Situated in the very heart of the city of Paris (3rd and 4th arrondissements), nowadays Le Marais is one of the most vibrant and attractive areas to explore through your camera lens. One of the few districts that were left untouched by renovation of the city by Baron Haussmann, Le Marais is still full of historic buildings dating back to the 17th century. The maze of narrow streets, hidden gardens and courtyards give the district a unique atmosphere. Also known as home to the largest Jewish community in Paris, a center of LGBT culture and a hub for fashionable boutiques and concept stores, Le Marais provides endless opportunities for street photography against an aristocratic historical background.

The Centre George Pompidou, also known by the locals as Beaubourg, is a complex and colourful building between Le Marais area and Les Halles. Besides housing the largest modern art museum in Europe, a vast public library, a center for music and acoustic research IRCAM, this 7 level high-tech structure also offers great views over the central part of the city of Paris.

Have you ever asked yourself what makes a travel photo stunning? Everyone has their own reaction and sense of aesthetics, however several key ingredients need to come together to create a great image: interesting subject, emotional impact, correctly selected camera settings and strong composition. Speaking of the latter, there is no single way to compose an image. Depending on your subject and the story you want to tell, different composition rules may be applied. Of course, rules are also meant to be broken. Here, we offer a variety of ideas for composing well-balanced images with more impact, and in a future post we will talk about breaking all the rules.

For our friendly critique #3 we have selected a photograph taken by Rupert Mitch, in which we see a combination of vintage signs and various objects found in a flea market. Taken during the winter season, the scene benefits from nice and soft light. The colourful vintage signs are a definite highlight here and immediately attract the viewer’s attention. The rest of the image is full of details, and offers a lot for the eye to explore...

Just before Christmas, Paris City Hall opens its doors for yet another magnificent photography exhibition about the city and its dwellers in the turmoil of life and historical events, this time as seen by the world’s greatest photojournalists of Magnum agency throughout the 20th century. This show not only tells the history of Paris and its evolution in time, but also showcases some of the finest examples of photojournalism, including many timeless classics that can be seen printed in large format...

We often receive questions from tour participants about model releases in street or travel photography. Is a model release needed when photographing in the streets? If yes, how should you approach a person to get it signed, especially when you are after a candid shot and do not want to “spoil the moment”? These and other questions are often concerns for photographers. To help you consider your options, here are some throughts on street photography and model releases...

The plane has landed and you find yourself in a new place – a new city, a new country or maybe even a new continent. Your camera is charged and ready, lenses are wiped clean and you set off in search of amazing images. How to get inspired and to make the most out of a destination you have never visited before? Here are 4 tips on finding your own photographic Muse in a new city.

Busy cities, whether it’s Paris or London, Bangkok or New Delhi, provide lots of opportunities to create dynamic images. However, how can a photographer show fast motion in a still image? Here is where a photographic technique called panning comes into play. In essence, panning means moving the camera with the main subject while the shutter is open. This creates the sense of movement in the image with a blurred background and a relatively sharp subject. With practice you’ll be able to photograph moving cars, cyclists, running horses or anything moving! Try these six easy steps to create great panning images...

Are you a fair weather photographer only? Many might frown at the idea of taking their camera out when the weather turns wet. In a recent article we offered various solutions for protecting your camera from the rain. Now that you know how to keep your equipment dry, it is a good time to talk about some creative possibilities that the rain offers for your photography. Here are 5 ideas on how to use rainy days to your advantage and produce some great images.

Fall is back in Paris and the city is once again infused with life after long summer vacations. Photographic galleries re-open their doors to welcome visitors and prepare new shows for those hungry for visual treats. La Maison Européenne de la Photographie is no exception: it welcomes you with a display of seven photo exhibitions, including such masters as René Burri, Pascal Maitre or Keiichi Tahara, which makes a visit to this exhibition space more enjoyable than ever...

Rainy days may look grey at a first glance, but that doesn’t mean they are not suitable for taking some great photos! The light is usually even and the rain saturates colours. Shooting in the rain can be lots of fun and you definitely create images you would otherwise completely miss. The trick is to keep your gear well protected so here’s are some solutions to keep your camera dry even when the weather is wet...

In the age of digital photography and the Internet, where taking thousands of pictures and sharing them online with the whole world does not surprise anyone, it is hard to imagine a talented photographer, who took over 100,000 images throughout her life, never showing any or her work to anyone. This is why the discovery of an immense photographic archive of stunning images by American nanny and street photographer Vivian Maier has become a sensation far outside the photographic world...