Nimes has some very well preserved Roman ruins. There is a huge park area that has stone walkways over ancient Roman waterways and this colosseum structure in the middle of town.
One of the coolest things about this colosseum is that it is still used on a regular basis! When we were there, they were having a bullfight inside the arena. I have some pictures of the aftermath, including trails of blood in the sand...
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Trey's Tip: The best time to shoot is when there is dusk light and artificial light. There is usually only a 30-minute or 60-minute overlap, so you certainly need to plan ahead.
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We rented a tiny car in Montpellier and decided to spend a while randomly driving around the south of France. Regular visitors know that I'm enamored with the impressionists of the late 19th century. Even though I have yet to embark on the full tour of the homes of my favorites, I did make a point to stop in the hometown of Vincent Van Gogh for a quick look.
This is Arles, which is only a short drive from Montpellier and less than an hour from the Côte d'Azur. The streets are quaint and quiet. There are a few tourist areas, but after a few steps in a random direction, you're back in the old streets. I needed to stay for longer for more exploration (!), but I did my best to make use of the short time I was there.
Trey's Tip: Often times, I don't like to get people in my photos, unless it is unavoidable. This means there is a lot of waiting involved. It can seem sometimes like the universe is conspiring against you, when one person after the next keeps walking down the lane in your shot. Try to be patient and set your mind at ease... Maybe you can take this chance to let your brain think free and clear about different things. That free-association time may help you on other shots for the rest of the day.
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I think this was my fifth trip to Paris, and the first time I actually got some Eiffel Tower shots that I find satisfactory! I literally had to take thousands of shots of this thing before I found something that feels right to me.
Trey's Tip: The gardens that surround the Eiffel Tower are surprisingly empty. Around dusk and sunset, it's usually not too hard to find a nice bench to drink in the sights. Or, barring that, there are plenty of spots in the grass where you can lay out a blanket and enjoy some amazing cheese and pastries... and what is more wonderful than that?
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This is in Montpellier, in the south of France. We stayed there with a wonderful family (my friends Jacques and Marie) and had an amazing time. One evening, they took us out for dinner at a perfect little place on a quiet side-street. Along the way, Jacques, who is also a photographer, took me to this amazing castle-cathedral. He said, "I think this is probably a good area for photography." He said this with eyebrows raised and a serious expression. He didn't need to say any more than that!
Trey's Tip: This cathedral is buried in the middle of an older part of the city. It can be hard to find a good angle, so keep looking around for interesting angles. You may also want to re-vist this area during the morning, mid-afternoon, and evening for different light-effects.
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While visiting Fabien in Nimes, there was a bullfight going on inside this ancient Roman gladiator arena. The further south you go in France, the more likely you are to find the old influence of the Spanish bullfights. It's pretty violent, yes? Yes. In fact, if you zoom in, you can still see blood that has been smeared across the arena by the smearing-truck.
Once the crowd started to clear out, a perfect sunset settled upon us. It was just Fabien, my wife, and I, and it was a very nice night. After the bullfight, we walked around to take a lot of photos of this amazing evening, Fabien took us to his favorite little secret French restaurant down one of the side streets. Perfect!
from the blog www.stuckincustoms.com
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