Away with the golden sun and back to a more Gothic attitude, only appropriate for the Gallery of Chimeras. The Gallery of Chimeras is the short walkway that connects the two towers of Notre Dame and home to le Stryge who has had his photo made more than any of the other gargoyles. This is not him, by the way, but I did make photos of that one too.

I had a good conversation with a friend yesterday about traveling and photography. He had just come back from Mexico and we were agreeing how photography aids in experiencing a place. He pointed out that he remembers experiences so much better when he carries a camera, and not because of the pictures. When you are engaged with photographing something, you are concentrating more on it, and are more engaged with it. You are paying more attention and moving slower. You are also looking harder, or more thoroughly. Of course, a photographer has to learn not to let the camera become a barrier. One should not experience the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame on an LCD screen or in a viewfinder. Nor should one let the worries of pictures distract them. Just let the pictures happen of their own accord and concentrate on the process. The art of seeing and noticing and interpreting would be a much better focus than whether the photos turn out any good.

Anyway, just a few more thoughts on the process of photography, or at least my process. I would say that the effect photography has on me at that particular moment when I am standing in the wind on the parapet of Notre Dame, looking and seeing, is ten times more valuable than the picture that results. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the photos too, but just as a beneficial side-effect of the process. Because I remember this minute of this hour of this day of last year quite clearly. More clearly than if I had not had photography to encourage me.

Tags:   Notre Dame Paris France Gargoyle square film Hasselblad toned incidental Eiffel gothic Blue Moon Camera

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I don't think it all that strange that I carry a selection of cameras with me. I tell people that I change cameras like most photographers change lenses, and it is an apt comparison. We switch out focal lengths to accomplish different tasks. In a cramped space, or faced with a sweeping view? You grab your wide angle. Honing in on a pattern of rock on a cliff face or trying to get that bald eagle in a tree? You go for a telephoto. Making photos of bugs or flowers? Then the macro comes out of the bag. Such is it with my selection of cameras, most of which don't have the ability to change lenses, but have their own unique characteristics. If I want something a bit rough around the edges, vignetted, blurry and just not quite so perfect looking, I grab the Holga. If I want square and perfect and that magic depth that Zeiss lenses have, I go for the Hasselblad. If I want all that but rectangular (and I have returned the Hasselblad I was borrowing) I go for my Pentax 6x7. If I want wide and long exposures the pinhole comes out. Each camera has a different way of recording a scene, and it is not uncommon for me to photograph the same subject with a few different cameras, because the apparent effect, while seeming subtle, can really have a profound impact on the final image. Such as this one here, which I photographed in both Holga and pinhole. And I like both images, but they are different, with slightly different feels to them. The Holga embodied what I wanted to show today. But I am including some of the other outtakes below so you can see and compare. Can you guess the cameras? Answers below. ;-)

Tags:   Paris France Notre Dame gargoyle chimera Incidental Eiffel square film Holga toned ominous Blue Moon Camera

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After leaving the gallery of chimeras, you can climb up to the top of the southern bell tower and... well, this is the view to the west. The two towers in the distance are the Eiffel and Montparnasse. The funny thing is, I did not carry my tripod with me this day as I was uncertain if they would allow it to be taken up Notre Dame, yet nonetheless I did quite a bit of pinhole photography up here and all around the cathedral. I don't remember exactly how...

Yesterday was a pretty killer (and not the awesome kind of killer, as in "Dude, that hamburger was killer") day at work. In all I totaled 13.25 hours on what was supposed to be an 8-9 hour day. I won't go into many details because I am kind of irritated by the whole mess, but whatever. I finally left work just after midnight, hence the lack of a double post yesterday. Today might be more of the same, but I will try to squeeze another post in. I have another pinhole panoramic looking east from the top of this tower as well I want to share.

This day would have been a good day to be a cloud.

Tags:   Paris France Notre Dame view pano panoramic Holga 120 WPC Holga film city urbe Seine clouds storm approaching incidental Eiffel Blue Moon Camera

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My last series from Paris. I mentioned in a previous post how rarely one sees the Eiffel Tower walking around the streets of Paris itself, despite its size and grandeur. At the same time, the Eiffel Tower's presence.... its very existence dominates Paris. Even though Paris is an ancient city and the tower has only been around for a bit more than a 100 years, it is woven vitally into the very psyche of Paris. It is almost always the first thing Paris is associated with, despite how rich the city is culturally and historically.

One of the series of photos I began (but did not finish) during my time in Paris was photographing the Eiffel tower, where it pops up unexpectedly or without preamble. I have it in mind to continue this series someday on a return visit, but for now I will share what I have begun. Deliberate photos of an incidental Eiffel.

Tags:   Paris France Eiffel Tower reflection square film Hasselblad puddle water Europe streets city urban Blue Moon Camera

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As I mentioned before, I found it fascinating how the Eiffel Tower had permeated pretty much every aspect (that I could see) of Parisian life, all the way down to the garbage along the quai.

Tags:   Paris France Eiffel Tower incidental Eiffel garbage refuse rubbish left overs streets quay quai Seine film square Hasselblad travel Europe etc Blue Moon Camera

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