Paris Photography Tour

Hoping to see Paris with new eyes, I signed up for a photography tour of the city last summer. I googled and found a company with stellar reviews, Better Paris Photos.

Registering was quick and simple, response almost immediate.  I proposed a few potential dates and when we found one that worked, was assigned to Catherine O’Hara. 

O’Hara is an Irish expat and professional photographer who focuses primarily on wedding photography in Paris and Ireland.  I checked her website and loved her work. I couldn’t wait for the tour.  I learned later that Catherine had contributed to the Paris Wedding book by Paris-based wedding planner Kim Petyt.  I’ve followed Petyt’s blog for several years and think the book is gorgeous.

We spent 6 hours together, walking the 1st, 2nd, 3th and 4th arrondissements.  The tour offered a fresh perspective on a city I love and know very well.  It was a treat to have a pro teach me new techniques and help with hands-on practice.

My time with Catherine absolutely made the difference in the photos I took later in Scotland.  I was more confident–I admit I’d felt some pressure knowing I’d need great pictures as part of my newspaper assignments.  I got shots off quickly, many of them turned out remarkably well, and I’ve sold a handful of them to go with the newspaper stories.

Here’s a few of the more fun ones I took that day:

 

Bicyclist on a Vélib‘ (Paris’s free bicycle rental around town) in front of Centre Georges Pompidou, 4th arr.

 

Garden of Hôtel de Sully, 4th arr.

 

Playing with shadows, Place des Vosges, 4th arr.

 

Using reflections, Hôtel de Sully, 4th arr.

 

Passage Colbert, 2nd arr.

door knocker

Door knocker in the 2nd arr.