[Closed] Best way to spend a day in Paris if you're a photographer

Fairly obvious I guess but somewhere like the Louvre you're tourist-watching more than Parisian-watching. Depends what you're looking for.

Not an expert at all but maybe th Latin Quarter (south of river from Louvre) might be quite interesting.

Hmm I'm in agreement ^ you'll be taking pics of tourists the whole time rather than real people, you could go to London for that.
If you want real then get yourself over to the tenement blocks of the 9th arrondissement, a short tube ride away. Proper 50's/60's/70's architecture smattered with working class French people going about their business, you'll find a myriad of cultures and interesting artwork plastered all over the subways/portacabins and hoardings.
But seems to have gone all Urban Chic..

From Wiki.

The 9th arrondissement (IXe arrondissement), located on the Right Bank, is one of the 20 arrondissements of Paris, France. It contains many places of cultural, historical, and architectural interest, including the Palais Garnier, home to the Paris Opera, Boulevard Haussmann and its large department stores of Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. Along with the 2nd and 8th arrondissements, it hosts one of the business centers of Paris, located around the Opéra.

While most people descending the metro just north of the 9th arrondissement would be likely heading towards Montmartre, those in the know, head to SoPi (South of Pigalle), to enjoy the many restaurants, bars and cafés the district has to offer. This is a young and vibrant part of the city with rue des Martyrs being one of its most famous points of entry. This is a foodies delight with the likes of Popelinis, Rose Bakery, Braisenville, Le Pantruche & Les Canailles to name a few, calling it home. Countless articles have been written about what's hip new and happening including The Guardian's Paris Travel Guide: A Day in South Pigalle - "South Pigalle, once a quieter corner of Paris, has picked up a new nickname, SoPi, and gone all BoBo (bourgeois bohemian) as a slew of stylish restaurants, bars and shops open in the area"[1]

In front of the lens instead of behind it. Go see it as a person rather than a photographer.

Area around the Louvre is very beautiful in a classic Parisien way, it will be busy (not totally sure how much on a Sunday) with a mix of people both tourists and locals I would guess relatively upmarket. Aside from the museum you have the parks and the river walk, both will be mix of locals (and their dogs sh1tting) and tourists. The immediate vicinity of the d'Orsay is quite busy with the main road passing outside but a few streets away from the river and it's more busy and fairly local. Places like The area around Montmartre metro are a bit more "edgy" and ethnic with lots of cheaper shops. If you have decent camera and gear take care as the petty crime is quite bad.

Or of course go a bit further out to one of the areas with tower blocks. I did that once but decided to stop when a bottle went whizzing past my head.

Go see it as a person rather than a photographer.

Err....

If you want real then get yourself over to the tenement blocks of the 9th arrondissement, a short tube ride away. Proper 50's/60's/70's architecture smattered with working class French people going about their business, you'll find a myriad of cultures and interesting artwork plastered all over the subways/portacabins and hoardings.

This is why I asked the question! This is exactly what I meant and you're so right; I don't want to shoot tourists. The 9th Arrondissement sounds perfect. Many thanks for the suggestion.

OP take care, the projects (tower block) areas can be quite unsafe. There are large wooden shanty towns dotted around the peripherique but I imagine the inhabitants don't want to be photographed. There was a large group of refugees around area goutte d'or (which was more accurately the area I was trying to describe) and sleeping under the bridge near port chapelle. All of this is between the gare du nord (generally rough area) and Montmartre / scare cour The wife suggested you can try around the Moulin Rouge the area is quite mixed (lots of music / guitar shops there). The wife is also quite nervous of you going to these areas with your decent camera kit, the first question she asked was whether you where going with a woman as she advise against that. Also as its a Sunday during school holidays I will be fairly quiet

Montmartre area is alway good...

I think Paris is more fun at night

[URL= http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy285/kbrembo/LrMobile2410-2015-1038947575772814_zpsarllfbwp.jpe g" target="_blank">http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy285/kbrembo/LrMobile2410-2015-1038947575772814_zpsarllfbwp.jpe g"/> [/IMG][/URL]

[URL= http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy285/kbrembo/LrMobile2410-2015-1035885116219140_zpslovqsfdu.jpe g" target="_blank">http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy285/kbrembo/LrMobile2410-2015-1035885116219140_zpslovqsfdu.jpe g"/> [/IMG][/URL]

[URL= http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy285/kbrembo/LrMobile2410-2015-1014863446105606_zpsfyjnskhu.jpe g" target="_blank">http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy285/kbrembo/LrMobile2410-2015-1014863446105606_zpsfyjnskhu.jpe g"/> [/IMG][/URL]

OP take care,

Yes quite, I'm very conscious of this issue. So Jambalaya just to clarify, where are the areas I should avoid?

The area that I seem to be gravitating towards is the 9th arrondissement as my preference for 'street photography' would be to shoot everyday people in ordinary settings. The 9th arrondissement may be getting a reputation for being a bit 'bobo' but it sounds more interesting still than the tourist areas.

AAAAAARRRGGGHHHH - Kbrembo, your photos give me stress. Learn how/where to focus and for Pete's sake, straighten the Tower 😉

I'm guessing hand held hence blurred from shaky hands....

Makes me feel a bit queesy looking at them...

Go to the Gare de Lyon...

... and take a train out of town.

@geetee, the really bad areas are outside the periph / town centre mostly to the North and you're not going there. Anywhere else just keep your wits about you I'd say, it's your camera gear which concerns me as its a magnet. My wife (Parisienne) doesn't like the gare du nord / goutte d'or area at all but she's been mugged a couple of times in Paris so is very cautious. I don't know the 9th but the wife says parts of it are quite nice (Osman buildings), 9 and 10 are next to each other as that's how the numbering system works - concentric circles out from the centre. Her suggestion is to find a Sunday market as that will be full of locals, for example she says 14th is a working class family area. She says there is a market at "la pause" near port la clignancourt which is close to the north-ish areas like 9 and 10. I hope this is useful

It's incredibly useful and I'm genuinely very grateful. Please say thank you to your wife for me. I will keep my wits about me and be discreet. My camera fortunately while on the pricey side is also very small and very innocuous. It's perfect for sweet shooting another drawing attention to yourself.

Père Lachaise Cemetery is pretty cool - a bit like Highgate, but less overgrown. And try and get some nice shots of the Art Nouveau Metro station entrances.

Père Lachaise Cemetery

Comically it's right on the edge of what Fox declared a "no go zone" in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo murders. The area round Menilmontant is very non touristy and mixed - North African, West African, Jewish, Asian, French. And even an STWer!!

Whilst it can be seen as "edgy" for sure, I've never had a problem over in 9', I've a best friend who lives there and it's just like Spitalfields but a much larger scale. Some fantastic tiny bistros and bars amongst street sellers and young and old just meandering around.
Of course you have to be careful, just you know, you know how to do that.
You won't be the only there with a camera either, it's a hive for Art Students being Arty.

I've felt more uneasy in Naples 😆

I'd say take the plunge, if it scares you hop back on the tube and head back.

Thanks for all the advice. I'm quite comfortable in edgy areas. I spent about ten years going in and out of some of the rougher parts of South London so I know how to be aware of where potential threats might be, such as they are (and I think the more aware you are the more you realise that the threats are pretty rare).

Bit late maybe, how about getting a copy of Invaders "Invasion" map then riding around (hire bike) finding the mosaics then composing interesting pics incorporating them? Will take you on a mystery tour & can chase as few or many as you like.

Enjoy, whatever you get up to.

Yeah enjoy it.. And of course...

Take Pics !!!

I'm off over there myself on the 6th Nov for a few days, smartphone camera only though for me. Shan't be afraid to get a few selfies done neivers.. 😆

Bit late maybe, how about getting a copy of Invaders "Invasion" map then riding around (hire bike)

It's a fine suggestion save for one thing. Parissiene motorists 😀

I'll post some of the more interesting pictures on the 'Photo's You've taken etc' thread later today.

Looking forward to seeing them.

In the end I only had an afternoon rather than a whole day but this was OK. I started out from the Moulin Rouge and headed to Pigalle and then down Rue des Martyrs and on into the 9th Arrondissement as recommended by Bikebouy and others. It really is an amalgam of Portobello Road and Brick Lane; interesting for sure but hard to shoot as the interesting places are quite crowded and the less crowded places are less interesting.

I then ended up at Sacre Cour (more by chance than anything else) and then walked over to Montmartre. This was more conducive to street shooting as the roads were quieter and the space more open so you have more room to move around and frame your shots. I'm not sure the pictures will appeal in general; I'm not really interested in making images that have immediate and obvious appeal (to be honest I'm not sure what kind of photographer I am yet, but I know I like shooting people).

Here is a sample and then a link to the album if you're interested:

[url= https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5637/22489239952_33480f7fa5_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5637/22489239952_33480f7fa5_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Agiewq ]La Piscine[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/geetee1972/ ]Greg Turner[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/697/22314719830_37987ca777_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/697/22314719830_37987ca777_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/zZSLLN ]Accident[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/geetee1972/ ]Greg Turner[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/584/22315528749_3d1e57c5c6_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/584/22315528749_3d1e57c5c6_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/zZWVeF ]SoPi - South of Pigalle[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/geetee1972/ ]Greg Turner[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/592/22314657708_3f8e33b56d_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/592/22314657708_3f8e33b56d_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/zZSsiJ ]Jaune et bleu[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/geetee1972/ ]Greg Turner[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5716/22314414900_98cce5e627_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5716/22314414900_98cce5e627_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/zZRd8o ]Velo[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/geetee1972/ ]Greg Turner[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/626/22488930362_e4a99a58e7_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/626/22488930362_e4a99a58e7_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/AggDuE ]Rouge manteaux[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/geetee1972/ ]Greg Turner[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://flic.kr/s/aHskjwu6gE ]Paris October 2015 on Flickr[/url]

Well there you go, it's really not scary at all is it now.

Glad you took pics and I've just checked them out on your flickr page (thanks for the link) and I like them. More the point you made the effort to go.

😀

Nice pics, Greg. I will be in Paris next weekend so will check out the SoPi area!