Vive la France! I recently enjoyed my first visit to Paris, France. From the architecture, wine breaks at cafes and museums to scooting around the city in our friend's Clio, it was a truly amazing experience. The subway system makes it very easy to get around the city and we were able to explore most of city's neighborhoods during our 5 day visit.

French Tricolour1/250 Sec - f11 - Iso 400 - 70mm — **French Tricolour**
1/250 Sec - f11 - Iso 400 - 70mm

We got several recommendations from my wife's favorite TV chef, Ina Garten. One was for breakfast at Cafe Varenne off the Rue de Bac subway stop, a favorite of Ina's and where she and Jeffrey have breakfast every time they land in Paris. As expected, it did not disappoint! Freshly baked croissants, frothy, fresh squeezed orange juice, coffee, Mariage Freres hot tea, and the best omelette we've ever had. Afterwards we walked around the quiet, quaint neighborhood where I found several unique photo ops:

French Balconies 1/50 Sec - f11 - ISO 400 - 42mm — French Balconies
1/50 Sec - f11 - ISO 400 - 42mm

French Scooter1/1000 Sec - f4.5 - ISO 400 - 70mm — French Scooter
1/1000 Sec - f4.5 - ISO 400 - 70mm

We went to mass at Notre Dame then spent some time exploring the church and the ornate facade:

Notre Dame Cathedral1/30 Sec - f4.0 - ISO 3200 - 16mm (HDR) — Notre Dame Cathedral
1/30 Sec - f4.0 - ISO 3200 - 16mm (HDR)

Notre Dame Cathedral1/30 Sec - f11 - ISO 400 - 28mm — Notre Dame Cathedral
1/30 Sec - f11 - ISO 400 - 28mm

After Notre Dame we went to the nearby Ile Saint Louis - a little island behind Notre Dame with beautiful quaint streets and the famous Berthillon ice cream - a treat not to be missed! Nearby is a cafe named Esmeralda - a Hunchback of Notre Dame reference, no doubt - where we enjoyed one of our many afternoon wine breaks.

Cafe Esmeralda1/5000 Sec - f2.8 - ISO 400 - 42mm — Cafe Esmeralda
1/5000 Sec - f2.8 - ISO 400 - 42mm

Bar Brasserie1/2000 Sec - f2.8 - ISO 400 - 70mm — Bar Brasserie
1/2000 Sec - f2.8 - ISO 400 - 70mm

We climbed to the top of the Arc de Triumph one evening during sunset - the winding, tiny staircase was endless and tiring, but worth the view:

Paris from the Arc de Triumph1/6 Sec - f11 - ISO 100 - 16mm (HDR) — Paris from the Arc de Triumph
1/6 Sec - f11 - ISO 100 - 16mm (HDR)

No trip to Paris is complete without visiting the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. We saw both only from the outside but spent time relaxing nearby to soak in the incredible views. Outside of the Louvre I used two ND filters and shot 2-4 minute exposures to blur some of the crowds for a unique shot.

The Louvre1/200 Sec - f11 - ISO 100 - 16mm (HDR) — The Louvre
1/200 Sec - f11 - ISO 100 - 16mm (HDR)

Eiffel Tower1/500 Sec - f11 - ISO 320 - 16mm (HDR) — Eiffel Tower
1/500 Sec - f11 - ISO 320 - 16mm (HDR)

Paris is a beautiful city; one that I can't wait to visit again.