If we don't already know each other, my name is Liran and I'm an Israeli photographer who has lived in Paris for years. I wrote for you about original ideas for photoshoot locations in Paris.
As an Israeli living and working in Paris, a significant part of my work is taking photos against the backdrop of the city. Naturally, everyone wants to include monuments like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe , etc. in their photo book. Because if we arrived in Paris, hired a photographer, and dressed up, how will they believe we were in Paris if they don't see us with the beautiful tower in the background?
It's very difficult to find locations in a city like Paris that haven't already been plowed by bloggers, influencers, and anyone with a camera.
Most of us want our photos to be similar to the ones we've seen on social media, but to give them an original touch. How do we do that in a city where we're mostly familiar with clichés?
Whenever I talk to clients, one of the first questions I ask them is if they have thought about/locked in on a particular location or are they open to suggestions. If the clients answer, “We thought about X, but what do you suggest?”, I start throwing out ideas and sending pictures of slightly less traditional locations that still scream “Paris!” More than once, they prefer them over their original idea.
So for all those who come to Paris, it's important for them to take pictures and maybe want to step outside the box of the Eiffel Tower , the Love Wall, etc., here are some ideas.
Photographs in the Paris Metro
This underground means of transportation, which is often crowded, is also a visual treasure trove for taking special photos. You need patience, and if you really want to invest, you also need to look for the right platform and/or station.
Sometimes it is also recommended to go to a specific line like the 7bis, which as of today is still on a short route (this is going to change in the not-so-distant future) because the carriages are usually empty.
Where can I take pictures in the metro?
On the platform, between the window of one car and the second car, at the exit near the stairs with plays of light and shadow. Let your imagination run wild the moment you are there.
Photos in the apartment or hotel
If you are staying in a classic Haussmannian Parisian apartment/room, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a wrought-iron railing – then you have an amazing location.
You can take pictures from inside on the windowsill, and you can also send your partner/friends/me outside so they can take pictures of you from street level.
If there is a store or public building across the street that you have access to, send the photographer to a higher floor than the building across the street and let them photograph you from above.
Photographing reflections
If you've passed by a store or cafe with a large storefront, you've found yourself a great location.
What's special about the idea of this type of photography is that you're not limited to one place, and with practice you'll understand how to play with shadows and reflections of buildings/people/scratches on the glass that will be reflected around your face from the other side of the window.
Door photos
It sounds funny, but many old Haussmann buildings have wooden or metal doors and ornate glass, which look as if they were built in advance knowing that they would be a film set.
The beauty of these doors is both their strong colors and their shape and size, which create a kind of frame within the frame of the picture.
To take a picture with a newspaper
This time it's not about the location but about an accessory.
Although the Eiffel Tower screams Paris, Vogue or Elle magazine (or others) also scream Paris and Parisian chic.
If there is a familiar figure or symbol on the cover, they also provide cultural dating for the time when the photo was taken, and over the years a vintage dimension will be added to it.
