When I ask visitors to Paris if they know or have been to La Défense, very few know of it or can place it on a map. Even fewer know that it provides photographers with a wealth of subject matter. On the west side of the city, and technically outside of the city boundaries, La Défense is the largest European business center, with the highest concentration of high-rises in Paris. It stands at the extremity of the 10 km long historical axis that starts at Le Louvre, continues to the Place de la Concorde, moves on along the Champs Elysées, passes the Arc de Triomphe and ends at the Grande Arche...

I finally managed to see the André Kertész photo exhibition presented at the Jeu de Paume until February 6, 2011. Although Kertész donated all his negatives to the French state when he passed away in 1985, it is actually the first real retrospective of his work in Europe. The exhibition presents a large number of original prints covering the various periods of his life, from Hungary where he was born, to Paris where he became a leading figure in avant-garde photography in the late 1920's, through to New York where he lived for almost 50 years...

The 'rentrée' (back to school) is officially behind us, marking the beginning of new cultural events taking place in Paris after the long Summer break. The Henri Cartier Bresson Foundation currently presents photographs of American photographer Harry Callahan (1912-1999) in a exhibition called 'Variation'. The selection of about 100 black and while photographs gives us the opportunity to discover Callahan's favourite subjects: Nature, the city and his family...

If you find yourself in Paris between now and August 22, 2010, you will not want to miss the Willy Ronis photo exhibit called "A Poetics of Engagement". Willy Ronis, who would have turned 100 this year, is considered one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century. Along with Doisneau, Cartier Bresson and Izis, he belongs to the humanist photography movement, which is about taking people as the main subject of the photograph. His place in that movement is confirmed in this exhibit, which is at the Monnaie de Paris...

The large Galeries Lafayette and Printemps department stores are well known among Parisians and visitors for the wide variety of products they offer, and for their glamourous window displays. However, fewer people know that both stores have roof-top terraces that are freely accessible to the public. They provide unimpeded 360 degree views over the surrounding Paris skyline, presenting unique opportunities for taking pictures. And since they are only a few steps away from each other, it is easy to discover both terraces in one short excursion...

This is the first post in a coming series of 'Paris from the Top'. The first thing that comes to mind about seeing Paris 'from the top' is the Eiffel Tower, for obvious reasons. However, even though this is the most famous view, there are other many interesting vantage points to enjoy a bird's eye view over the capital. Today we are climbing the Arc de Triomphe, inaugurated in 1836 to commemorate the victory of soldiers in their great battles...

Night photography provides lots of opportunity for creative fun, and this is particularly true in Paris. After all, it is called the 'City of Light' for a reason! All these lights give us a chance to play with various effects, one of which is the creation of star-bursts coming off points of light. This effect is very simple and can easily be achieved without using a filter or running to a photo editing tool...

A hundred years ago this week, the Seine river flooded the city of Paris up to 8.5 meters! Paris looked more like Venice and most of the major monuments were affected. Reporters and photographers came from everywhere to record this historical moment, making it the first flood photographed and documented. To commemorate the anniversary, a number of exhibits are currently taking place in the French capital. The Gallerie des bibliothèques presents a comprehensive exhibit with photos, newspaper clippings, postcards and posters, while the Louvre des Antiquaires also offers a photography retrospective of the event. This is by the same token a good reminder that a flood might still happen and - if we believe experts - it might be even worse than the great 1910 flood...

Robert Doisneau (1912 - 1994) was an expert in street photography, walking or biking through Paris with his camera, catching fleeting moments of poetic and romantic Parisian scenes that made him famous. His work is however much more complex than his famous idyllic images. For its first exhibit of the year, the Henri Cartier Bresson Foundation is showcasing about 100 of Doisneau's photographs. Even if the famous 'Baiser de l'hôtel de ville' is among them, most of the other work presented is rather unknown.

Paris is a great city to simply walk around to enjoy the sites and atmosphere, but when Mother Nature plays her tricks during the winter months, it is also a good thing to stay warm by spending some time inside. There is only so much coffee or hot chocolate one can sip, so here are five hot spots to be cosy and enjoy some good photography by others...

Between 1976 and 1980, the famous photographer Robert Doisneau walked through some of my favourite Parisian covered passages, taking pictures in Passage Verdeau, Passage Jouffroy, Galerie Vivienne, Galerie Véro-Dodat, etc. His pictures were published in 1981 in a book titled: "Passages et galeries du XIX siècle. Le piéton à Paris" ("19th Century Passages and Galleries: The pedestrian in Paris"). Until January 15th, 2010, you can see a free exhibit presenting a collection of these photographs at the Musée de la Monnaie de Paris.

At the end of the 18th century, the covered passages in Paris were fashionable alleys to flee the muddy roads and to enjoy a new phenomena: window shopping displays. Today, walking through the passages is a great way to get away from the heavy traffic and street noise, and for photographers to go off the beaten path and be creative. The covered passages were located in some of the richest part of the city when they were first built. However, once Baron Haussmann created the new wide boulevards for which Paris is now famous, the covered passages fell out of fashion and were mostly abandoned, until they were recently rediscovered and rehabilitated...