Want to see the City of Lights and Love through the lens?
Paris Photography Workshop
I am headed back to Paris in November... Yes, November! I have been to Paris in November a few times. Every time I have been there in late November I actually thought the Eiffel Tower and other attractions were closed -- there were no lines! But no, the ticket booth clerks were just standing around bored with nothing to do, til I came along! :-) So, one reason you go that time of year is because there are fewer tourists. The second reason is because the days are shorter and the golden hours at a more reasonable time. The third reason is that there are limited people walking around at night, allowing better access to the night photography locations. It’s the perfect time for a photography workshop.
Its also going to be my 11th time in Paris and I know many of the hidden locations and vantage points of the iconic locations you wont see without my guidance.
Dates of the workshop: November 10th, 2019 to November 16th, 2019
Instructors: Kevin Pepper and Jeff Wendorff.
Price of the workshop: $2495USD
Number of participants: maximum 8 people
Deposit required: $750USD and balance due August 2019
Included: Entrance fees into all attractions, photography guidance, welcome luncheon, dinner on last night
Not Included: accommodation, meals not outlined in itinerary, traveller’s insurance, transportation from hotel to attractions.
Notes on logistics: We will be staying in the bohemian district of Montmarte in Paris. We have identified three hotels that offer levels of accommodation, from 5 star to 3 star. You will be given the hotel information and asked to book your accommodation at one of these hotels that are central to our daily starting point.
Because Paris is a walking town that has one of the best transportation systems in the world, daily we will be taking the subway or taxi to our locations. Once there we will walk to see the locations we have identified as photographic stops during the workshop, some outside, some inside.
During the workshop, we will take time during the day at three different times to go through your images with you to ensure you are capturing the essence of Paris.
Expect to pay between $50 to $75 per day for food on this trip. There are hotels that have kitchens and there is a grocery store in Montmarte where you can buy food to keep in your hotel room. There are also many hotels that include breakfast with your room that will reduce the amount of money you spend on food.
Itinerary
Sunday – Group Lunch in Paris
We meet on Sunday at lunch to discuss the weeks activities and begin to inform you of different shooting techniques we will be asking you to try. During this group lunch, we will have informal discussions on what our guests are trying to achieve in their photography, subject matters, styles and techniques.
From here we will set out for a wonderful afternoon of photography at arguably one of the most iconic photography locations in Paris. Together we will wander around this iconic structure and photograph it from different angles during the day.
In the evening we celebrate with our “Welcome Dinner” at one of our favorite Parisian restaurants and then head back out to photograph the tower in all its evening glory from more locations that I have identified over the years. If it rains, all the better because Paris is even more beautiful at night when it’s wet and rainy.
(Included today is lunch)
Monday - Latin Quarter
On day two we explore the hidden gems of the Latin Quarter, as well as Notre-Dame and the Panthéon. Here, we will apply our focus to street people and shop owners, as well as the impressive architecture that surrounds us at every turn.
For the movie Highlander lovers, you may know this location very well. The Shakespeare and Company, arguably the most famous independent bookstore in the world, occupies a prime piece of real estate facing the Seine in Paris, not far from the Latin Quarter, Place Saint-Michel, and Boulevard Saint-Germain. The river is just a stone’s throw from the front door, and a strong ultimate-Frisbee player could probably nail the south side of Notre Dame—halfway across the Seine on Île de la Cité—from one of the shop’s second-floor windows. The view is that good.
Tuesday - Champs-Elysées – Louvre – Musee D’Orsay
On day three, we set out to explore the Champs-Elysées, Musee D’Orsay and Louvre areas, looking to capture the architectural beauty and manicured gardens and the locals that wander through this area on a daily basis.
Since there is so much to see in Paris, we’ll look to blend together the obvious (monuments) and less obvious (back streets and grit) so you get a nice collection of photos depicting Paris. After dinner we will spend the evening photographing the Louvre and street scenes at night in this magnificent “city of lights”. If it rains, all the better because Paris is even more beautiful at night when it’s wet and rainy.
Wednesday - Canal Saint Martin - Belleville
Wednesday is a day dedicated to the secret neighborhoods of Paris. With its footbridges arching gracefully over a canal that feeds into the Seine River, the Canal Saint Martin area offers equal parts greenery, lyricism, and urban grit. One of Paris' oldest streets, Rue Montorgueil is a vibrant, cheery quarter bursting with some of the city's finest food markets and pastry shops. Nestled between Montparnasse and Chinatown on the left bank is a hilly, well-hidden quarter whose narrow, winding streets, tiny houses, and art nouveau architecture recall a Paris of another era. And Belleville – home to one of Paris’s lively Chinatowns, a burgeoning artist quarter and a dizzying array of cultures.
Thursday - Opera House – Catacombs - Montmarte
On Thursday morning we will go and visit the opera house when it opens so we can see and photograph the stunning architecture of the building. From here it’s a short trip over to the catacombs.
The Catacombs, which form a veritable labyrinth beneath the very heart of Paris, were created in the galleries of the former quarries whose stone was used to build the capital.
Situated twenty metres below ground, the ossuary contains the remains of millions of Parisians, transferred there gradually between the late eighteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries as graveyards were being closed because of the risk they posed to public health. The first of these was the cimetière des Innocents graveyard in 1786 in what is now the district of Les Halle.
In the long maze of dark galleries and narrow passages, visitors can see a tableau of death with bones arranged in a macabre display of high Romantic taste. The alexandrine verse "Arrête, c'est ici l'empire de la mort" [Halt, this is the realm of Death ] above the entrance to the ossuary is just one of an extensive series of maxims, poems and other sacred and profane passages giving pause for thought during the tour. This unusual site movingly brings the history of the Parisian people back to life and takes visitors on a timeless journey.
Then, as a group we will visit the popular Montmarte cemetery and its century old tombstones, then go climb the stairs at Sacre Coeur to photograph from this wonderful vantage point.
After dinner, its back to do some night photography in the center of Montmarte of the iconic metro signs and some night photography in front of Moulin Rouge.
Friday – final editing session – street photography – night photo shoot
On day six, we set out early for some street photography and then our final group discussion, review our past weeks photos, and give one final critique.
Then we head out for one final dinner where you can trade contact information with everyone, enjoy the sites as you eat and then head out one last time for a final night shoot.
Tonight is all about capturing the city of lights and love between two locations you would have visited already this week. The Eiffel tower and le Louvre. Tonight is your opportunity to take those images that you may have missed during a night where you will see local lovers strolling along the paths and enjoying company of friends with these iconic structures as the back drops for your candid portraits.
(Included today is dinner)
Saturday – Departure day
We urge you to extend your stay in Paris or elsewhere in France and make good use of everything you will learn on our photo adventure. If you choose to go home, our time together will end before noon on the Saturday and you are safe to schedule your flights home after 330pm on the last day
If you want to join us in the City of Lights and Love, just click here to contact me and we will see you in Paris,,,