Saint-Sulpice Fountain HDR

Saint Sulpice Fountain HDR

This is the fountain in front of Saint-Sulpice church which was made famous in the DaVinci Code.  I was very curious how this shot would turn out.

This may actually have been one of my first handheld HDR photos.  There really was no place to put my tripod to get this shot.  The tripod is about 6 inches tall so the ground didn’t work.  There are no metallic structures to hang it off of (it’s magnetic).  So I just handheld it.  I was also very curious how the water would look when the three shots merged.  I’m very happy with how it turned out.

Saint-Étienne-du-Mont Inside Pillars

I walked by this church so many times without going in.  When I did I was surprised.  I’d say it’s probably one of the prettiest churches in Paris.  I love these pillars.  Such a nice clean design.

By the way as an extra bonus.  The staircase on the left is where the scene from Midnight in Paris was shot where Gil gets picked up by the cars from the past.

Maubert Mutalite Fountain HDR – Paris

Maubert Fountain HDR

I walked by this fountain many times. Sometimes it’s really nicely lit.  Other times nothing special.  It was actually my first image dealing with people moving.  The guy on the left leaned forward between shots and the traffic light was shining right through him.  Paris is full of very nice things.

 

Saint-Étienne-du-Mont : HDR Winter

Saint-Étienne-du-Mont HDR Winter

This is a shot from last winter that I just processed.  I’ve been a bit slow with the photos lately.

Somehow this church is often very photogenic.  Interestingly I walked by it many times without going in.  When I did I was surprised.  It’s maybe one of the most beautiful churches in Paris.  I’ll leave the inside for another post.

Gray skies and grayness are not really nice things but for HDR they seem to make the photos more interesting.  Blue cloudless skies are not that interesting.  Gray clouds add texture.  I often also really like how HDR can bring out the texture in brickwork.  Sadly though I find normal non HDR photos now a days to lack color.

This view on Street Views

Who needs a lawnmower when you have goats? Tuilerie Gardens Paris

Tuilerie Goats

A couple of goats “mow” a steep slope in the Tuilerie gardens, Paris, France.

I found this funny.  Cool too.  How does one mow a steep slope?  Some fancy new mower with some patent pending way to keep it from tipping? Nope. Throw a couple of goats on the slope!  Win/win all around!

Louvre Courtyard Pyramids and Lamp HDR

LightPole_LouvrePyramid

This is a photo also taken during the HDR photo walk with Trey Ratcliff. For me it was still funny that I was there with my puny little camera and tripod while to my right were the fancy tripods and cameras. I just imagine the other photographers wondering what I was thinking. I’m happy with how it turned out. Even without the HDR photos of the pyramids turn out nicely. I may post some later on from my pre-HDR days. My theory for this is that the yellow lights cause the auto white balance to boost blue which in turn brings out the sky.

 

Louvre Pyramids at dusk on an HDR photo walk

Louvre Bike Pyramid

HDR photo of the Louvre Pyramids and a Brompton bike from a low vantage point with nice light and nice texture on the stone.

I found out by chance and last minute that Trey Ratcliff was in Paris and doing a photo walk.  Of course I jumped at the chance.  When I arrived everyone had all their fancy equipment ready.  Full frame SLR cameras and fancy tripods.  I’ll probably do a post in the future about my gear but at the time I was using a Canon S90 and  magnetic Joby Gorillapod about 6 inches high.  The camera goes in a small case on my belt and the tripod in a pocket.  So as I arrived one might ask where my camera was.  And I was asking myself should I even take out my tiny camera.

The tiny camera is by choice.  As they say: “The best camera is the one you have with you”.  And anything much bigger I won’t have with me.  But my trusty little camera just sits there waiting for the right moment.  Often it’s just a matter of being at the right place at the right time when the light decides to be pretty.

This photos was taken near the end of the walk.  Standing to my right is a number of huge tripods and fancy cameras.  You can pretty much see how high my tripod was.  I might have tried to pick a higher vantage point somehow but I had done a few photos recently where the texture of the stone on the ground had come out nicely and that’s what I was aiming for.

I was fortunate to have the bike standing where it was  There was a couple along for the walk that had a pair of them.  (Very nice little Brompton bikes.  I hope to own one some day.)  It was the lady’s bike and she asked me if she should move it.  No way!  She told me that at the outset she thought her husband’s camera was the smallest but in fact it was mine that was.

And the photo turned out nicely.  The pyramids are often pretty just as it’s changing from day to night as it was here.  I think the yellow light causes the white balance to push the blue and you get this super effect.  So it’s Paris, the Louvre Pyramids, pretty light and a bonus bike.

 

Pont Des Arts – Love Locks

Pont-Des-Arts_Love-Locks

This is Pont Des Arts.  Lovers flock here to write their names on a lock, lock it to the bridge and throw the key into the Seine symbolizing their eternal love.

This picture was taken using my little magnetic Joby tripod.  The locks were perfect to stick the little bugger to.  The light was perfect. Often it’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

My first HDR Photo – Rooftops Paris

MoufftardCourtyard_HDR_2048

This is the photo that got me into HDR.  I read Trey Ratcliff’s HDR Tutorial and gave it a try.  Funny enough I didn’t secure the tripod well.  Right after the third click of the last photo being taken the camera tipped over.  But all was right and it turned out and I was pulled to the dark side of HDR.