Paris

Hello all,

Its been a while since I've been on the forum. I will be in Paris tomorrow and will only be there for tomorrow evening and all the next day. What are the "do not miss" opportunities there? Ive still been using my old D70 since about 2001. I just upgraded to the D750. I'll be off to London too. I sure want to take full advantage. I've been trying hard to learn all the new stuff this camera will do. Wow, what an upgrade! Cant wait!

Thanks,

Chad

We were there for 2 weeks in August. You are severely time constrained for Paris. Naturally, I can only advise what we personally found interesting.

For photography opportunities I strongly urge you to visit the Montmartre http://www.nightstreets.com/p923864946 area because of the character of the area. If you take the underground to Pigallie there is a tram ride leaving from in front of the Moulin Rouge to the top of the hill. About a half mile surrounding the cathedral at the top is solid with small streets and interesting sidewalk cafes and shops. Great place to photograph. We spent two days there.

Notre Dame and the area to it's north. Just south of Notre Dame and across the river is an interesting area of similar character anchored on the south by the Cluny. All very photogenic.

All the tourist areas are awash with people carrying clipboards and wanting you to sign citations while their friends steal your stuff. Firmly tell anybody with a clipboard to go away.

The big name stuff should be further down your list from a photographic standpoint. I'd suggest skipping the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and all the museums because they are time consuming. The Tuileries are not very photographic. Neither is walking from the Louvre to the Are Du Triomphe.

My 2015 France gallery is at http://www.nightstreets.com/f547205863 and you might see an area in it you like.

Post pictures when you get back.

--

http://www.nightstreets.com
-
"Sick cultures show a complex of symptoms such as you have named...but a dying culture invariable exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Lack of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners is more significant than a riot."
This symptom is especially serious in that an individual displaying it never thinks of it as a sign of ill health but as proof of his/her strength. ...Friday, it is too late to save this culture--this worldwide culture... Therefore we must now prepare the monasteries for the coming Dark Age. Electronic records are too fragile..."
--Robert A. Heinlein in "Friday"

Schroedingers_cat said:

We were there for 2 weeks in August. You are severely time constrained for Paris. Naturally, I can only advise what we personally found interesting.

For photography opportunities I strongly urge you to visit the Montmartre http://www.nightstreets.com/p923864946 area because of the character of the area. If you take the underground to Pigallie there is a tram ride leaving from in front of the Moulin Rouge to the top of the hill. About a half mile surrounding the cathedral at the top is solid with small streets and interesting sidewalk cafes and shops. Great place to photograph. We spent two days there.

Notre Dame and the area to it's north. Just south of Notre Dame and across the river is an interesting area of similar character anchored on the south by the Cluny. All very photogenic.

All the tourist areas are awash with people carrying clipboards and wanting you to sign citations while their friends steal your stuff. Firmly tell anybody with a clipboard to go away.

Click to expand...

If anyone asks if you speak English, don't even look at them, just walk away. Watch for the "did you drop this diamond ring?" gag.

Member said:

The big name stuff should be further down your list from a photographic standpoint. I'd suggest skipping the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and all the museums because they are time consuming. The Tuileries are not very photographic. Neither is walking from the Louvre to the Are Du Triomphe.

My 2015 France gallery is at http://www.nightstreets.com/f547205863 and you might see an area in it you like.

Post pictures when you get back.

Click to expand...

I would think strongly of taking the "night tour" with Fat Tire Bike Tours. They will pass all of the big monuments (Arc du Triomphe, Louvre etc.) in one night including the Bateaux Mouche river tour. Great way to see a lot of the town. Hang your camera around your shoulder and shoot at the stops.

Member said:

--

http://www.nightstreets.com
-
"Sick cultures show a complex of symptoms such as you have named...but a dying culture invariable exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Lack of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners is more significant than a riot."
This symptom is especially serious in that an individual displaying it never thinks of it as a sign of ill health but as proof of his/her strength. ...Friday, it is too late to save this culture--this worldwide culture... Therefore we must now prepare the monasteries for the coming Dark Age. Electronic records are too fragile..."
--Robert A. Heinlein in "Friday"

Click to expand...

Much Thanks! I'll see what I can work out. I'm only hear for work. I just so happen to get one full day to play. Wish is were for longer. I'll have a full week in London. I will check you your gallery though..

Thanks Again.

Chad

Sounds really fun!

tenring said:

Hello all,

Its been a while since I've been on the forum. I will be in Paris tomorrow and will only be there for tomorrow evening and all the next day. What are the "do not miss" opportunities there? Ive still been using my old D70 since about 2001. I just upgraded to the D750. I'll be off to London too. I sure want to take full advantage. I've been trying hard to learn all the new stuff this camera will do. Wow, what an upgrade! Cant wait!

Thanks,

Chad

Click to expand...

Hi Chad.

First off have fun.

Second, I would not bother with any prescribed shoot list at all. No time to learn the lay of the land and story board images. Even the Louvre is not a 4 hour visit. See everything that crosses your path and if you see something you feel a photo is deserving and not available from your computer, then take the shot.

Hello Chad,

Paris is the destination of choice for my wife and me - we've been four times since 2010 and have had a great time every time.

This years trip was the first with my D750. Prior to that I had been using a compact Panasonic LX7 so it was a huge change for me. I took the 24-120 and a 35 F2D so I was a little apprehensive about having to adjust to carrying so much gear relative to my LX7 but it wasn't bad at all.

I have an album with some of my Paris photos from all four trips here:


They're all geo-tagged so you can see where they were taken.

Your trip doesn't leave you a lot of time in Paris but I hope you enjoy it all the same.

Joe

bikinchris said:

I would think strongly of taking the "night tour" with Fat Tire Bike Tours. They will pass all of the big monuments (Arc du Triomphe, Louvre etc.) in one night including the Bateaux Mouche river tour. Great way to see a lot of the town. Hang your camera around your shoulder and shoot at the stops.

Click to expand...

bikinchris said:

--
Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I have hope for the human race." ~ H.G. Wells

Click to expand...

+1 for THIS.......... We did the Segway tour with the same company. It was fabulous. Paris is a magical city.

This was the third Segway tour we have taken with this company having done Berlin and Washington previously. It is by far the best way to see these cities and I would strongly recommend seeing Paris this way.

Like you, I had a really short time in Paris earlier this month. We got in early on a Saturday and left mid-day on Sunday, so I decided not to have any must-sees on any list. Instead, I just wanted to walk about the city for as much of that time as I could and, for the most part, just get a general feel for it and for the street life. I carried only a D610 with a 24-85 during the day and then traded the zoom for the 35 f/1.8 FX for the evening. I was happy with the results, and found the 35 to be especially good for handheld night-street shots.

It would be hard to make a list. I'm here with two other fella's that want to do their thing too. We are are not on a schedules vacation or anything so Its one of those make the best of it kinda deal. We got here at 4pm, to the hotel by 5. At dinner, just completes a 6.5 mile marathon walk, and I was shooting up a storm. Wow, everything here is a photo opportunity! I'll definitely sleep well tonight!

Man Joe! I love your albums! I hope to get that good!

Chad

I think that is what's going to work best for me this trip. I'm with two other people so I don't want to keep them waiting on me.

Chad

Almost got ran over by them tonight!

Awesome shots in your album Joe.

glo

tenring said:

Man Joe! I love your albums! I hope to get that good!

Chad

Click to expand...

Thank you so much Chad.

Joe

glo said:

Awesome shots in your album Joe.

glo

Click to expand...

Thank you glo.

I was a little apprehensive taking my D750 on this trip as it was my first DLSR, coming from the Panasonic LX7, and I'd only had it for a couple of months. The biggest adjustment I had to make was accounting for the thin depth of field since pretty much everything is in focus on the LX7 so you don't think about DOF too often, except when you're trying to make it thin.

I really enjoyed using the kit 24-120 as I found it to be a really versatile range for the types of shots that I like to take.

Joe

Joe,

Yea, I like thin depth of field as it helps the subject really pop. For scenic shots though is does need to be accounted for. I am enjoying this lens! It is like you say super versatile.

Chad

Not sure if you'll read this in time..

Sainte-Chapelle. (Near the Citi' metro station)
Plenty of photo-ops.

One of the most extensive in-situ collections of 13th-century stained glass anywhere in the world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainte-Chapelle

Enjoy your trip!!

Also: If you do visit the Montmartre section, for a small fee and if you're relatively good physical shape, you can climb to the top of the Basilique du Sacre' Coeur. Nice views of the city, when the weather is cooperative.

Thanks for responding. I didn't get to do as much today I liked. Sharing the time with two other people and we are on foot. Will just have to plan another trip! Off to London now.

Thanks,

Chad