Paris set me free - Session 5 of my photo course

It's my last session with Sab and we are doing some night shots.  We are in the area around Opera to work on shooting the grand boulevards in their Christmas glory, and to look at techniques and effects that capture the feel of Paris at night. We started in a cafe, where we had lots of time to work on indoor lighting issues ("lots of time" because the waiter was thoroughly confused by my order of coffe with cognac in it!).  I tried using depth of field to isolate a subject in a scene, using slow shutter shutter speed and playing with reflections. Here are the cafe shots: the first shot would have been stronger if the waiters were making coffee, rather than discussing a bill. In the second shot, I like the idea of the girl being visible through the shoulder of the moving waiter, but we aren't getting enough info about the girl to make it an interesting story.

Seems he has an unwelcome ghost!

L'addition, s.v.p

We then took to the streets to shoot the boulevards, only to find that they were in the middle of the change-over from Christmas lighting to new year sales. The objective was to try and convey the story of the night workers undertaking this grand effort.

A bear window cleaner?

Go! Shopping

We worked on some street shots using zoom for the impression of movement and long shutter speeds to create a faux-double exposure - that was fun!

Late for the last metro?    

Sab as ghost critic

At that stage the sub zero temps forced us into a tex-mex cafe where I had nachos and desperado beer, while sneaking one last story shot about a first date.

Thanks Sab for a great course - I am now prowling the Brisbane streets, on the lookout for opportunities to tell more of a story in my pics!

Amandine

Paris Set Me Free - Photos - Session 4

Our session today was a stroll thought the markets - I am really familiar with this place as I go most weekends. Today my challenge was to take a different kind of photo - aiming for compositions that show odd combinations of objects, people doing interesting, or odd, things.  No safe photos of pretty colours or patterns today!

The weather was glorious as the clear skies and sunshine made the 3 degree maximum seem toasty warm - despite the frost on the grass!!!  The sunshine also provided some lighting challenges (ridiculous contrast) and opportunities.

Here's what I got! 
Firstly, a shot that I didn't think all-the-way through - I got the bit about putting me and the bum on the same image - ("ha ha - bum picture - ha ha"), but didn't think about making it look like my head belonged to the bum by matching the scale. And this is how we learn!

Do these guys look related!

Red Hot Granny

Entertainment at the feast?

Hands up those who like markets!

Checking out the silver ware!

Master of all he surveys

 Starting small

Amandine

It snowed today - Happy New Year

Hello Snowden St - this is what the snow-den stuff looks like!
Actually - this was not at all like flaky fluffy snow which we had seen before.  Today it was more like bouncy rain, or styrofoam hail or frozen insect poo!   Weird....

Wow it's cold out there! It is currently -3 degrees.  Monday is going to swing from a chilly minus 6 degrees to a toasty top of 0 degrees! Ouch cold. How will I manage the big thaw?


 

Amandine

Paris set me free - Photos from Day 3

The forecast was for rain showers (which for once was accurate) so we planned a walk through the old Grand Boulevards - the covered shopping arcades in the 2nd arrondissment. 

We started at the Metro entrance at Palais Royal/Musee du Louvre - difficult to get a new angle on this odd structure.

We headed on to the Palais Royal to check out some modern additions to the ancien palais.

The famous colonaded courtyard was closed for rennovation - offering us only a peepshow of the contraversial art work.  That was a great way to frame these views!

Crossing the courtyard near Biblioteque National (a disco for books?) we came across some interesting juxtapositions - the Romans are still there!

Into the arcades which offered dimly-lit views of curios and Christmas lights, and curious views in windows where reflections seemed to misplace items.

Amandine

Paris Set me Free - Photos - Session Two

For our second day of shooting Parisiens, Sab and I met in the 10th arrondissment at the Canal St Martin (near Republic metro). We walked less than 2 km but covered a lot!  (sorry - more than 10 shots here!)

The day was overcast which has given me really saturated colours.  Here's a group of images taking advantage of colour and contrast. 

There was a bit of wind on the water, so we didn't get mirrorred bridges, buildings and boats - rather, the reflections were neurotic excitable images - they are fun, but really abstract and tell us little about the place they were taken.

The area is has a gritty character, with some great street art and street life - here are some images showing the interaction between the art and the local life.

Boo!

Hooked on reading

Keeping an eye on the dancers

Waterline/Skyline