Cheap Wall Art | Printable Wall Art - The Eiffel Tower Paris

From far away, the Eiffel Tower looks like a thin metal structure. But there is more to it than meets the eye - its base contains over 7000 pieces of iron held together with 2 million rivets!

From afar, you might think that an impressive feat in architecture has been accomplished when looking at this skyscraper-like tower from below. However, if we look closer and study all 7300+ pieces of steel girders carefully fitted together by millions upon millions of nails or "rivets", one would wonder how such a marvel was even possible since each piece had to be put into place perfectly before they could bond them altogether!

The Eiffel Tower | Paris France

Cheap Wall Art | Printable Wall Art - Eiffel Tower Paris

From the Arch de Triumph, you can see Paris's famous Eiffel Tower. The tower was built in 1889 for an international exhibition celebrating 100 years of French Revolution and stands 1,063 feet tall on the Champ de Mars near the Seine River with 324 steps to reach its summit platform.

From a distance away from inside one of many romantic cafes lining Avenue Champs-Elysees or while visiting another historic site at Place De La Concorde or Arc De Triomphe, you can take photos like this impressive shot that shows off France’s most iconic landmark where it is hard to believe this beautiful structure exists because it looks almost fake when viewed up close.

Paris from the Arch de Triumph

Cheap Wall Art | Printable Wall Art - Paris Brasserie

Paris will never stop being magical for me. On my last trip there I saw this amazing little Brasserie. I was captivated by the experience and the culture. This sign spoke to me from the neon to the general atmosphere. If you’ve never been to Paris you need to go. The people are great, the food is amazing and the wine is indescribable.

Bar Brasserie - Paris France

Paris

Vive la France! I recently enjoyed my first visit to Paris, France. From the architecture, wine breaks at cafes and museums to scooting around the city in our friend's Clio, it was a truly amazing experience. The subway system makes it very easy to get around the city and we were able to explore most of city's neighborhoods during our 5 day visit.

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French Tricolour

1/250 Sec - f11 - Iso 400 - 70mm

We got several recommendations from my wife's favorite TV chef, Ina Garten. One was for breakfast at Cafe Varenne off the Rue de Bac subway stop, a favorite of Ina's and where she and Jeffrey have breakfast every time they land in Paris. As expected, it did not disappoint! Freshly baked croissants, frothy, fresh squeezed orange juice, coffee, Mariage Freres hot tea, and the best omelette we've ever had. Afterwards we walked around the quiet, quaint neighborhood where I found several unique photo ops: 

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Cafe Varenne

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French Balconies 

1/50 Sec - f11 - ISO 400 - 42mm

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French Scooter

1/1000 Sec - f4.5 - ISO 400 - 70mm

We went to mass at Notre Dame then spent some time exploring the church and the ornate facade:

 

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Notre Dame Cathedral

1/30 Sec - f4.0 - ISO 3200 - 16mm (HDR) 

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Notre Dame Cathedral

1/30 Sec - f11 - ISO 400 - 28mm

After Notre Dame we went to the nearby Ile Saint Louis - a little island behind Notre Dame with beautiful quaint streets and the famous Berthillon ice cream - a treat not to be missed! Nearby is a cafe named Esmeralda - a Hunchback of Notre Dame reference, no doubt - where we enjoyed one of our many afternoon wine breaks.

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Berthillon Ice Cream

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Cafe Esmeralda

1/5000 Sec - f2.8 - ISO 400 - 42mm

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Bar Brasserie

1/2000 Sec - f2.8 - ISO 400 - 70mm

We climbed to the top of the Arc de Triumph one evening during sunset - the winding, tiny staircase was endless and tiring, but worth the view:

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Paris from the Arc de Triumph

1/6 Sec - f11 - ISO 100 - 16mm (HDR) 

No trip to Paris is complete without visiting the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. We saw both only from the outside but spent time relaxing nearby to soak in the incredible views. Outside of the Louvre I used two ND filters and shot 2-4 minute exposures to blur some of the crowds for a unique shot.

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The Louvre

1/200 Sec - f11 - ISO 100 - 16mm (HDR) 

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Eiffel Tower

1/500 Sec - f11 - ISO 320 - 16mm (HDR) 

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Paris is a beautiful city; one that I can't wait to visit again.