Child and accordion player, Paris.

On my way up to the Sacre-Couer I strolled the streets of Montmartre, once the center of Parisian artist life. To be honest, I was having a hard time capturing a photograph that I liked. The neighborhood was adorable, but touristy, and nothing stood out to me as particularly photo worthy. I was frustrated. I waited and looked around, and looked some more. Suddenly this scene unfolded in front of me. The decisive moment.

View of the Eiffel Tower from Sacre-Coeur, in the Montmartre section of Paris, one of the highest points in Paris.

If you are going to photograph Paris, the question is not whether you photograph the Tower Eiffel, but from where you will do it. I chose the vantage point from the top of the Sacre-Coeur in the Montmartre section of Paris. Not only is Montmartre one of the highest points in Paris, but it has a long and fascinating history as the center of the arts in Paris. To create the image, I had to hike up a very long and very narrow set of stairs at the Sacre-Coeur church. The image was taken at sunset with the Tamron 16-300. I hope you enjoy it. It took a lot of work to get it. :-)

Photo shoot from Sacre-Coeur with a view of the Eiffel Tower in the background.

View of the Eiffel Tower from one of the highest points in Paris, the tower of the Sacre-Coeur. To get to this point, one must walk up a very long, narrow and twisty staircase. It's worth it! For the photo geeks among you, the image was taken at sunset, hence the warm glow to the right side of the model. The model's face would have been very dark but I brought along the Manfrotto Lykos LED light and used a mini tripod to position the light while I took the image with the Tamron 16-300. I love the light in her eyes, and the Eiffel Tower in the background.

Crepes!

On the way to the Tower Eiffel, we stopped in a creppe shop just outside the metro station. They made the crepes in front of us, I had one with cured ham and eggs, it was incredible.

Photo Shoot in the Courtyard of the Louvre.

The Louvre Courtyard provides a wonderful background for a portrait shoot in Paris. Canon 7D Mk II | Tamron 16-300 | Manfrotto be free tripod | Manfrotto Lykos LED lights.

Louvre Courtyard, Paris.

Before the sun went down, we had some extra time, and a wonderful location so we created this image. The model looks incredible, and the cobblestone and background really enhances the image.

Night portrait in the Louvre Courtyard, Paris.

Louvre at Night

Long exposure of the Louvre at night, taken with the Tamron 15-30, Manfrotto be free tripod.

Photographing a portrait session in the Louvre, Paris.

A bit of behind the scenes, #BTS, showing the equipment I used to travel light and make beautiful portraits in the Louvre. Canon 7D MK II | Tamron 16-300, Manfrotto Lykos LED's, Manfrotto Befree Tripod. With a little planning, you can make beautiful travel photographs and portraits without too much gear.

Musee D'Orsay Panorama

Musee D'Orsay

The intricate details of this clock are wonderful. The Musee D'Orsay was a working rail station before it was a museum.