# Paris



## ray5 (Jun 27, 2014)

Hi,
I am headed to Paris in a week. Could anyone please help with some nice places to shoot? Particularly night shots. Also information of where a tripod is allowed or not would be very helpful. Thanks
Ray


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## dgatwood (Jun 27, 2014)

Check out the Arc de Triomphe at night. Not only does it make a great picture from the traffic island in the middle of... I think it's the Champs Élysées... but it also has a great view of the Eiffel Tower. Every hour on the hour, they do this thing where the tower's lights twinkle. Also, you won't be able to see the flames below the Arc de Triomphe during the day, but at night, they really stand out.


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## shining example (Jun 28, 2014)

dgatwood said:


> Check out the Arc de Triomphe at night.



Agreed that it's a nice spot to shoot from, but if you go _up_ the Arc de Triomphe, you're not allowed to use a tripod up there. They did allow me to take it up with me (rather than turning me away because I had it with me), but told me quite clearly that I mustn't use it. And there was security staff up there, so I'm pretty sure I'd have been in trouble if I'd tried. 

That was the only time anyone said anything to me about using a tripod, but I wasn't carrying it around with me during the day, so that may not be representative.

Nice spots to shoot at night that I can think of are all the fairly obvious ones - the Louvre, Notre Dame (there's a bridge where you get a nice view of the rear, with reflections in the river), the Eiffel Tower (people sit out on the green there on warm evenings, it's a lovely atmosphere), river views in general. Sacre Coeur is probably worth a try too, though I never got round to it myself. I'm sure others will have better suggestions.

La Defense is the place for modern architecture. The Louvre is worth seeing, day or night. Sainte-Chappelle. Centre Pompidou. But generally, Paris is a great place to just wander and see where you end up. 

BTW, if you're interested in going into museums as well as photographing them, the Paris Museum Pass is totally worth getting even if it doesn't save you money - it saves you a whole lot of hassle and queueing time.


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## akeenoya (Jun 28, 2014)

Paris is a museum-city which offers tons of wonderful shots.

Bridge Alexandre III, awesome ! 






Tomb of Napoleon :





Hotel de ville :





Opéra Garnier :





Concorde plaza :





Montmartre neighborhood :





Louvre Museum :





Pere Lachaise cimetery, one of the world's most extraordinary :





And the best shot :


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## ray5 (Jun 28, 2014)

akeenoya said:


> Paris is a museum-city which offers tons of wonderful shots.
> 
> Bridge Alexandre III, awesome !
> 
> ...





akeenoya said:


> Paris is a museum-city which offers tons of wonderful shots.
> 
> 
> Wow! Those are amazing shots! I hope to capture some like these. Thanks for sharing. What lens and setting did you use? Remote release on tripod?


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## ray5 (Jun 28, 2014)

shining example said:


> dgatwood said:
> 
> 
> > Check out the Arc de Triomphe at night.
> ...


Thanks. Apart from taking the usual care is it in general safe to be around after dark? I want to shoot but not get shot or mugged!


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## ray5 (Jun 28, 2014)

Are there places that one could shoot the Eiffel from a height instead of ground level? At night?


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## John MARK (Jun 28, 2014)

ray5 said:


> Are there places that one could shoot the Eiffel from a height instead of ground level? At night?



Hi ray5,

See the pink circle on the left side of the attached map ? 

IMHO the BEST place to be for a nice view of the Eiffel Tower and surroundings, "from a height".

Ask for the "Esplanade du Tocadéro", believe me, you'll like it !


Cheers from France


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## ray5 (Jun 28, 2014)

John MARK said:



> ray5 said:
> 
> 
> > Are there places that one could shoot the Eiffel from a height instead of ground level? At night?
> ...



Will do, Thanks. I think several years ago I saw a shot from the opera house? Does that sound correct? I am not sure about it but think that's what it said. Was an awesome night shot. DOn't know if that is even possible, particularly after dark.


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## John MARK (Jun 28, 2014)

So many nice places to shoot in Paris, at day or night time....

If you like shooting from elevated spots, you might also try this :

http://www.ballondeparis.com/

Cheers

John


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## dgatwood (Jun 28, 2014)

ray5 said:


> Are there places that one could shoot the Eiffel from a height instead of ground level? At night?



Top of the Arc de Triomphe. It's open until 11, and it's tall enough to get a nice angle on the tower.

Also, just to set expectations, unless they've taken it down in the last week, they're doing some drainage improvements to the Arc, so part of the top is covered up by scaffolding.


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## RomainF (Jun 28, 2014)

The top of the Montparnasse Tower : https://www.google.fr/maps/place/Tour+Montparnasse/@48.842463,2.321988,2a,90y,90t/data=!3m5!1e2!3m3!1s-EVjOoeAGSKE%2FUg5eKQqqpUI%2FAAAAAAACE9M%2F5NXtzuFMUd8!2e4!3e12!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xfc04ff9c1b1c593c!6m1!1e1

http://www.tourmontparnasse56.com/en/

That's where we shot the pictures of the Eiffel Tower when there were pollution peak.


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## ray5 (Jun 28, 2014)

John MARK said:


> So many nice places to shoot in Paris, at day or night time....
> 
> If you like shooting from elevated spots, you might also try this :
> 
> ...


Good suggestion, but I think I'd scared more than anything else! Thanks


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## ray5 (Jun 28, 2014)

akeenoya said:


> Paris is a museum-city which offers tons of wonderful shots.
> 
> Bridge Alexandre III, awesome !
> 
> ...



Sent you a PM.


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## shining example (Jun 28, 2014)

ray5 said:


> Apart from taking the usual care is it in general safe to be around after dark? I want to shoot but not get shot or mugged!



I don't remember feeling unsafe anywhere, though I wouldn't want to be around Les Halles late at night. Then again, that's just my gut feeling from two short holiday visits, so people with more experience of Paris may tell you otherwise. 

The area around Notre Dame was pretty lively even at midnight (might have been a weekend night, I don't quite remember), as was the area around the Eiffel Tower a bit earlier. The Louvre is open until 10 p.m. twice a week, so for better or for worse there will be folk milling around there for a while after. Along the river was fine too. The area around the Grand Palais (a building I'm oddly fascinated with) was fairly deserted at night, but I didn't feel unsafe there either.

So basically, from my experience, I'd say it's pretty safe, at least in the centre/touristy areas I visited. If anything, I'd worry more about pickpockets around railway stations or other crowded areas (not that I encountered any myself).


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## CaiLeDao (Jun 28, 2014)

Picking up on the security point I was photographing the Eiffel Tower from the gardens mentioned earlier. My partner stopped me being pick pocketed while I was concentrating on the photography. Have never felt unsafe in Paris but it s wise to remember camera gear invites interest from thieves as you can be quite distracted and an easy target. Not had any real trouble or felt unsafe in Paris


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## Guillaume (Jun 28, 2014)

Hi there,

Paris is as safe as many city (probably safier than a lot : you should not being shot as there is very few firearms in Europe). As elsewhere, take care of pickpocket (especialy in stations and in the "grand magasin" area boulevard Haussman (near where the opéra garnier is). As being said, Trocadero and Arc de Triomphe is a great point of view on the Eiffel Tower but i personnaly like a lot the Seine bank to. Les Halles (inside the building) are indeed not the best place to wander at night.

Have a very nice trip


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## dgatwood (Jun 29, 2014)

CaiLeDao said:


> Picking up on the security point I was photographing the Eiffel Tower from the gardens mentioned earlier. My partner stopped me being pick pocketed while I was concentrating on the photography. Have never felt unsafe in Paris but it s wise to remember camera gear invites interest from thieves as you can be quite distracted and an easy target. Not had any real trouble or felt unsafe in Paris



First rule of travel in Europe: Keep valuables in a pouch around your neck, and keep your pockets empty.

My folks nearly got their *front* pockets picked last week under the Eiffel Tower while waiting *in line*, within about twenty feet of the Tower's security guard. Out of all my trips to Europe and other large cities, Paris is the *only* place where I've encountered pickpockets that are *that* brazen at flouting the law. The worst part is that this is a known problem at the Tower, as our tour guides actually warned us about precisely that scenario when I visited the Tower some twenty years ago....

I'm not sure whether the punishment for getting caught is simply woefully insufficient to deter the lawbreaking behavior, or the police just don't care about arresting people for pickpocketing, or both, but Paris needs to get serious about solving this problem. These pieces of s**t who prey upon the elderly should be taken off the streets and kept off.

Of course, the pickpocket had better be glad that he didn't try to pick my pocket. I reserve the right to use excessive force. And if more people did likewise, perhaps they'd reconsider their career direction. That's all I'm saying.


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## ray5 (Jun 29, 2014)

Great suggestions and recommendations! Thanks. PLease keep them coming.


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## Djaaf (Jul 3, 2014)

Maybe a bit late for the O.P., but here are a few things to know concerning security in Paris and places to see before heading off. 

First off, do not buy metro, RER or Paris Visite tickets from anyone not in RATP booth. 
Only the RAPT agents and the machines in the stations are safe. You will get offers from random peoples during your stay. Do not accept. I've had to explain to tourists that they got conned too many times already. 
Risk is higher on station connecting the airports. Do not trust anyone not in an uniform and behind a desk. 

Les Halles late at night, Barbès and most of the 18th and 19th quarters are to be avoided. Risk is not that high, but it can make you feel unsafe quite frequently. Same thing goes for Gare du Nord. 
The center is quite safe though. 1st to 10th quarter are generally very safe (except for pickpockets, but that's a plague pretty much anywhere there's a crowd). 

To answer to the guy saying that the police is not efficient in arresting the pickpockets... well, you're half right. They do arrest quite a lot of them. But most are under 18, childs in regard to the french law, so they can't do much except keep them off the streets for a few hours. 
Be extra careful in the metro and any queues you are in. Everywhere else is pretty much pickpocket free.  
(And it's not a complete jungle either, in 34 years in Paris I've never been mugged, robbed or shot. ) 

And last thing to be careful of : If you happen to come in a period when there's some kind of all-night animation in the streets (Nuit Blanche, Fête de la Musique, Nuit des Musées, etc..) you should go. But stay off the streets after 1.00 AM, there will probably be quite a few cops and drunks playing cats and mice. It can get unpleasant (not really unsafe, but dealing with drunk people that do not speak english can be a pain for a tourist.  )

As for nice location for photography, well... all the inner quarters really deserve to be walked street by street.  
You'll also find nice views and old buildings all along the Seine. The outer quarters are much less interesting except for street photography (you can get some pretty weird photos in Barbes or Menilmontant  But do not go there with too much money, too obvious gear and alone. )

If you got the time (and you should take it if you don't) take a train from Gare Montparnasse or Gare Saint-Lazare to Versailles. It's like a mini-Paris and the Chateau de Versailles and its gardens are just magnificent. 
If you go there in the summer, you can get a ticket to the fireworks and illuminated fountains in the gardens at night. That's a bit of magic right there (hey, I live there and I still go see that at least once every year.  )

Enjoy !  

Djaaf.


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## ray5 (Jul 3, 2014)

Djaaf said:


> Maybe a bit late for the O.P., but here are a few things to know concerning security in Paris and places to see before heading off.
> 
> First off, do not buy metro, RER or Paris Visite tickets from anyone not in RATP booth.
> Only the RAPT agents and the machines in the stations are safe. You will get offers from random peoples during your stay. Do not accept. I've had to explain to tourists that they got conned too many times already.
> ...


Hi Djaaf,
Not late at all. Thank you so much. This is very helpful. I do have a half day planned to Versailles! I am very excited. Any advice for locations in Nice? Thanks
Ray


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## Djaaf (Jul 3, 2014)

ray5 said:


> Hi Djaaf,
> Not late at all. Thank you so much. This is very helpful. I do have a half day planned to Versailles! I am very excited. Any advice for locations in Nice? Thanks
> Ray



Good, glad to be of help.  

For Nice, well... My advice, if you can, is to grab a rental car and go the hell away.  
The city itself is... bland at best. There's the English Promenade in front of the sea that's well... not completely a waste of time. After that... bleh.. 

But there's lots to see in the countryside, a few really charming little towns like Coaraze (27km north of Nice is nice, like a white village from spain, minus the white. ) or Sainte-Agnès (the village is pretty, but you most importantly have a great view from there. It's 43Km east from Nice.). 
You can also get a look at Menton, on the coast. Or just take the coastal road. 
But don't waste time with Nice.  

Have a nice trip ! 

Djaaf.


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## rcarca (Jul 3, 2014)

The postings about pickpockets amuse me. I guess as someone who has lived in Europe (Oh, OK - the UK) for most of my 55 years (as of tomorrow...) I tend to think of most European cities as being safe so long as you are sensible. I recall in the late seventies when I was at university in London and the IRA still had a penchant for bombing the City, that Sylvester Stallone refused to come over because it was too dangerous...

My experience is that you are far more likely to be fleeced by those who are supposed to be serving you in the USA because the staff are so poorly paid that they pretty much have to beg to get tips. Hands are always out for money in the US, whereas it is a small minority of pickpockets, many of whom are instantly recognisable anyway, in Europe.

My advice: don't look too rich, don't talk too loud, don't throw money around like you are in the US, and you will be fine!

Enjoy Paris - a beautiful city!


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## ray5 (Jul 3, 2014)

rcarca said:


> The postings about pickpockets amuse me. I guess as someone who has lived in Europe (Oh, OK - the UK) for most of my 55 years (as of tomorrow...) I tend to think of most European cities as being safe so long as you are sensible. I recall in the late seventies when I was at university in London and the IRA still had a penchant for bombing the City, that Sylvester Stallone refused to come over because it was too dangerous...
> 
> My experience is that you are far more likely to be fleeced by those who are supposed to be serving you in the USA because the staff are so poorly paid that they pretty much have to beg to get tips. Hands are always out for money in the US, whereas it is a small minority of pickpockets, many of whom are instantly recognisable anyway, in Europe.
> 
> ...


 
I won't have trouble with the last part. Don't look rich, don't talk loud, don't throw money around(except camera stuff!). Only giveaway would be my gear....... Thanks!


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## ray5 (Jul 19, 2014)

Hello Friends,
Just returned from an unforgettable trip. Amsterdam got a bit washed due to rain but I did not let that deter me in Paris. Late night trips to the Notre Dame, Eiffel and Alexander III bridge was very rewarding. My best shots were of the Eiffel and Notre Dame. I experimented with monochrome and was pleasantly surprised! Will post some images shortly. Thanks for all the help.


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## ray5 (Aug 6, 2014)

Hi,
Here a few from this trip. Criticism welcome. Thanks
Ray


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## ray5 (Aug 6, 2014)

One more.


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## jannatul18 (Aug 11, 2014)

Some of the place are just perfect both for visiting and taking pictures.


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