CAPTURE NEW HORIZONS

Built in the 12th Century, Notre-Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris) is one of the highlights of any visit to the French capital city and draw for tourists from around the world.  I hadn't been to the cathedral since 2013 and so we took the opportunity to walk around the grounds during our visit to Paris at the end of July. Notre Dame is an impressive building, standing in a commanding position on the eastern end of the Ile de Cite on the banks of the River Seine.  It is very easy to be swept away by the grandeur of the architecture and miss the details that pervade every corner.  So I decided to take some detail shots of the building using the X-T1 and 90mm f2 lens. The western facade of Notre Dame, which is the main entrance to the cathedral, is full of details with figures carved into the arches and statues standing in rows.  Each figure is part of the bigger picture and each has a story to tell.  As we moved around the south side of the cat...

The pont de Bir-Hakeim in Paris crosses the River Seine at the eastern end of the Ile aux Cygnes and connects the cities 15th and 16th arrondissements (suburbs).   Built between 1903 and 1905 to replace an earlier bridge, the structure was originally known at pont de Passy but it was renamed in 1948 to commemorate the Battle of Bir-Hakeim when Free French forces fought against the German Afrika Korps in 1942, helping to turn the tide of the war in North Africa and causing the Free French to be known at the Fighting French after the battle.  Pont de Bir-Hakeim is on two levels.  The lower level is for cars and pedestrians, while the upper level carries Line 6 of the Paris Metro. Just in front of the arch on the end of the Ile de Cygnes is a statue of a figure astride a horse with a sword held out in front.  This monument was once meant to represent Joan of Arc, but was changed, and inaugurated with the name of Monument de la France Renaissante. Th...

Located on the south side of the River Seine opposite the Louvre across the Pont des Arts is the Institut de France. The Institut de France is a French learned society, grouping five académies, the most famous of which is the Académie française. The Institute, located in Paris, manages approximately 1,000 foundations, as well as museums and châteaux open for visit. It also awards prizes and subsidies. Images taken on the Fujifilm X-Pro1 and Fujinon 35mm f1.4R -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BLOG BY CLICKING THE GOOGLE ADVERTS It doesn't cost you anything to click on an advert but we get a small fee for every click thru from Google and this helps support this blog - thank you for helping ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHO...

In the centre of Pont Neuf, in the Square du Vert-Galant, stands a bronze statue of King Henri III astride a horse.  Henri III was responsible for the building of Pont Neuf (New Bridge) and laid the first stone in 1578.  Henri died before the bridge was completed in 1607 when it was opened by his successor Henri IV. The statue is actually an exact replica of the original that was melted down during the French Revolution.  The bronze statue was replaced after the fall of Napoleon in 1818. CLICK HERE for more information on Pont Neuf and King Henri III Images taken on the Fujifilm X-Pro1 and Fujinon 35mm f1.4R -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BLOG BY CLICKING THE GOOGLE ADVERTS It doesn't cost you anything to click on an advert but we get a small fee for every click thru from Google and this helps support this blog - thank you for helping ...

Pont Neuf  Pont Neuf (New Bridge) is the oldest surviving bridge across the River Seine in Paris with construction starting in 1578 by King Henri III.  The plans for the bridge were drawn up 22 years early during the reign of Henri's father, Henri II, but opposition from the merchants of the city delayed the start of this new crossing.   The bridge wasn't actually opened until 1607 during the reign of Henri IV but it marked the end of the medieval style of bridge building because Pont Neuf had no shops or houses on it.  Over the years the bridge has been altered and restored but it is essentially as it was 400 years ago. Along each side of the bridge 380 faces have been carved in stone and set facing the river.  In addition the lamp posts all have the same four faces cast into the base and these stretch from the north bank near the Louvre to the south side of the river. Using the Fuji X-Pro1 and the Fujinon 35mm f1.4 lens I captured a set of images sh...

The Passerelle Debilly (Debilly Footbridge) is an arch bridge situated in Paris bestriding the Seine. It is a footbridge that connects the quai de New York to the quai Branly, close to the Eiffel Tower. The bridge was built in 1900 to accommodate foot traffic at that year's World's Fair.  Originally it was to be a temporary structure but in 1906 the bridge was relocated to its current position and accorded permanent status. The similarities in construction between the bridge and the Eiffel Tower are clear to see and I shot a series of images to try and highlight this fact.  There are also a growing number of padlocks with messages of love on the bridge, something that is more abundant on the Pont des Arts and other bridges further up the Seine.  CLICK HERE for more information on the Passerelle Debilly. All images taken with a Fujifilm X-Pro1 and Fujinon 14mm f2.8 or Fujinon 35mm f1.4 ----------------------------------------------------...

A walk down to the River Seine is a must do on any visit to Paris and last weekend I did just that.  One of my favourite views is  from the Pont Alexander III which crosses the river by the Grand Palais and leads to Les Invalides. As always I spent some time trying to find some angles that were different from previous visits to the 'City of Light'.  Because this was my first trip to Paris with the X-Pro1 and its brace of prime lenses I had to think carefully about the composition because being on a bridge I couldn't 'zoom' with my feet. The Pont Alexander III is a beautiful structure with statues and ornate lights that line the road across the bridge.  After much consideration here are the shots I came up with   - The first shot is using one of the two statues in the centre of the bridge as a frame for the river and the Eiffel Tower in the distance. I just had to wait for one of the many tourist boats to come into ...