Robin, an avid Eye Prefer Paris fan and loyal subscriber, contacted me a few months ago about booking a tour in mid-September. It was the first time she and her husband Craig were coming to Paris and Robin requested a evening photo tour because Craig was a professional photographer and was interested in night shots. I had never really done a night tour before and I was game to take on a new tour I hadn’t done before.
I thought it would be best to have dinner before the tour so we wouldn’t be hungry and also to get to know them. We met at a café down the block from me on rue St. Antoine. Robin and Craig were from a Chicago suburb and as nice as can be. Smart, funny, and down to earth, I felt like I was having dinner with friends. Craig ordered a giant steak frites and loved every bite of it. Stuffed, we were ready to hit the streets of Paris and left the restaurant about 7:45, twilight time.
Craig had a massive, very heavy Sony camera with a set of intricate lenses. I pointed out a few spots to Craig where I had taken some successful photos before. It was a full moon, in fact it was the Harvest Moon, and it faded in and out of the clouds. We meandered around the Marais on the crisp autumn like night as we stopped at various historic buildings, hotel particuliers, squares, churches, alleyways, and backstreets that I thought would make appealing photo ops.
The highlight of our evening was the mystical spell Notre Dame cast on us. Craig got the best photo of the night, (top photo), of the gargoyles bathed in yellow light contrasted by the cool blue moon shining through the clouds.
I got to use Craig’s intimidating camera when I insisted on taking a photo of the happy couple on the Pont Marie bridge, again with the full moon in the background.
Earlier in the evening Robin told me one of the other reasons why she booked a night tour was that she didn’t like to be with hoards of people crowding the tourists sites. All the while Robin was taking it all in, soaking in at all the incredible architecture and beaming because the streets were mostly empty and devoid of crowds. I inspired Craig by telling him that one of the photographer Helmut Newton’s most iconic shots, the androgynous female model in a Yves St. Laurent smoking jacket on a dark street, was shot in the Marais.
We ended the tour about 10:30 and Robin and Craig were exhilarated but a little pooped from our non-stop three hours. I loved doing the night tour and will add it to my tour menu.
Craig was kind enough to share some of his photo bounty from that evening, so enjoy Craig’s exceptional photos below.
My Apartment for Rent
I
am renting my fabulous one -bedroom apartment from November 1- November
16 in the heart of the Marais near St. Paul. I will now rent it for
less time, either ten days or a week during that period.For more info
email me at r.nahem@gmail.com
I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.
Tours cost 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour
New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale
I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos. I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.
Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.
well, well..... this REALLY brings home the difference between a professional photographer and the great rest of 'us' doesn't it?! Absolutely fabulous shots and seemingly a totally natural and kind couple; you're a lucky man Richard to meet folk like them. I love night photography because it brings out stuff I don't even see when taking the pictures... I have some very much liked takes around the ET with effects the naked eye cannot capture. An exceptionally fine and rewarding post, many thanks.
Posted by: Kiki | October 10, 2013 at 01:42 PM