Paris Photography – 2010

Paris in late September was one of our most memorable trips in 2010. Having visited Paris several times before and photographed most of the major tourist attractions we set ourselves the task this time of concentrating on different viewpoints and try to create something a little more unusual. Here below is a selection of those that I particularly enjoyed photographing.

Part 2 featuring a further selection of images from Paris will follow tomorrow.

Designed by architect Ieoh Ming Pei and built in 1989 the addition of the pyramid entrance to the Musée du Louvre was at the time a very controversial architectural design choice. For me, however, I think the concept is brilliant, they provide a very modern feel that contrasts nicely with the more traditional main structure.

Arc de Triomphe – Rather than show the more traditional view I selected this as a cameo of “Peace” by Antoine Etex which is one of the four main statue carvings on the Arc de Triomphe. It was a rather cloudy day and I wanted to show the juxtaposition of dark and light within this black and white conversion.

A view from the Arc de Triomphe looking west toward La Défense which was chosen in 1951 as the site for a proposed office development area. Development started in 1958 managed by a special agency, the Etablissement Public d’Aménagement de la Défense. It now contains some wonderful examples of modern architecture including Tour EDF, Coeur Défense, Défense Palace and the Grande Arche de la Défense.

Constructed in 1900 as temporary galleries for the World Fair often referred to as the Universal Exposition, the most notable feature of the Grand Palais is the stunning curved glass roof, here shown along with two adjacent statues.

A stutue on the Pont Alexandre III bridge shown alongside a distant Eiffel Tower, the bridge is considered by many to be the finest in Paris, it was also built for the World Fair of 1900.

Interior of Notre-Dame du Paris, this in my opinion is the finest building in Paris, the constant play of light coming through the stained glass windows is truly magical.

Another interior from Notre-Dame du Paris, this time a long exposure of part of the ceiling of the north ambulatory.

A more traditional view of Notre-Dame du Paris showing the exterior of the lofty Gothic structure. Using a black and white conversion to add interest and contrast to the image.