A Rainy Paris Walk
Paris in the rain is one of my favorite versions of Paris. While it can be challenging to walk all day trying to keep both myself and my gear dry, it often rewards the effort with unexpected moments.
The morning started with a gorgeous sunrise that lasted all of about five minutes before the sky quickly turned gray, shifted briefly to snow, and then settled into a steady rain for the rest of the day. After breakfast at my favorite local coffee joint in the 8th arrondissement, I jumped on Line 1 and hopped off at Palais Royal to start my walk.
I shot the day with my Sony RX10iv, which is not weather sealed, so the conditions definitely kept me on my toes. Despite its small sensor and the fact that it cannot quite match my Fuji gear, I still love how capable and versatile it is, especially when I want to stay light and keep moving.
After six miles in the cold and wet, and somehow not killing my camera, I was eventually satisfied with the day’s frames. I headed to one of my favorite Parisian pubs to warm up and reward myself with a tasty local pint.
I never tire of exploring this city. It just keeps giving. Some days you just have to suck it up and enjoy the rain.
Frames.
Frames. Every time I head out for a photo walkabout, I’m hopeful to catch one or two frames that really stand apart. Sometimes it’s the light, sometimes it’s the bustle of the city, and sometimes, like here, it all kinda comes together.
The lines of the building, the lone figure with an umbrella cutting across the scene all just worked. I’d just left my favorite too-hip-for-me Parisian coffee shop and was amped up on espresso after a nice post work nap. So I thankfully had the energy to stand in the rain and wait for the moment to develop.
Sometimes all it takes is one frame to remember why you keep walking.
Sony RX10iv
Two Days in Paris
As an airline pilot, I'm quite fortunate to get to see the world on the cheap and often on short notice. So when the opportunity comes to make even a short holiday somewhere fun who am I to say no? My wife and I happened to have 4 days off together recently and since the snowfall at home in Colorado had been mediocre we decided to skip snowboarding that week and fly somewhere instead. So off to Paris it was. I once again used my ethos of packing light and brought along my minimum kit, although this time I did bring my prime Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens. I'm unsure of what's easier, having two weeks to make great images or having a shortened time span of about 55 hours on the ground. After getting home and sorting through my images, I was fairly pleased with the results. I hope you are too!
