I love doing night tours of Paris, where I get to dazzle clients and still to this day myself, with the wonders of Paris all lit up.
Wayne Hoover, from Lexington, Kentucky contacted me in early January about doing a night tour of Paris. Wayne is a photographer and was stopping in Paris for only two days after spending two weeks in the wilds of Africa, shooting the wildlife and animals in Tanzania. I immediately liked Wayne, even though I hadn’t met him yet, when he wrote in the email he was more excited about coming to Paris than he was shooting in Tanzania.
He sent me an ambitious list of all the places he wanted to shoot and I assisted him in navigating them. It helped that he said “Sleep is optional”.
We met at 7:20 at his hotel, which I recommended and located right across the street from me. I took a little extra time to acquaint and instruct him about the city before we started our tour with the driver at 7:30.
Wayne is quite the entrepreneur, running three businesses simultaneously: a home decorating business with his wife, custom cabinetry, and photography business specializing in landscape and travel photos. Wayne, like myself, only recently started to become a serious photographer in 2012. He studied with photographers to learn his craft and traveled to Istanbul, Thailand, Hong Kong, Tanzania, Zanzibar, France, Mexico, and extensively throughout the United States, soaking up everything he could about photography, along with taking online photography courses.
We started at the courtyard of the Louvre, where Wayne setup his tripod to photograph the I. M. Pei glass pyramid and surrounding buildings of the Louvre. He was as happy as a clam and kept pinching himself saying he still couldn’t believe he was actually in Paris and in front of the Louvre.
After the Louvre we went to Place de la Concorde and then the piece de resistance, a birds eye view of the Eiffel Tower from the plaza on Palais de Chaillot on Place Trocadero. I timed it so Wayne had enough time to set up his equipment so he can shoot the tower when the sparkle lights went off on the hour. There were some passing clouds that gave the photos a little extra moodiness and depth.
I was quite impressed with Wayne’s technical expertise and his extensive collection of lenses and accessories. At one point he asked to help him with his equipment bag and I almost threw out by back trying to lift it for just a brief moment.
Our last stop was the Arch de Triomphe and it was Wayne’s lucky shot. The French flag is only flown for holidays or special occasions and luckily it was hanging that night and flapping wildly from the wind.
After we finished our tour at 10PM, Wayne went to Notre Dame, shooting till 1AM.
Below are the fruits of his labor.
http://www.waynehooverphotography.com
I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.
Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.
Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or
$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)
My offer of a 12-month subscription with an extra month free is good until January 31, so remember to order now before the offer ends.
Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store
Click here to order a 6-month subscription from my Etsy store
Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more. In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.
Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour
New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 195 euros per person (about $210)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
