A Quick Glimpse into My Paris Adventure - A Photographer's Visual Journal

I wonder if I’m alone when I say that editing & processing client images is much easier than doing my own! Every time I travel somewhere, I (shockingly!) take a lot of photos. How could I not?! But coming home and processing them is so daunting to me that I put it off for a while, sometimes months. Because unlike a client session, I don’t NEED to get to them ASAP! I think I need a little separation from them, and I also enjoy looking at them more once I’ve had a little space from my photos. It’s kind of like I get to go on the journey all over again once I DO actually edit them.

So when I took a bucket-list trip to Paris this past spring, I took the most photos I’ve ever taken in one place. Yay me, but boo me at the same time. I FINALLY got through them all, and sent some off to my lab to become a printed album, and now I can share some of my favorites with you. This post is jam-packed with thumbnail photos because there are way too many to do an original blog post with. So this is my quick glimpse of what I was inspired by in Paris, to share with all that have been asking me how my trip was. While I appreciated all of the big museums, buildings and vastness, my favorite moments were small, and I fell in love with photographing the food and all of the little details. I like to tell stories through my photos, rather than talking about it, so here goes. Springtime in Paris was magically beautiful, to me.

Notre Dame Fire & Yellow Jacket Protesters

I was in Paris two days after the fire of Notre Dame and I was quite bummed because it was on my list of places to go while in Paris. But it was still quite the sight to see, and an epic time to be in Paris none-the-less. I was also there on one of the worst weekends when the Yellow Jacket protesters took over and the center of the city was shut down. Streets were blocked and public transportation in the center was not an option. Getting kicked off the subway abruptly, and not knowing why or what is being said or where to go, was quite the adventure. For the first time in probably 15 years, I used an actual map to get around a city that I knew nothing about!

Highlights: Eiffel Tower from the Arc de Triomphe, Airbnb & Crepe Man

My favorite touristy obligation was viewing the Eiffel Tower at night from the Arc de Triomphe. That view! And seeing the lights dance on the tower for a few minutes was amazing. Got there at just the right time as I didn’t even know the tower had a light show!

I stayed in two different Airbnb’s in two different parts of the city so I could get more exposure. Both places were far from the tourist-y areas because I wanted to feel like I was living in Paris among the Parisians. Both places were adorable. One was very modern and updated but very quaint while the other was the apartment of two young college students who had made the place into an amazing old-charm home. So inviting and welcoming, just like my host, who was such a warm & friendly helpful guide.

My very last day, I was able to see my favorite American-turned-Parisian photographer friend Brittany and we spent the morning photographing each other. We explored part of the city, went to the Jardin du Luxembourg and ended the day with the best crepe I have ever had, made by a most charming man. I highly recommend his crepe stand if you’re ever in Paris. Ask me for the name and the arrondissement he is in :)

Lastly, Versailles was beautiful but I really only explored the gardens. It was Easter Sunday and everyone in the world was there to see so the lines were hours-long, standing in blasting sun. Nature is more of my jam anyway, but seeing the outside and how vast it is was an experience.

Cheers, friends. I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into Paris via my eyes!

Chicagohenge 2019 - Spring Equinox - Chicago Loop

I have been infatuated with Chicagohenge since learning about it not long after I moved here and I made it a point to schedule it in my calendar this spring so I wouldn’t forget. What is Chicagohenge, you ask? During the fall and spring equinoxes, the rising & setting sun lines up perfectly with Chicago’s street grid and creates a beautiful phenomenon that is coined Chicagohenge. The sun and it’s beautiful direct light dance in the street between the high-rises, traffic and pedestrians. Look down any East-West street in part of the Loop and see the sun framed perfectly between the buildings. It’s gorgeous! If you’re ever in Chicago on either the spring or fall equinox, make sure you’re in the Loop for this spectacular wonder! Get there early to grab a spot; its popularity is catching on and the streets are filled with cameras!

This year I went down there two nights in a row, both evenings after the actual equinox, because it was cloudy and gloomy on the actual night of the equinox. I first went to Randolph & LaSalle, near the Cadillac Palace Theatre and the view was similar to the last time I shot there. The second night I went to Millenium Park (Michigan Ave & Washington) to challenge myself and try a different angle and location. I ended up loving the shots from MP the most, which I was extremely surprised by. Always a good reminder to get out of your comfort zone! Check out some of my favorite photos from the second night with the “L”, the pedestrians and the gorgeous ball of glowing fire in the distance. Chicago, you never cease to amaze me.

Much love, friends!

My favorite. I have always admired Henri Cartier-Bresson and this made me think of his work when I saw the image on the back of my camera. "There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative." - Henri Cartier-Bresson