How to Plan Perfect Paris Pictures – 5 Top Tips

Ever see a friend’s Instagram feed or travel photos and envy them for their Instagram-able quality?  What sets the average travelgram apart and makes it go from basic to EXTRA?  Having spent too much time on Instagram for my own good, I’ve picked up on a few things or two.  And having just recently returned from a fabulous family vacation to Paris, I’ll share my top tips for planning out your very own picture-perfect Parisian pics!

1. Find your inspiration by following your favorite photographers /bloggers from that destination.   Here are the Instagram feeds that I followed for inspiration just to give you a start.  They showcase truly awe-inspiring photographs that both challenge and inspire you to up your own photography game while giving you great ideas in terms of locations, angles, styling and more!   @bisousparis   @unlimitedparis   @videoparis  @morgylh  @parisinfourmonths 
2. Create a bucket list of what you consider the most photogenic spots.  After following your favorite Instagram-ers you’ll inevitably find new hot spots, and places to see.  Add them to your bucket list!  And start thinking about your shot list. Do you want to make sure you get a family shot in front of the Eiffel Tower?  Do you now want a close up of your dessert with the Parisian streets in the background just like you saw your favorite Instagram-er do?  Save your favorite inspirational photos on IG as part of your Paris photo bucket list by using that save to collection banner button!  In doing this research, you’ll start noticing that there are picturesque spots not typically in your travel guide that you’ll want to hunt down.
   
   I didn’t originally know for instance about this famous wall of love that showcases the phrase, “I love you” in 311 languages in the Jehan Rictus garden square in Montmartre.   And it was right by a toddler play ground and carousel which made it a fun stop for the gram AND for my child!  Another spot, I’m so glad I added to my photo bucket list was Rue Crémieux located between rue de Lyon and rue de Bercy.
   
   It’s the dreamiest, rainbow row that will transport you out of Paris’s normal, neutral surroundings into a unicorn-like wonderland!  Although it’s ranked only 265 on TripAdvisor amongst 1386 Parisian attractions, I’d rate this #1 in terms of getting your gram-worthy street style shot
3. Time it. This is a two-part tip.  Firstly, look into the best time of the year and day to get those coveted shots.  When we traveled to Japan for instance, we researched the prime period for cherry blossoms to bloom cuz I desperately wanted to capture that iconic Japanese cherry blossom scene.  If it’s Eiffel tower shots with flowering trees that you’re hoping for, plan seasonally.  Also think about the “golden hour,”  the period shortly after sunrise or before sunset during which daylight is redder and softer, making for photographically perfect lighting.  Lastly, don’t just point and shoot.  Wait for the minute that the people seemingly disappear or shuffle back far enough and make way for a less crowded shot like we did below.  Your patience will be rewarded!
   
   Finally, click only when your subject is ready and you’ll be thankful later when it comes to sorting through the hundreds of photos from the day!
4. Coordinate it.  If you’ve read through our blog at all, you know we’re fans of coordinated looks! 
   If you’re planning to create that frame-worthy shot, make sure to think ahead about not only coordinating each other’s outfits to avoid a clashing look but also to think about the background setting and about how you can best compliment that too.
5. Pose and prop it.  For our Paris photo shoots, we used berets, baguettes, and even Juliet’s stuffed poodle as touristy props to emphasize the destination’s French icons. 
   But you could also use a beautiful bouquet of flowers, balloons or even your morning crepe as a photo prop.  Another pro tip is to study other people’s poses.  By doing so, you’ll get new ideas on flattering ways to stand or even play with your background (have you see people seemingly hold the Eiffel Tower behind them between two fingers or on top of their hand for instance?)  Memorizing some ready-to-go poses will have you feeling more confident and able to naturally find ways to mix it up.

What are YOUR favorite photography tips for capturing that gram-worthy shot?? Tell me in the comments or share this post with a friend who would appreciate this!

For more tips on how to get Instagram-able photos in general, click here!

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Prepare to be Amazed at Amaze a new Cadillac House Art Exhibit in NYC

We have enjoyed the Cadillac House for its cool cafe and past art installations.  So when we learned that another Instagram-able art pop-up had appeared, we made sure to go! Little did we know that we were in for a colorful but spooky labyrinth of an experience! This surrealist selfie maze, titled AMAZE was a unique installation by architect Rafael de Cárdenas and visual artist, composer, and vocalist Sahra Motalebi.   “I think in this digital age, people just crave a physical experience in real time, in real life, that’s not virtual. It’s not in front of a laptop or your phone. But at the same time, we love making things that are great for photos that you can share with a lot of people.” Cecilia Dean, (Visionaire co-founder) reports.  I agree and that’s one of the reasons we love pop-ups so much.  They bring you out of the mundane allowing for multisensory exploration.

Walking in from this introductory, front wall, you have no idea what to expect.  But a few steps in, you’re in an enclosed room featuring a circular metal curtain.  Of course, my toddler was immediately drawn in for a game of hide and seek!

We played all sorts of pretend games here and enjoyed disappearing acts, shadow play, and races.  We couldn’t help however, to be intrigued by the  laughter that teased us into the other rooms.

It cackled overhead through the speaker system!

Somebody sounded hysterical and we weren’t sure why.  It both intrigued and entertained us!

And yes, we dressed in our black and white houndstooth, having previously done our research and having loved this pop art wall!

And then the overhead sounds turned into wicked cries…  And my 5-year-old daughter pictured here sliding down the corner wall, wasn’t so sure about the cackling noises anymore.

It wasn’t until I reminded her that we were in a fun pop-up and that the artist must be trying to scare us as if we were in a haunted house that she brightened up and thought that was awfully tricky.  We talked about how we dressed up for Halloween as witches and made the same scary noises.   And soon, she had the hilarious idea to try and scare others!

This hyper-chromatic, hallway of mirrors seemed to be made for selfies and proved to be a perfect practicing ground for her scary moves and sonic additions.

This carnival-esque room, prompted all sorts of primping, posing and photographing.  So while Instagram-ers were concentrating on shooting the perfect shot,  Juliet took this perfect opportunity to jump out from the corner, and scare them much to their delight!  Little did she realize that her projected shrieks and cackling laughter, helped complete this strange and surreal experience with a little toddler fun.

For my tips on getting Instagram-able shots, click here!

For our review on the new NYC egg-themed pop – up that you can still buy tickets to, click here!

AMAZE is on view, free to the public until JUNE 10th

The Gallery at Cadillac House

330 Hudson Street, New York, New York, 10013.

Hours are 8:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday to Friday and 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

To see the last art installation at the Cadillac House entitled, Toilet Paper Paradise, click here

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