How to Photograph Paris
Recently, I did my first podcast with The Earful Tower on How to Photograph Paris. There were a lot of searches for images I discussed on the podcast so I thought it was best to put all the tips and photos into one blog post for easy reading.
Here are 5 tips to Photograph Paris
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Get up Early. My favorite time of day to photograph is the early morning when the city is just waking up. It is the best time to capture the city without any people and the light is just magical. I love the warm soft light when the sun starts to rise.
If you aren’t a fan of waking up early. My second favorite time to capture Paris is sunset and the Blue Hour. My favorite bridge Pont Alexandre III at sunset.
Take a picnic on the Seine and get comfortable. Sunset and the Blue Hour in Summer can be as late as 10pm in the Summer. But it is well worth the wait.
The Blue Hour is a small window just after sunset before the sky is dark. The city has a blue magical hue to it.
2. Get Lost
Explore off the beaten path and find something new. I know Paris pretty well after spending a good amount of time there over the years. There are still some areas I don’t know as well as others. The Left Bank was a fun and different change earlier this year when I stayed with Paris Perfect. I found new restaurants, cute streets, and unexpected views of the Eiffel Tower.
3. Natural Light
Light changes everything. The best light is when the sun is first rising for those first couple hours before it gets too bright and the hour just before sunset. If you are going to take portraits, this is when you want to do it. Skip the middle of the day when the sun is too harsh. If it is a cloudy day, you will have even light and you can photograph all day long.
If you are photographing food, sit by a window for natural light. Or if it is warm enough, sit outside.
4. Choose Your Camera
The best camera is the one you have on you. If your iphone is what you are most comfortable with or don’t want to mess with a real camera, it works great. Shoot in natural light and don’t use filters. You can play around with filters and adjust after you shoot. I love VSCO if you are going to edit or Snapseed.
I have been shooting with a Canon DSLR for years! I love it but it kills my back since I also carry so many lenses. I recently purchased a tiny Fuji and it has been so fun shooting with this and being able to throw it in my bag. It is small but powerful. I shoot RAW because I sell my photographs.
5. Unique Views
Don’t be afraid to change your angle. Paris has some classic iconic shots that you will see time and time again all over Instagram. Look at Paris with a new perspective. Get close up or far away, get to ground level or stand on a chair.
The Eiffel Tower up close.
The Eiffel Tower at Sunset from the rooftop at Galleries Lafayette
Have fun with it! Make sure to back up your shots at the end of the day so you don’t lose anything. I always format my SD cards and I never write over them. I save each and every one of them as an extra back up. They are much more affordable now around $10. If you aren’t shooting RAW you should be able to fit a week’s worth of photos on the same card. It is cheaper than a roll of film. You can always delete images you don’t like later.
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Hi Rebecca 🙂
This is amazing text. Thank you for advice. I will come Paris in cristmas so I’ m pretty excited 🙂
Your welcome! I hope you have a great trip to Paris. I will be posting more Christmas activities in Paris soon. Keep an eye on the blog
Thank you for the tips, Rebecca. I love taking photos in Paris, but want to know how I can improve. Looking forward to trying your suggestions.
Hi Denise,
You are so welcome! I hope this helps. Keep me posted on how it goes.
xo
Just returned from a week in Paris, following and taking advantage of many of your recommendations. It was a wonderful trip despite the sadness of Notre Dame’s burning and the destruction along Champs Elysees from the Yellow Vests riots. Paris during Easter was lovely; chocolate shops with specially created Easter eggs were so creative and fun. Keep posting!
Thank you so much, Chalrotte! I am so happy to hear you had a great trip to Paris. We were there at the same time but I left before Easter. I hope you enjoyed the fabulous weather.