120 photos from Paris, February 2018

Christmas 2014: the first and only time I have been in Paris.
It was enough to make me fall in love with this city.

There are two things that impressed me more than others.
1st: in every corner, every street, every alley there is something visually striking.
2nd: everything is incredibly large and majestic.

During that trip I took many photos, many of which were the classic "postcard photos": well-studied composition, cured post production pixel-by-pixel, etc.
Beautiful images, surely.
But also soulless.
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This time I did something different: I left my Nikon D800 in its bag and I documented the trip using my smartphone.
Even the retouch, which is basically a simple B&W conversion, was made directly on the phone.
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For once, I wanted to put aside pristine image quality in order to highlight the feels I experienced in those 4 days.
I opted for the black and white because it gives a certain "timeless" mood that I find really fitting in this kind of reportages.
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The result is this series of 120 photos.

All the photos were taken with an iPhone 6.
Keep in mind that I had to further downsize the resolution of the photos, otherwise this page would take forever to download!
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I'd love to know your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of the page! :)

15th of February

I arrived in the morning of the 15th of February after 10 hours of train, which departed from Milan at about 12.30 a.m.
As soon as I got out of the train station I just walked randomly for about an hour, I was very eager to check that area of Paris that I hadn't the chance to see 3 years ago.
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After a few kilometres it started to rain so heavily that I decided to go to the hotel to rest.
The travel itself was quite tiring and the day before I did two photo shoots with freezing temperatures (with Felisya Piana and Dania Bazaiti) so when I reached my room (3p.m.) I just collapsed on the bed 'till the next day.

A man walking under the rain

This bridge offered strong leading lines!

It looks quite calm, but there was a lot of traffic on that road. I had to wait for a while to take the shot.

I was intrigued by the two silhouettes standing in front of the light, the leading lines just helped the composition.

An amazing detail of Notre Dame shot while on my way to Hotel Minerve.

16th of February

Friday was the busiest day, after the long rest I was quite active!
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Firstly I went to Notre Dame, which was fairly close to my hotel (Hotel Minerve) then I walked along the Seine until I reached the Pont de Bir-Hakeim, which became quite famous after its appearence in a few movies, including one of my all-time favorites: Inception.

In the evening I met with my friend Alessia Noli for a drink and then I went back to the hotel.
​I think I walked a total of 15km, give or take.

The view from my room, Hotel Minerve's 6th floor.

While enjoying the sight I noticed this cyclist coming my way...

It's quite a nice view to wake up to, isn't it?

I love the quiet of early morning.

That façade really caught my eye! The woman walking out the scene was just a plus.

The light coming through porches is always fascinating.

Another eye catching façade. This time, though, the guys are more interesting than the façade itself.

If somebody was wondering what's the name of the church...

Notre-Dame, a seagull, the Seine and my shadow!

A lovely square I walked into while on my way to the Louvre.

Who said "Rule of thirds"?

The same lovely square viewed from the other side.

The woman to the right was talking so loudly I thought she deserved a photo...

Photo of a photographer making a cliché photo.

The granddad teaching Louvre's hystory to his nephew. Heart warming.

A boy shooting his girlfriend in the Louvre courtyard. I was so envious I didn't have a model myself that day!

Amazing architecture and two guys talking.

It's so strange to see soldiers in places so beautiful, even though it makes perfectly sense considering the recent history.

This photo screams so much "Freedom". Thanks for the feels bird.

First time I entered the Louvre's courtyard I was speechless by its magnificence. Second time, all the same.

I found fascinating how the light was hitting the Pyramid.

I was waiting for the newly wed couple to come out from the right, but they were taking so long...

Weird geometry.

Here they are! The couple and the photographers!

Cliché, I know.

A boy, his mother and some cliché geometry.

I was wondering what was the guy reading... I'll never know but thanks for helping the composition!

This photographer was giving instructions to the girl about how to place her face near the mirror in order to correctly see the reflection. Nothing weird, I did it quite a few times myself. I just found hilarious that he chose that particular window for his shot!

This is the view from the window seen in the previous photo.

While eating a McChicken this guy caught my attention.

Nothing much to say here, only Art.

Birds the size of cars! Or is it perspective?

Young couple on the left, old man by himself on the right. In the middle, a pidgeon having a walk...

Beautiful as ponds go. I was more interested in the cheeky duck that showed me her back though.

Paris' birds are quite lucky, by flying over the city they can admire some amazing views!

This view is so relaxing, I think the two guys would agree with me.

Just two ducks and two seagulls who just finished fighting for food, I wasn't quick enough!

The couple admiring the lake is so sweet... I believe that's what the guy behind them is thinking while looking at them.

He doesn't even have to pay the ticket to go up!

A mother with his son walking under the wheel. She might have noticed me taking this photo, because after 1 minutes she asked me to photograph them with her phone!

This bridge is quite incredible!

Same scene but vertical to include the statues on top!

I think I waited 5 minutes for them to move away, they were trying to take a perfect picture apparently. After a while I decided to just include them in the scene!

A detail of the bridge, I think it's an helmet but somehow it reminded me of a monkey.

I already told you that I love the look of this bridge? Oh, did I? Sorry then for another photo of it...

Quite random photo, I was just interested in the girl giving a flower to her fianceé. Cute.

Three guys taking a selfie and a statue smiling at me.

When I was in Paris the water level of the Seine was way lower than how it was a few weeks before. I wonder how would've this photo looked!

Sorry, not perfectly symmetric.

I hear someone screaming in the distance. I think they're saying "CLICHEEEEE'"!

Looks like a big shield or shelter.

Another gull flying, yes. This time there is even someone else watching him other than me!

Pont d'Iena: linking Tour Eiffel and Trocadéro.

Last time I was in Paris this Carousel wasn't here, there was one only the Trocadéro one. Next time, maybe, there will be one on the bridge too!

An asian girl pointing out the Tour Eiffel.

A couple photographing their candyfloss with the carousel. Cute.

Respect to this guy who's helping two women carrying a stroller up the stairs.

Yes, just the Eiffel Tower and some clouds.

Urban scene featuring a restaurant where I ate in 2014. I hope the service improved since then!

Inception vibes.

Nothing particularly interesting, I was just fascinated by the shape of the water hitting the bridge.

Everything is moving towards the end of this bridge except the thoughtful old man.

Inception v(ertical)ibes.

A sunset on the Seine. The Sun was particularly intriguing because of the clouds.

The metro of Paris transits on this bridge. How cool is this?

The other side of the previous scene.

It's a very nice spot for a newly wed couple to have their photo shoot, is it?

I waited a short while for the metro to pass, it was definetely worth it though!

As you might have noticed I'm quite in love with this bridge.

It looks soooo long here, wide angle lens & leading lines power.

If you really think is a good idea to make a graffiti on such a beautiful building, couldn't you, at least, draw something pleasing to the eye?

Amazing architecture, ugly advertising.

Her again, this time surrounded by branches...

Even the birds flying above the scene think this is a cliché photo, I asked them. Sorry if I had to take it.

How cute are they in their shyness?

I shot this photo holding my phone as if I was just passing by, that's why there is sooo much sky. Luckily the clouds were awesome that day! It's an interesting scene because the girl almost let the bottle fall down into the Seine, that's why she had her hand on her chest in sign of relief!

I wish I was there right now, admiring the sight and minding my own business as this girl was doing that day. The feels.

Lafayette, not only a gallery.

Pont Alexandre III. Again, yes.

Strobist photographer at work! Kudos for his patience in carrying around an octabox.

Last time, I swear.

Les Vedettes du Pont Neuf surfing la Seine. I'm not too fond of boats but I'd like to try one day.

The Arc of Triumph! It's a bit far, yes... I just couldn't make the walk, I was too tired.

While waiting for my friend Alessia I was fascinated by this detail of the Wheel.

17th february

Saturday I just relaxed: after walking till the Louvre courtyard I decided to spend some time there.
Under the sun the temperature was rather enjoyable, so I just sit there for the most part of the day enjoying the view and reading stuff on my phone.
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While on my way back to the hotel I bumped into a very cool restaurant (Les Deux Palais), where I ate one of the best Tagliatelle with Salmon ever!

Those clouds look so dramatic, I was in the right place at the right moment!

I wondered what he was thinking.

Obvious shot but the clouds were cute!

I was already on my way to the hotel, not a lot of photos that day, I just enjoyed my staying.

Another photo featuring amazing clouds, this time over the Pont des Arts.

The Institut de France. Next to it, a selfie of a girl with headache. She used an iPhone X apparently.

Not sure what I was thinking when composing here. Probably I wasn't.

The last minutes of light are always magical...

I was intrigued by the amount of texture created by branches.

This guy was moving so fast! But I've been faster...

Le Palais de Justice. I can't help but wonder if somewhere in the world there is a more magnificiently looking Palace of Justice around.

The Palace again, this time from the front.

That's where I had my last dinner in Paris: Les Deux Palais.

The guy on the right talked incessantly with a woman for about an hour...Luckily I was busy eating the amazing Tagliatelle!

This place was so classy! It's actually the first time I left a tip to someone, in Italy we don't have this custom. The waiter was very, very kind though, he deserved it!

It was quite the shame to convert this photo in B&W, this gate was displaying France national colors with 3 different lights.

Taking night shots with a mobile phone is pushing it...couldn't resist the sight, though.

A second one, vertical this time.

Saturday night anyone?

The façade of hotel Minerve, beautiful inside-out!

This statue, in its simplicity, caught my eye. It's the memorial to the Armenian Genocide taking place a century ago.

The palace is "glowing" only because I shot this photo facing the sun light, no magic at work. There were also a couple photographers doing a photo shoot to some lovely dogs.

One last shot of the Tower before going home...the clouds looked very nice, so I opted for a very weird composition.

Such a busy spot! I found hilarious the way the dog stares at the cyclist!

These anarchist crossing the street with red lights and on the cycle path...

While the other side was filled with graffiti, I found out this side looked pretty clean!

Just a selfie of my shadow while I was waiting for Alessia on the bridge.

So many photo shoots that day! I counted at least seven while I was there!

This guy was pretty interesting. He was carrying around a "train" of small trucks. The first one was displaying the United States flag. No idea what was going on here.

A girl preparing to take a few shots and the guy with trucks in the background.

The jacket of that model was so bright I actually needed sunglasses to look at her!

18th february

Sunday arrived too quickly.
After the checkout I headed towards the Eiffel tower, where I waited for Alessia.
It was the day we planned to shoot together but unfortunately she was feeling ill.

​Somehow she managed to meet me anyway, so we did a quick photo shoot on the Pont de Bir-Hakeim.
Very quick.
It was freezing and I had to catch the train soon, so we rushed it.
Surprisingly enough the result came out nicely!

After the shooting she accompanied me to the Gare de Lyon where I took the train to come back in Italy.
I arrived at 6 a.m. in Milan then, after another ride to Parma, I finally got to the office ready to work my 8 hours shift.

Needless to say, the weekend after I slept for 3 days straight!