Observing People in Springtime Paris

One of my favorite ways to experience Paris is through a photo tour. In late March, I joined instructor Juan Manuel Abellán from WICE for a photo walk starting near Palais Royal, winding past the Louvre, along the Seine to Pont Neuf, and through Île-de-la-Cité. Click on any photo to open the slideshow. Enjoy this small part of Paris through my eyes!           

Colonnes de Buren and the Domaine National du Palais Royal

Our theme was ‘Black and White’. He wanted us to capture multiple narratives in a single frame using leading lines, street photography techniques or layering stories. Layering stories is a narrative with three or more stories being told in one photo. 

A Walk Around the Louvre

Some layering examples were at the Louvre. In one, a woman is walking past me, another is approaching and two others are walking away. The photo should leave you wondering where they are going; what they are doing. In others people in sunglasses are all looking at something; or the Denon wing is reflected in the main pyramid with people silhouetted and a dry fountain.

Paris Façades Encourage Black and White

Paris’s subtle yellow stone of the buildings, or the grey stone walls and paving stones are perfect for monochrome (black and white). Sometimes, it makes the perfect hazy backdrop so the foreground stands out. The hazy backdrop emphasizes a subject or emphasizes the colors.  

Sometimes a vibrant outfit or a pop of light brings a moment to life in a way black and white cannot. I simply converted my favorites from color to monochrome later to match the workshop’s aesthetic.

Walking along the Seine

Crossing the Seine on Pont Neuf to Quai des Ofèvres

Along the Quai Saint-Michel

Juan Manual briefed us at a café near the Jardin du Palais Royal where our tour began. During the visit he gave each of us tips. We stopped for 15 minutes at different spots along the route. For a debrief, at the end of the walk, over lunch, he opened his computer and showed us images that we had selected images. The walk was very thorough.

From Notre-Dame de Paris to the Square de la Tour Saint-Jacques

Although our official tour ended at the Tea Caddy Café, my shutter and I could not stop. I continued past Notre-Dame de Paris to the Square de la Tour Saint-Jacques to capture the afternoon light on the tree leaves and the grass.