Sunshine Skyway 2019

28 Oct 2019

The Sunshine Skyway is a series of bridges and causeways crossing the entrance of Tampa Bay from the Gulf of Mexico, extending southward from St Petersburg (Florida) into Manatee County (Florida) outside the cities of Bradenton and Sarasota. The Skyway has a total length of about 11 miles, with the main bridge just over 4 miles long and rising to a height of 180 feet above the entrance to Tampa Bay. The Skyway includes two public fishing piers extending into Tampa Bay at the north and south ends of the bridge.

Select Sunshine Skyway 2019 to view a new gallery containing sunset and twilight views of the main Skyway bridge from the south fishing pier.

Paris Workshop 2019 Day 6

18 May 2019

My final day in Paris followed the conclusion of Serge Ramelli’s workshop. Given the late departure time (10:00 PM, 20:00 hours) of my flight from Paris, I had ample opportunity for a last exploration of the Latin Quarter area. My walk through the Latin Quarter included stops at Musee Cluny and Shakespeare and Company Bookstore.

The Latin Quarter area contains many bookstores and second-hand book sellers. A string of 250 booths (bouquinistes) selling magazines and second hand books extend along the riverfront on the Left bank of the Seine in this area. Bouquinistes on the Left bank in Paris resemble the street newsstands found in New York City. Shakespeare and Company is an independent English language bookstore and café near the Seine. The bookstore first opened in 1919 and visited by many notables including James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway.  

Musee Cluny (National Museum of the Middle Ages) contains exhibits from Roman and medieval times, including remains of the Roman bath in Paris dating from 200 AD.    

Select Paris Workshop Day 6 2019 to view the gallery containing the image shown below and other images.

Paris Workshop 2019 Day 5

17 May 2019

The photography workshop with Serge Ramelli continued with a photo walk to the Luxembourg Palace and Gardens, then to the Tour (tower) Montparnasse for a scenic view of Paris from the rooftop observation deck.

Luxembourg Gardens is an extensive public park and garden area in the southern area of central Paris that includes the Luxembourg Palace. Initial construction of the palace and gardens is from the 17th century with later expansion and changes to the gardens area. Luxembourg Palace now houses the seat of the French Senate. A new gallery is added with views of Luxembourg Palace and gardens surrounding the palace.

Select Paris Workshop 2019 Day 5: Luxembourg Gardens to view this gallery.

Tour (tower) Montparnasse is the only high-rise skyscraper in central Paris. The tower is a 59-story office building with a rooftop observation area on the top floor. Since the tower’s completion in 1973, construction of new buildings over seven stories in height was banned in the central area of Paris. A gallery with evening views of the Eiffel Tower from the rooftop observation deck is added.

Select Paris Workshop 2019 Day 5: Montparnasse to view images in this gallery.

Paris Workshop 2019 Day 4

16 May 2019

My fourth day in Paris started with a tour of the Invalides. The Invalides was built in the late 17th century as a hospital for military veterans and now serves as a museum and memorial to the French armed forces. Several facilities are housed at the Invalides – including the tomb of Napoleon I, the French armed forces museum (Musee de la Armee), two chapels from the Invalides’ original function as a military hospital, and burial sites for many notable French military officers and historical figures. A new gallery contains images from the Invalides.

Select Paris Workshop 2019 Day 4: Invalides to view this gallery.  

Later on, the third day of Serge Ramelli’s photography workshop took place through the afternoon and evening. This part of the workshop featured a photo walk and tour of the Montmartre section in northern Paris. Our photo walk in Montmartre concentrated on the hilltop area, including Sacre Coeur Basilica, the Place (plaza) du Tertre and streets in the surrounding neighborhoods. I added a gallery containing images of various locations in Montmartre.

Select Paris Workshop 2019 Day 4: Montmartre to view this gallery.    

Paris Workshop 2019 Day 3

15 May 2019

My third day in Paris (second day of Serge Ramelli’s photography workshop) featured the Eiffel Tower and parts of its surrounding area.  

The afternoon segment of the workshop photo walk began in the Quai Branly area of the 7th Arrondissement to the northeast of the Eiffel Tower. Our initial approach to the Eiffel Tower followed the Rue de l’Universite on a direct line towards the tower several blocks beyond the end of the street. My first new gallery includes a view of the Eiffel Tower from Rue de l’Universite plus close-up images of the tower. Select Paris Workshop 2019 Day 3: Eiffel Tower to view images in this gallery.  

Leaving the Eiffel Tower, our photo walk continued through the park at Champ de Mars into the neighborhoods south of the tower where the workshop group stopped for dinner break. After dinner, the photo walk continued to Pont de Bir Hakeim where we crossed over to the Right (north) bank of the Seine River. A new gallery is added with views from the Pont de Bir Hakeim at sunset and the neighborhood where the workshop group stopped for dinner. Select Paris Workshop 2019 Day 3: Pont de Bir Hakeim to view images in this gallery.  

The photo walk continued from Pont de Bir Hakeim along the Right bank of the Seine to the Trocadero Gardens located directly across the river from the Eiffel Tower. At Trocadero we watched the 130th anniversary celebration of the Eiffel Tower’s opening including a light and musical display. Select Paris Workshop 2019 Day 3: Eiffel Tower 130 Anniversary to view images in this gallery. 

Paris Workshop 2019 Day 2

14 May 2019

My first full day in Paris began at the Musee Orsay, a short distance from my hotel on the Left (south) Bank and directly across the Seine River from the Louvre and Tulleries garden. The Orsay houses an extensive collection of art dating from 1850 through World War I; including works by Van Gogh, Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, Gauguin and others. The museum building is a conversion of the former central railway station in Paris opened in 1900. I have a new gallery added with images taken inside the main concourse of the Orsay, the concourse originally the train platform of the rail station. Select Paris Workshop 2019 Day 2: Musee Orsay to view images in this gallery.  

The photography workshop with Serge Ramelli started in the afternoon with an international group of 10 participants. The workshop began at the hotel with a short meeting and introductions before setting out on our first photo walk and shoot. The afternoon part of the photo walk travelled along the left bank of the Seine River directly across from Notre Dame before moving away from the river through the neighborhoods near the Pantheon. I added a second new gallery including views of the rear of Notre Dame showing damage from the fire, the Pantheon and images from nearby neighborhoods. Select Paris Workshop 2019 Day 2: Left Bank to view images in this gallery.  

 After a dinner break with the workshop group, the photo walk continued to the Louvre to photograph the museum courtyard at twilight. Another new gallery with twilight views of the Louvre courtyard is added. Select Paris Workshop 2019 Day 2: Louvre at Twilight to view images in this gallery.

Paris Workshop 2019 Day 1

13 May 2019

I arrived in Paris one day before the start of Serge Ramelli’s workshop. My arrival in Paris was in the morning after an overnight “red-eye” flight across the Atlantic. After checking into my hotel in the left bank area of the city center across the street from the Seine river front and taking a brief rest, I headed out with my camera for an initial freelance exploration of the area surrounding the hotel.

My first excursion into Paris took me onto one of two islands in the middle of the Seine River (Ile de la Cite) on which Notre Dame cathedral is located along with areas adjacent to Ile de la Cite on the left (south) bank of the river. The fire at Notre Dame occurred four weeks prior to my arrival in Paris. I found the approaches to Notre Dame were cordoned off, blocking all vehicle and pedestrian access into an area several blocks around the cathedral.

 Just added is a gallery including several front exterior views of Notre Dame at a distance along with images of bridges crossing the Seine between Ile de la Cite and the right (north) bank of the river as well as the left bank area near the Pont Saint Michel bridge I took across river between Ile de la Cite and the left bank.  

Select Paris Workshop Day 1 to view the gallery containing the image shown below and other images.  

Serge Ramelli Paris Workshop - May 2019

Serge was one of the first photographers I discovered and followed on-line when I started developing my photography and post-processing skills shortly after winding down my IT career.  I first encountered Serge in 2013 through his You Tube channel which is still active and contains an extensive collection of weekly free tutorials covering a wide range of tools and techniques for retouching images in Photoshop and Lightroom. Later on I became a subscriber to his website which accesses free downloads of image files related to his You Tube tutorials plus courses, presets and his own photographic work.

Serge has influenced my own work from a stylistic perspective as well as introducing me in the use of various retouching tools and techniques in Photoshop and Lightroom. Over time I adopted aspects of his style while at the same time applying those aspects within my own location, setting and context (i.e. the appearance of skies and sunsets in Paris and Florida distinct from each other).

Serge has conducted photography workshops for several years in locations including Paris, Los Angeles (California) and elsewhere.  About a year ago I took the plunge and registered for his 2019 Paris workshop as an opportunity to meet and work with him in person plus doing photography in a setting (Paris, France) completely outside my “box”. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and recommend it to any serious photographer with an interest in doing this. While I will not go into the details of Serge’s workshops here, the following link to his website www.photoserge.com will direct you to details of his workshops plus other information about him and his work.

This blog is an introduction for a series of blogs and new galleries to be posted covering my photography at various times and locations during my six days in Paris, both during the workshop itself and on side trips I made around Paris between sessions of the workshop. As you will see in later posts and galleries, there are way too many places to cover in Paris during a six-day or so visit while handling a workshop schedule. Another trip to Paris is most definitely in order.