Locked In Love

 I am dipping into my archives for todays post, the first two of todays pictures were shot on the bridge across the River Neckar at Heidelberg, the last two were shot in Paris on one of the foot bridges across the Seine.

It is clear that the tradition of securing these locks is more established in Paris than in Heidelberg although those pictures were taken in spring 2015 so it is possible there are lots more now. On a subsequent visit I saw that the city council in Paris had had the locks removed in sections because of the weight and I am not sure whether there are many there now.

Iconic Landmarks

 Notre Dame and the Eifel Tower, two landmarks that are instantly recognisable and must be among the most photographed sites in the world. Rather than posting the typical "tourist snap" type image I have looked for different views to capture. I hope you will agree these make for interesting images. Which is your favourite???

Shedding Light

I thought these street lights made interesting subjects, especially against the backdrop of Parisian architecture, (the first image using the famous rose window of Notre Dame as the background).

For each blog post I input the location where each photo was taken, I put "Notre Dame" in the search on the map and Google selected a town in Indiana USA, which was founded in the mid 1800's rather than one of the most famous landmarks in one of the most famous cities in the world. The cathedral's construction commenced almost 700 years before the town that takes its name and although it wasn't finished for almost 200 years it still predates the town by over 500 years. Apart from the 6,646 people who live there and the students who have studied at the colleges there I am sure that Notre Dame IN is not the first place people anywhere else would think of.
 

City of Light

 I have gone through my archives for today's pictures and over the coming days  I will share a few more images of one of my favourite places.

Ordinarily I would rather be out in the wild, close to nature where I can take things at a slower pace but I have always had a lot of affection for Paris since I first visited with my pen friend's parents when I was just 10 years old (almost 50 years ago). I have been lucky to visit many times since then and I have lots of happy memories there. These pictures help to recall some of those memories.

Street Life & Café Culture

A few more street shots from around Paris and Versailles and a couple more experiments with the technique of selecting colour highlights.

I really like the contrast in these pictures between the young people absorbed in their smart phones and the older people taking in the world around them. 

I love the joyful expression on the face of the girl in the café. 

I love the over the top style of the couple in the last picture.

I like all of these pictures and can't pick which I like best, let me know if you have a favourite.

I have in the past preferred landscape and wildlife photography but I really enjoyed my experiment with street photography, There is so much of interest to see in our cities and in the faces of the people around us. So keep coming back to see more.

On a side note I am a very private person and in my blog and in my social media I don't often post pictures of myself, but if you are interested you might catch a glimpse in the reflection in the café window #justsayin 

Street Chic

So for today I have selected a few more shots from Paris' Left Bank and I have also tweaked a couple of them to make some of the colours pop.

The first image is of a mobile crepe stand, the guy really looks the part and he seemed to do a good trade.

The second shot was an accident as I was lining up to take a picture of something else and a bus load of tourists disembarked in front of me and they all streamed past me as if I wasn't there so I snapped a few. I picked this one and chose to highlight the girl because of her choice in bright clothing.

The third picture is another of the book vendors along the riverbank and I have introduced some colour by highlighting the painting in the foreground.

The final shot for today was taken walking from the La Durée shop on rue Bonaparte to the chocolate shop of Debauve & Gallais on Rue des Saints-Péres. I thought this couple had such style that I couldn't resist capturing the image.

La Rive Gauche

Here we are along the left bank of the Seine as it flows through Paris in the 1st arrondissement.

This part of the city is famous for antiquarian book sellers, artists and purveyors of prints, posters and postcards. It attracts lots of visitors strolling, browsing and perhaps spending a little cash. All of it making great subjects for photography.

I have experimented with a different technique in the final image which I hope you will like, let me know if you think it works...

Metro Cool

Today's shots were taken on the Paris Metro. The station was Chatelet which is a hub in the centre, it looks like it needs some renovation, but it is possible that it is shabby chic.

The couple in the second picture were obviously in love and were oblivious to everyone around them, I like this shot and the way they are looking intently into each others eyes.

The guy in the final picture looks to me as if he could have stepped off the streets of New York or perhaps from the set of a Hollywood crime drama.

Rooftops of Paris

I have been fortunate to visit Paris many times and it is one of my favourite places to be, I love the architecture and there is always something new to see.

On one occasion there was a large ferris wheel in the Jardin des Tuileries by the Louvre Museum. It was a great opportunity to get some different views of the city.

The first shot is slightly spoiled by a reflection in the glass of the compartment but other than that it is a terrific view of the rooftops along the Rue de Rivoli, with the Opera on the left of the picture and across the city toward Montmartre and the Sacre Coeur.

The second picture looks across the Place du Carrousel towards the Louvre with the crowds of people thronging around the entrance to the museum complex via the great glass pyramid.  In the distance you can see the towers of Notre Dame.

The final shot is of the beautiful roofs above the colonnades along Rue de Rivoli with the flag flying above the Palais Royal in the background.

I really love this city and look forward to going back.  I can easily imagine myself living there in a tiny attic apartment and walking the streets soaking up the atmosphere...

The City of Lights

The final stop on the road trip was Paris.  I have been to Paris quite often and it is one of my favourite places to visit and I have lots of photos so didn't expect to take any pictures this time, however walking along the banks of the Seine I saw the statue in the first photo with the chair on its head and I thought it quirky and fun so couldn't resist taking the shot.

After that I took several other pictures.

The locks are just a few of the many thousands on one of the bridges, the main span of the bridge has been boarded up so that no more locks can be added and now they have been put on the side railings and fences in other spots overlooking the river. "Love locks" have been a feature in several of the cities we have visited on this trip but none so many as in Paris.  Although I like this feature in Paris I think I prefer the picture I took on the bridge in Heidelberg which I shared on 18th March so why not revisit that blog and compare...

The lamp post was in the square in front of Notre Dame and I thought it was an interesting detail.

Finally, I almost decided not to post the last two images but the Eiffel Tower is such an iconic site it seemed wrong not to and I think that with the illumination and the detail of the structure they make for nice pictures.

Cinq Mille

Today I passed 5000 page views on my blog (not just today of course that's over the months since I started) and so I was really thrilled.  Then I heard the awful news about the events in Paris and I felt sick.  Paris is one of the most beautiful cities anywhere and one of my favourite places so I decided to post a couple of pictures from Paris in happy times. These are mobile phone pictures so not the greatest quality but pretty decent nonetheless.

As you know I also like to link music to my blog sometimes and today as I was discussing the events of the day with my eldest son the song Freewill was playing on my music player and I thought that it was quite a fitting tune so follow the link if you are that way inclined.

Parisian Chic

In January 2012 as a treat for my mum's 70th birthday the family paid for her to go Paris, I was the lucky one who got to go with her, to one of my favourite places.  A few years previously mum had come with us on our family holiday and we took a trip into Paris with the intention of visiting the Louvre, somewhere she had always wanted to visit. Unfortunately on that occasion we had visited on a day when the museum was closed and so mum said I would have to promise to take her again in the future.I never tire of Paris, it is such a beautiful city and so it was easy for me to go back with my mum for such a special occasion.

It was a fantastic couple of days, we stayed in a luxurious hotel just off the Champs Elysee and we visited lots of the sites, most importantly we got to spend a good long time at the Louvre taking in the wonderful works of art.  As the trip was about my mum I left my camera at home and just relied on my mobile phone's camera for the small number of shots that I took.

The two pictures I have chosen for today's blog showcase Parisian style from two very different eras.  The first is contemporary and was taken in the foyer of our hotel, the second was of a staircase in the Palais du Louvre and so reflects the style of a time long past. I love the golden apple, it is a fun piece and blended really well with the decor. The staircase shows that even in a compact space something functional has been made a thing of beauty and style.  That's Paris for you.