Thalys train at Gare du Nord station, Paris

I love Paris, and I think I get most excited when one of my pictures from Paris is licensed. The picture below is of the Thalys train at the Gare du Nord station in Paris. It was recently licensed for an advertising piece in the U.K. Is it drop-dead stunning? Admittedly no, but it worked for this client likely because of the combination of the clock, train in clear view (bright red at that), and the two travelers in the distance rolling with their luggage. Plus, it leaves a lot of room for text to be overlaid above and below.

A high speed Thalys train at Gare du Nord station, Paris, France.

I'll soon be returning to Gare du Nord station when my wife and I take the Eurostar from London to Paris on an upcoming trip. It's officially a vacation and not a business-paid-for photo trip, but of course, I'll be taking tons of pictures as always! This will be my second time to London and fourth time to Paris. I've been doing a lot of mental planning on my shooting strategy. I have a set of subject matter I'm going to focus on that are not so much the top tourist locations: local markets and shops, shopping, etc. I've been fortune to have licensed many images from both London and Paris, but I hope to build more depth to my collection.

Choo Choo

All images are Copyright Terry Smith. All Rights Reserved.

The Musée du Louvre

I don't know of anything to even begin to compare it to. It and the size of the collection within it are impressive beyond belief. The Musée du Louvre's is by far the most intimidating place I have ever been, but I can't wait to go back and get lost within it once again.

The Richelieu Wing of the Louvre in black and white. Paris, France.

This image is Copyright Terry Smith, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Musée d'Orsay

On the top level of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris there a somewhat narrow little room, the back of which held a table with tour guides and art books on my last visit, and out the other side holds this peek-a-boo view toward the Sacré-Coeur basilica. The Musée d'Orsay was originally a railroad station, the Gare d'Orsay, and is itself as impressive as any of the paintings or sculpture it contains.

Clock silhouette looking out from inside the Orsay Museum toward the Sacré-Coeur in Paris, France.

This image is Copyright Terry Smith, 2007. All Rights Reserved.

Paris

It just dawned on me that since this is a photography blog I should probably start posting some photography! OK, actually I have been planning to do this for quite awhile , but I and am just now getting around to it.

I believe this image is my favorite from my trip to Paris last October. The city is amazing, one of the most beautiful in the world. You can not comprehend the art and architecture of Paris without having been there, and you can't cover it all in just one trip. It still amazes me that I have been to Paris three times now and definitely plan to go back, yet I have only scratched the surface.

This image is Copyright Terry Smith, 2007. All Rights Reserved.