In my last post I shared a slice of my recent trip to Paris… in monochrome. This time is a bit different.

It’s known as the City of Light for several reasons. For starters, it’s colorful, especially on a sunny day or at night. Had the weather on my trip been better, I would have gotten some nicer shots. And being able to use my tripod would have been a welcome bonus. I still managed though, as I roamed the streets for hours on end.

Having the Fuji X-Pro1 with me was great. It’s a lot smaller than my 5D, and all I really needed to think about was whether to use my 35mm lens or my 14mm. Light gear made all the walking a breeze.

I probably should have sat and rested more… although when I think about it, I must have visited at least half a dozen cafes in my three days. I had lots of crepes and petit cafés, but not as many croissants as I would have liked.

It’s no secret that there is a lot to see in Paris, including many familiar sights.

Others are not as familiar. Although I eventually figured it out, I couldn’t remember the name of this church.

The next picture is nothing special, but it says a lot about Paris. These sidewalk cafes are spread out all over the city, and they make perfect venues for people watching. A front row seat with food and drink… If I were an avid street photographer, I might have never left the comfort of the cafes.

Most of my images were captured on the go though. There’s a shot around every street corner. Like any other great city, Paris is full of all sorts of characters.

Paris is also a city closely associated with love, so it’s no surprise that one finds so many locks there. The booksellers along the Seine even sell the ironic symbols of romantic attachment to unprepared couples on a stroll.

I didn’t see any lock sellers near Notre Dame (the real one – no fighting Irish here), but I did spend a lot of time walking around it and taking pictures. A great place…

I don’t remember exactly where this next photo was taken, but it was at some street corner in the Quartier Latin, right across the bridge from Notre Dame.

I wish I had more blue skies. But even though the weather was lousy for most of my stay, some of the best photo opportunities came at night after it had rained.

This last picture is one of my favorite. I was more excited about it when I saw it in the viewfinder, but it’s still not bad. It tells a story. Someone obviously lost their umbrella here, probably overcome by the storm. But what else? The umbrella has been left behind and everything around it looks washed out. It’s like the calm after the storm, and even though I had over 24 hours in Paris after it was taken, when I look at this picture I remember the whole trip.

See you soon, Paris. It was fun while it lasted… even under the rain.

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