The Seine with Eifel Tower in the blue hour
Full moon rising over the Seine at the edge of the blue hour
The Seine in the blue hour with full moon rising
We had a full day hitting several of the wonderful museums in Paris. The day was done and a clear night was waiting. My students were off exploring the night life of Paris and I was off to do the same. I gathered my backpack, tri-pod and off I went to find some “rose colored” light in the blue hour. You will find a photographer every 50 yards on a night like this in Paris. Tri-pod and camera set up, waiting for that perfect shot. So it is best to get out early to claim your spot while you can. I had set up for a shot a the Louvre and before I was done there was a line waiting behind me to set up on the very spot I had been using. Everybody was polite and kind, they probably saw the shot earlier as I had and was just waiting for the moon. The great thing about most photographers is that they are a quiet bunch. You get better shots if you shut your mouth and just listen and watch.
So an odd thing happened to me on this shoot. I was standing by one of the bridges, checking and adjusting my camera settings, when my glasses fell off my face. No big deal, found them, put them back in my pocket and off I went to another location. It was at this new setting, that I once again needed my glasses to check my camera. I put my glasses on, looked at the camera and suddenly became very dizzy. I looked up and couldn’t find my balance and thought I was having a stroke! I took my glasses off and back to normal I went. Something odd was happening for sure. It was at that point I found out what the problem was. One side of my glasses had fallen off and out when they dropped to the ground earlier and I didn’t notice in the low light. My eyes were trying to do two different things at once and did not like what my brain was telling me. I had a good laugh and probably scared a few locals, but all was well. The moral of the story, is to always bring a back-up pair of glasses for night shoots. I was lucky I did, and I wasn’t having a stroke.
The Seine in The Blue Hour With A Full Moon We had a full day hitting several of the wonderful museums in Paris. The day was done and a clear night was waiting.