8:00 pm and the sun has not set, now it’s 9:00 pm and the sun is down but it’s not really dark yet. OK, one night is not going to be enough to accomplish my plan.

Now I’m checked into my hotel, but beat. Plan for tonight is to dash across the street to the local market to pick up a baguette, sausage, and a beer for dinner and then crash for the night.

It’s now Saturday evening and the night is all plotted out. Which site to see first, second, third, and so on, based on the subway routing so as not to waste any time. Cross the street to the “Metro” and 5 stops later I am at Notre-Dame. It’s 9:30 pm and still pretty light, but that’s OK because I can scout where the best locations are for my shots. Ten o’clock and I discover that shooting west is towards the setting sun and there is still too much light for the shot I had envisioned. Lost one anticipated monument that will have to come another night! Enough is enough and it is time to put the camera to work. Several shots at one angle - move to another location for another angle, and so on.

Back to the Metro and quick ride to the next station where I change lines bound for Sacre Coeur. Now it is Saturday night and late so I am on my guard. We pull into the station and the person in front of me drops his cigarette lighter and blocks my exit from the car. I immediately know what’s up and my hand goes to my front pocket, where my wallet is. Yes, they are trying to pick pocket me. How do I know this, well, I was a victim of this “game” on my last trip, only it was on an escalator. I didn’t even know what was happening, but some local Parisians saw what was happening and ran after the perpetrators and got my wallet back. Where did the French get such a bad name???? Back to my story, I started yelling at the guy, so everyone on the subway was looking, so he realized that it back fired on him and he got out of my way.

Sacre Coeur was wonderful as always. Got my shots and off to the subway for my next stop, the Arc de Triomphe. It is now 11:30 pm and the subway stops running at “midnight 30” as the locals call it, so this will be my last location for the night. As I am wandering around looking for the best place to shoot, I keep telling myself that I know the perfect location – the middle of the street, but you have to be insane to do that. It’s no use, I have talked myself into it and off I go to set up my tripod in the middle of the street. Shot gotten and I’m still alive!

Sunday night and it is raining. Now what am I going to do? Well, I might as well go to one of my favorite restaurants for dinner since I have lost the night anyway. After dinner the rain has stopped and I decide that I can get a shot of the Eiffel Tower from a location that is close to a Metro stop. Off I go. I get to my location and the rain has started again. I’m there, have an umbrella, and maybe the rain will give me some unique photos. Shoot is over, I’m wet, camera works. All is good.

Last night in Paris for this trip and I am not going to meet my goal, but some is better than nothing. It’s off to the Musee du Louvre. The sun is just not setting soon enough, should have gone out to dinner again. Finally get my shots and decide that maybe I should go back to the Eiffel Tower to get some different angles rather than go off to a different location. There is always the next trip to get more.

Paris is truly a City of Lights.

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