Slickrock and Shadow

Urban Art:  Paris apartment windows and balconies Apartment buildings in Paris plus a telephoto lens creates urban art.  While walking around the Ile de St. Louis on a pleasant morning I enjoyed the city itself.  No particular monument, cathedrals, museums or other points of interest were on the agenda.  The City of Paris was what I hoped to discover.  On all levels, Paris delivers.  Paris does not disappoint.  This morning, I enjoyed these artistic architectural wonders.  Each window & balcony add to the pattern of city life.  It's a wonderful thing.  C'est la vie. Here are a few other photos of the city as art. Rue Montorgueil and Lamp Post Blue Door #14, Paris

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...

Welcome to Pont Alexandre III The most beautiful bridge in all Paris is the over-the-top Pont Alexandre III.  this bridge does everything, including spanning the Seine River.  It has beautiful lamp posts, monuments covered in gold, winged horses, angels, great views of the Eiffel Tower as well as the other nearby monuments and landmarks.  This is a short walk from the Place de la Concorde and Musee d'Orsay.  I visited this location in the morning just as the sunrise was starting to light up the golden statues.  I had fun trying to work with different compositions.  The Eiffel Tower in the background served me well in one composition.  The Hotel des Invalides was used in the background of another image.  In a city full of wonderful places to see, I would not miss this wonderful gem. Monumental Morning:  Lining up these monument for a better photograph Lamp Posts of Pont Alexandre III

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...

Window Display, Paris You cannot visit Paris without seeing how young and fashionable Parisians are.  Part of that is the stores, the shopping and the window displays.  I have never appreciated how much work goes into the window display.  It must catch the eye and communicate a strong message.  Paris has the best window displays I have ever seen.  It should be it's own niche in the art world. Here is one such display.  The juxtaposition of the new, modern and colorful clothing and the ancient building is what I hoped to capture.  The street signs leave no doubt that this is Paris, France!

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.  

Columns of Buren at Palais Royale, Paris Paris has its' share of world-class icons.  We all know what they are.  A photographer's journey to such a well-known location certainly should include them.  But what else? Fortunately, the famous icons really just scratch the surface of this wonderful city.  The more one looks, the more one finds. One such find is the Columns of Buren.  Buren was an artist who liked graphic lines.  He sometimes put his art in public places without permission.  The Palais Royale gave him permission for this permanent art project many years ago.  He created black and white columns of different heights which completely fill a square within the Palais Royale.  This public art is there to walk around, climb on, jump off or photograph.  Although just one block from the Louvre, the fun public square is mostly undiscovered. In the early evening, I visited here with my family.  The kids had lots of fun ru...

Chairs and Fountain from Palais Royale, Paris Black and white photo processing is still used today and will always be used because there are certain advantages to removing color.  Removing the color from a photograph eliminates color distraction.  For example, in portrait photography the person is the main subject, not their clothing.  Often someone's clothing is a distraction from the person themselves.  It may be bright or have a pattern.  Black and white processing eliminates or minimizes that. When I process a photo, I'm ask myself whether color adds to the photograph or distracts from my message.  Every photograph tells a story.  The story should not have too many loose ends.  It should get to the point without confusion. Tuileries Garden Statue, Paris In these 2 pictures from Paris, I feel that black and white processing helps focus on the actual shape, structure and form of the subject.  In the first picture, it i...

Pyramid and Louvre Abstract The Louvre's fame reaches into every possible category:  ancient art, modern art, classic architecture and modern marvel.  There are many grand castles across Europe but only one has a giant glass pyramid.  This juxtaposition of modern and ancient in the middle of the world's art capital just works.  It's bold to take a classic and alter it dramatically.  The French lead the way for all of art. Triangular Architecture Approaching this architectural icon as a photographer was delightful.  During my Paris stay, I was near the Louvre.  I visited it several times:  around sunset, around midnight, around sunrise.  I also went inside the Louvre during the day for the art that is kept there . . . but that's another story.  So, enjoy my take on the pyramid:  that's what makes the Louvre so unique. Paris Light Shoot Through Glass Louvre Wakes Up Reflections off the Glass Pyramid...