Ultimate Guide To Paris Best Photography Spots
Paris is truly a gift, a dream-come-true city for everyone. As a professional photographer in Paris, I always find Paris is an excellent inspiration for photography. Although I have lived here for more than three years, I still find very new things about this city. From street photography, landscape photography to couple or wedding photography, I spend a lot of time scouting to look for beautiful photography locations in Paris. And here is my list of the best places for taking Paris photos. Let scroll down!
Update 06/22/2020
I have some updated photos of Le Marais in Music festival Paris 2020, and a new location, The Musée Albert-Kahn, the most beautiful Japanese garden in Paris.
01. Eiffel Tower – Symbol of the city of Love
It has not much to say about the symbol of Paris; the tower shows its beauty. This is a place you should have on your list if you want to make authentic Paris photos. For years of experience shooting couple photos at the Eiffel, I always see the tower has something different from the last. And the tower deserves to be the symbol of the city of Paris.
One of the great things is that you can find many beautiful Eiffel Tower photography angles. The following is one of my most favorite spots to take Eiffel Tower photos.
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Place du Trocadéro, 75016 Paris.
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Champ De Mars
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Pont de Bir Hakeim
Paris Photo Pro Tip:
I saw the Eiffel Tower at night when the lights up had a very different beauty, gorgeous and full of romance. If you have time, try to arrange your schedule so that you can take pictures of the Eiffel Tower at night too. And especially, at the right time even, the tower will sparkle within 5 minutes. Pont de Bir Hakeim is one of my favorite places to watch the tower and take photos of Paris at night because there aren't too many people here.
And there are many other beautiful spots, I have combined separately into another post on the best places to take pictures of the Eiffel Tower.
02. Louvre Museum - An architectural Landmark
For me, this is one of the best places to take photos of Paris sunrise and sunset. Why? The combination of typical European architecture with a bit of modern architecture of glass pyramids creates an atmosphere and a fantastic view. You should take some time to go around. There will be many beautiful angles for you to explore. I have practiced a lot of photography composing here. One of the places you should explore when coming to the Louvre is:
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The Pyramids
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Entrance Gate near rue Rivoli (best for silhouette photos)
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Paris street lights near the Pyramids
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Pavillon Turgot
Paris Photo Pro Tip:
In addition to taking Paris photos in the early morning or at sunset, you have to go to the Louvre in the evening. It's magical. And the important thing is, don't forget to bring a tripod. You will need it to take Paris photos at night.
03. Palais Royal – Must Visted Instagrammable Square
What can I say about this former royal palace? This Paris photography location is like a hidden gem and contains many surprises. The entrance to the Palais Royal is not unobtrusive but is hidden in the Rue Saint-Honoré. First, you'll come to Domaine National du Palais-Royal with 'Les Deux Plateaux', the iconic artworks of a French artist Daniel Buren. You will then see a garden-side view with the columns of the former Galerie d'Orléans. This cute garden will come to life in a beautiful season. This is also the Place where many young painters come to practice painting.
Paris Photo Pro Tip:
The columns of the former Galerie d'Orléans is one of the great places to take portraits because of its well-balanced composition and dreamy creamy color. Be careful if you plan to have a professional photoshoot here because you need permission. Anything related to professional set up such as lighting, off-camera flash, or even using a reflector also requires approval.
04. Tuileries Garden - A Expansive & Whimsical Garden
This garden deserves to be one of the most photogenic gardens in Paris. Every time I come here, I find a new perspective on the garden. Interspersed amid the greenery of natural trees are the vibrant colors of the flowers. Besides, the intricate sculpture statues make the garden even more splendid and mysterious. My favorite route to photographing the Tuileries garden is to start from the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, then the École du Louvre on the left-wing, then next to the Tuileries. If you have a family and want a Paris family photoshoot, then this garden will be an excellent choice for the kids.
Paris Photo Pro Tip:
Spring and autumn are the best seasons to have the best Paris photos here. One more thing, don't forget to walk to Place de la Concorde nearby.
05. Montmartre - Sacre Cœur – Most beautiful view of the city
Montmartre is always the most romantic Paris photography location in Paris. There are many dreaming corner and cobblestone streets. The green space of the city offers a fresh and airy atmosphere to the central area. Don't forget to go to these spots to have your amazing Paris photos. My favorite places when taking pictures here are:
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The Most Scenic Street: Rue De L’abreuvoir
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Love wall
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La Maison rose
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Buste de Dalida
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Parvis du Sacre Coeur
Paris Photo Pro Tip:
This is a big area on the hill, so you will have to prepare a bit to walk. If you want a 360-degree view of Paris, don't forget you can get on top of Sacré-Cœur.
06. Along the Seine River - Pont de Art & Pont Neuf
Walking along the Seine is one of the ways to enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful views of Paris what is more enjoyable than a photo that has a balance between the sky, the river, the building according to Haussmann architecture, and the romantic bridge. If anyone asks me where I have all the most typical things about Paris, that's the landscape scenes from the bridges across the Seine. Two of the best bridges for Paris landscape photos are Pont Neuf and Pont des Arts. And the good news is it only takes you 5 minutes to walk between these two bridges.
Paris Photo Pro Tip:
The Pont Neuf Bridge itself, the oldest bridge with pedestrian paths, is also magnificent and is a fascinating subject for landscape photography. From Pont des Arts, you can have a beautiful view of Pont Neuf to take great Paris landscape photos. And the best time for these photos is at sunset.
07. Pont Alexander III - The most beautiful bridge on the Seine river
Have you ever seen the movie Midnight in Paris? This bridge appeared romantically in the last scene of the movie. Dubbed as one of the most beautiful bridges in Paris, Alexander III is a combination of Russian architecture and a romantic romance of France. For me, it's a must for a Paris architecture photography.
Paris Photo Pro Tip:
Instead of standing on the bridge to take photos, I often go a bit away from the bridge so I can capture the whole scene. My favorite spot for taking pictures with the Alexander III Bridge is the Port des Champs-Élysées near the River Limousine.
08. Luxembourg Gardens - Paris's most prized and beautiful formal garden
If you like the natural and discreet space, this 17th-century garden will be your choice. Inside there is also a fountain, Marie De Medicis Fountain, built on a romantic love story. This garden is not only a place where you can have candid and emotional couple photos, but also an excellent place for a Paris proposal. In the garden, there is also Luxembourg Palace, which will be a place to visit for photography of French Baroque architecture lovers
09. Champ Elysee - The world's most beautiful avenue in the world
The most famous and luxurious avenue in Paris and the world, Champ Elysee is not only a place for shopper's paradise but also a place for photography lovers. As one of the largest roads in Paris, this is an excellent place for long exposure photography in the evening. Arc de Triomphe is one of the famous landmarks of Paris that you should also include in your visit list.
Paris Photo Pro Tip:
You can go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe to see the whole city from above. This is one of the best places to photograph Paris from above, and you will not waste a penny on it.
10. Notre Dame de Paris - Tremendous ancient Cathedral
Notre Dame de Paris is one of the most famous churches in the world. A great Paris photo spot that you should visit. The unique thing here is the area around the church, including the seine river, the bustling city of District 4 will bring a lot of photography ideas and many photography angles for you. The Notre Dame House in the spring is also known for the area with cherry blossoms in full bloom. This is one of the most beautiful peach blossom locations in Paris next to Parc de Seaux.
Paris Photo Pro Tip:
The best place to take a Paris landscape picture with Notre Dame is from Pont de la Tournelle. You will see not only the Notre dame but also the creamy Parisian buildings on the island of Saint Louis. This would be well worth taking photos in Paris.
Updated June 2020
At present, Notre Dame de Paris is still in the reconstruction phase after being burned last year. It is expected that by 2025 you will be able to return to write to visit this church.
11. Latin Quarter (Quartier Latin) - The coolest neighborhood of Paris
Jardin des Plantes, Shakespeare & Company, Panthéon, National Museum of Natural History are some of the photogenic places you can find in the Latin Quarter. Located in District 5 and on the left bank of the Seine River, this is the area with the most students and the most vibrant in Paris. I usually spend a lot of time on street photography here. Evenings in this area are especially bustling because there are many cafes for students. The narrow cobblestone streets full of romance are also one of the endless sources of inspiration for photos of Paris.
12. Le Marais - A historic and fashionable area for street photography
As a photographer in Paris, I found a lot of inspirations for art here. You can easily see a street artist playing music or a painter painting in this area. Art galleries, fashion boutiques, hip boutiques, and street arts are also easily found at le Marais. There is no better place than this for Paris street photography.
Paris Photo Pro Tip:
Another reason and Le Maris is a must if you are a photography lover that is Maison Européenne de la Photographie. This center for contemporary photographic art is an exciting place to visit in this area. You will learn a lot by visiting it, and you will be more inspired for your next Paris photos. Don’t forget to take photos at the unique cinematic corners near Chez Marianne and Jardin des Rosiers Joseph Migneret.
13. Paris Metro Stations
Why not? One of the most striking features of Paris is the dense subway system. There are many beautiful docks in Paris. Although Metro can be crowded during the day, it can bring a lot of experience and unique to your photos. The photogenic metro stations that you can take into account are Arts et Metiers, Bastille, Louvre-Rivoli, Cluny-La Sorbonne, or Abbesses, The deepest station in the Paris Metro system.
Paris Photo Pro Tip:
Metro Line 6 from Passy to Pont De Bir Hakeim Station will provide a breathtaking view to the Eiffel Tower. What you capture through the Metro Line 6 window will surely become a unique Paris photo.
Final Thoughts
Although this list of locations for Paris photography is a good starting point, know that Paris has many more locations to explore and photograph. That is why the journey to learn about the city of lights will continue and I will update more beautiful places in this blog.
Want more tips for your next Paris photoshoot? Read this.
Got questions? Drop me a message here.
Article by:
Alex Nguyen
Founder, Lead Photographer @ Février Photography (or, in plain English, I'm the guy responsible for ensuring that every photos we make is EPIC).
