Photo Workshop: Paris

Packed with iconic monuments, architecture both elegant and eclectic, and neighborhoods that seem effortlessly picturesque, Paris is a veritable feast for the camera. Catch the romance, elegance, and special light of Paris on assignments to famous landmarks and hidden corners of the city. Photograph bustling street life and vivid markets, historic squares and boulevards, and gardens. Capture the early morning light around Jardin du Luxembourg and the Eiffel Tower, and the Pantheon at twilight. Focus on the architecture and gardens of Versailles and explore the Seine River by boat.

This workshop is led by a National Geographic photographer and a professional instructor and is designed for amateurs who are interested in improving their digital photography. All participants must bring a digital SLR camera, a laptop computer, and software for organizing and presenting images. The workshop is limited to 25 participants.

The following is our planned itinerary; however, the schedule is flexible to allow for spontaneous photographic opportunities.

Day 1 — Paris, France

Arrive in Paris and check into our hotel. Gather for introductions and image presentations by your National Geographic photographer, and then enjoy a reception and dinner with your instructors and fellow photographers.
Hotel Belloy Saint Germain (D)

Day 2 — Latin Quarter and the Louvre

Venture into the narrow lanes of the Latin Quarter, the intellectual heart of Paris, to capture its historic buildings in the morning light. Cross the Seine on the Pont des Arts, a pedestrian bridge that leads from the domed Institut de France to the legendary Louvre. With your camera in hand, stroll the gardens of the Palais Royale and the tree-lined Tuileries. At the Louvre, photograph the famous Pyramide from above and below. Spend the afternoon in the classroom, editing and critiquing images from this morning’s assignment.
Hotel Belloy Saint Germain (B)

Day 3 — Versailles

Depart by train for Versailles, a former royal hunting lodge transformed into an immense, sumptuous palace by Louis XIV. Photograph the château’s gilded apartments, the dazzling Hall of Mirrors, and its world-renowned gardens on a morning photo shoot. Share a leisurely lunch together before returning to the classroom for an edit-and-critique session. Hit the streets again to work on low-light and mixed light photography as evening falls, and end the day with a twilight shoot at the Pantheon.
Hotel Belloy Saint Germain (B,L)

Day 4 — Montparnasse/Jardin du Luxembourg

Start the day with a photo assignment in Montparnasse, the bohemian neighborhood where Hemingway and Picasso once mingled. Delve into the open-air market, and wander through Montparnasse Cemetery, one of the largest in Paris, where the likes of Charles Baudelaire, Alfred Dreyfus, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Samuel Beckett rest amid age-old gravestones and celebrated sculpture. Then spend time in the beautiful Jardin du Luxembourg. Later, after an edit-and-critique session, stroll along the Seine to Paris’ two islands—Ile de la Cité and Ile Saint Louis—and capture iconic sites like Notre Dame and the Pont Neuf as the sun sets.
Hotel Belloy Saint Germain (B)

Day 5 — St. Germain/Le Marais/Centre Pompidou

Set off on foot along the broad Boulevard Beaumarchais on our way to Le Marais, which was once Paris’ aristocratic neighborhood, and then its Jewish quarter, and is now home to artists and galleries. Photograph the quarter’s elegant and historic architecture, including the 17th-century Place des Vosges, an important example of early European city planning. Our photo walk ends at the whimsical Centre Pompidou. In the afternoon, spend time editing and critiquing images from this morning’s assignment. Gather for a talk on technique by our photographers this evening.
Hotel Belloy Saint Germain (B)

Day 6 — Eiffel Tower and Trocadèro

Following breakfast, get a new angle on the Eiffel Tower and photograph the Trocadèro and the 16th Arrondissement, known for its ornate 19th-century buildings, wide avenues, and parks. Return to the classroom for our final edit-and-critique session. Tonight, we’ll present the best images from the week after a festive farewell dinner.
Hotel Belloy Saint Germain (B,D)

Day 7 — Paris/Home

After breakfast, get together for a final discussion and question-and-answer session. The workshop concludes at noon.
(B)