Slickrock and Shadow

Lamp Posts at the Louvre Paris is at night is a fantastic experience.  The monuments all take on more splendor and you feel like your are in a magical place.  A photographer could spend many nights visiting great locations.  I couldn't see them all during my stay but did manage some visits.  My favorite are posted here:  Place de la Concorde, Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre were all wonderful.  A tripod is required for these long-exposure shots.  I brought my carry-along-size Gitzo traveler tripod.  This is a marvelous tool. Some individual comments for specific locations: Arc de Triomphe:  those photos of blurred car circling the arc are not typical.  You need LOTS of traffic for that, much more than on a typical Paris evening.  I liked getting under the arc and shooting up. Place de la Concorde:  the fountain waters turn on and off every few minutes.  If they are not on, wait a few minutes and they will light u...

Golden Statues light up in the late afternoon The Eiffel Tower is seen from all around Paris.  It's the landmark not just for the city but also for the continent.  Many locations give a view of the Eiffel tower.  Which is the best?  Here's my opinion. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France The best view of Eiffel Tower is from the Trocadero The late afternoon light, higher view, great foreground subjects all make the Trocadero my favorite location for viewing the Eiffel Tower.  This park is located on the right bank of the Seine river.  There are many statues, fountains, green areas and trees to use as foreground subjects.  My favorite is this golden statue.  She just glows with beauty and is a strong counterpoint to the Eiffel Tower in the background. This is also a great spot for photographing people with the tower in the background, as seen in an accompanying shot.  Plenty of people have discovered this great location.  Au revo...

Eiffel Tower How many photos of the Eiffel Tower have you seen in your life? Although I haven't conducted a survey, I suspect the average American has seen the Eiffel Tower image thousands of times.  I've personally seen it on clocks, shirts, movies, photos, earrings, necklaces, tattoos, credit cards, books just to name a few. So, how to take an image of the Eiffel Tower that isn't easily dismissed as a "been there, done that, seen that" is not a straightforward task. This image is just a small part of the Eiffel Tower but I believe that enough things in this image allow the viewer to recognize this icon even though you don't see the whole thing.  The older park and neighborhood in the background and the strong, slightly slanted brown metal give clues.