Trip Report – 2023 Paris Photography Workshop
Introduction To My Paris Photo WOrkshop
Paris is lovely in May—the trees and flowers burst out of their winter sleep, and the city becomes a palate of pastel colors. Photo opportunities abound as the city comes alive with abundant flower shows, festivals, street fairs, and fabulous outdoor flea markets.
On this trip, we visited hidden locations and iconic vantage points, learning and refining our camera techniques along the way. The cafés beckoned, and the aroma of freshly baked bread and French coffee lured us, but nothing stopped us from capturing this beautiful city in the best light—during golden hour, blue hour, and into the night… well, maybe the rain stopped us a few days ;-).
There was plenty of street photography for a diverse, unique, and personal representation of the city. But nothing was left to chance—we brought our own models dressed in modern Parisien fashion to wander the subways, back alleys, and busy streets with us. We even had a ballet-trained dancer, and a modern dancer on top of the Trocadéro with the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop.
What’s Included
Double occupancy lodging. (Single available for a supplement).
All meals, soft drinks, and snacks during the workshop.
All transportation during the workshop.
Tips for local guides.
Photographic guiding and instruction from Kevin Pepper.
Image reviews and post-processing instructions.
Adventure, fun, inspiration, and a great time!
What Is Not Included
Travel to and from Paris, Île-de-France.
Passport and visa fees (if applicable).
Any meals or accommodations before or after the workshop dates.
Items of a personal nature.
Alcoholic beverages.
Travel Medical and Trip Cancellation Insurance (optional, but recommended).
Anything else specifically not listed as included.
Single rooming available
The Accommodations
Our 120-room hotel came with a roof terrace offering a panoramic view of Paris. It felt like a mythical place in the heart of Montmartre. Perched on the 7th floor, the rooftop is a hidden refuge in the heart of Montmartre, far from the hustle and bustle of the city... We met there with friends for a moment out of time, and we tasted signature cocktails while enjoying the view of Paris and working through our images. This was a chic and intimate setting with a view of the whole of Paris.
Inspired by the artistic spirit of Montmartre, the rooms and suites of our hotel have been designed as artists’ dressing rooms: studio lamps, directors’ chairs, travel trunk-style storage, frosted glass windows and mirrors with light bulbs... All this while retaining the charm of the turn of the 19th century with old mouldings and metro tiles in the bathrooms… and, if one was lucky, a view of the Eiffel tower from one’s hotel room balcony.
The weather during THe WOrkshop
Well, we sure struggled with the weather this year. We had a mixed bag of everything! And had more than our fair share of rainy days and nights. This caused a lot of changes on the fly to keep us out of the rain. Thank goodness my group was flexible and went with the flow, trusting I would get them to the locations, just not on the day we originally intended.
The Transportation During THe WOrkshop
Getting around in such a busy city can be pretty difficult if you are driving especially when you have a group of seven people that are trying to get to locations at a specific time. Traffic is busy; parking can be a nightmare, and, well, let’s call a spade a spade, French drivers are not the most friendly group of people out there.
The transportation options left are a combination of the Metro and Uber. Both are extremely easy to use and can often get you to the right spot at the right time. The other mode of transportation is your feet. And that always seems to be the best way to wander the different areas while doing street photography. A quick look at my fitness app shows me that we averaged 12,000 steps each day while on this workshop.
The PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
The photo ops ranged from 150’ below street level to 250’ up in the monuments and churches, and lots of locations in between. We endeavored to see as much of Paris as we could. The goal of this trip is always to blend tourist visits to museums and monuments and photography of these buildings during the day and night. As I mentioned, I like to bring along a model so we have the option to place a person in the perfect spot to create more compelling images. The human element can really make an image more compelling.
We didn’t get to all the locations I wanted to visit this year. The rain made me make some hard decisions on what to cut. What got dropped off the schedule this year were many of the manicured gardens. To keep out of the rain we focused more on the various museums, churches, malls, and subway stops… and indulged in some good food at some of my favorite places to eat.
my Post-Trip Thoughts
We took a group that was probably too big this year. Even with an assistant with me, the logistics of getting a larger group around Paris can be a challenge. Lessons learned for future trips. I think the maximum number of people I will take in the future is 5. We all fit in one Uber van, we can be more nimble, and I can spend more time with the attendees.
I think a change in the time of year would also be a good idea. I used to go in the summer and fall season. That was changed to May a few years ago to accommodate our overall workshop schedule. Summer months ensure everything is open, and is the perfect time of year to match a Paris trip with the south of France. When I did the Paris tours in November this gives us more time to photograph at night and makes the long days shorter. November is also a time of year when there are far fewer tourists.
In 2024 and 2025 you will see the times of year for this workshop change… and we will take fewer people to make for a better tour experience.