How do you photograph a structure like the Eiffel Tower that is so iconic and so well-known? The first choice is to decide which side of the Seine River you want to be on when taking the photos. You can get some good photos from the hilly area across the river called Trocadéro, or you can stay on the same side as the tower itself. I chose the latter option.
There are some real limitations, because the grassy areas leading away from the tower are fenced off. If you get far enough away, you can get the traditional full-length shot like the second image below. I personally like to move closer and shoot upwards.
Unfortunately, my favorite angle is no longer available. In 2011 I was able to walk right underneath the tower and shoot direct upwards while standing in the middle of the four legs. Now there are plexiglass barriers surrounding the entire tower that are used to funnel visitors to a single entrance with fees and security checks for those who want to climb the tower or take the elevator.
The first show below is my favorite. I like the angle and was able to wait for the clouds to move into a photogenic position. I took the shot with a DSLR and a zoom lens. Recently, I bought my first real smartphone, an iPhone 11, and during this trip I am learning how to use it. I am still not used to the idea of taking photos with a phone and it feels so unnatural to hold at arms length to take a photo. However, this iPhone has a super-wide mode and I decided to use it to take the final photo. The perspectives are a little distorted, almost like a fisheye lens, but I like the effect.
As you probably have noticed, I am combining the roles of a tourist and a photographer, thinking a lot about my shots as I take them. Unlike most of the tourists I saw yesterday, though, I don’t plan to spend a lot of time taking multiple selfies.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
They’re great Mike! I laughed so much as I imagined you standing there drumming your fingers, maybe tapping your toes, waiting for the clouds to move into a photogenic position 🙂 LOL!! But worth it.
I filled the time taking photos of other folks. I am a little paranoid about handing my phone or camera to another person, but several folks yesterday came up to me, handed me their phones, and asked me to photograph them.
I’m enjoying your photos of Paris. We were just there in June and, while we don’t do selfies, my photos can’t compare to yours. So sad about Notre Dame. Thank you.
I wouldn’t worry about your photos–photos only remind us of where we have been and it’s the memories that are really the most important.
Very Nice Mike! Beautiful images! I also have an iPhone 11 Pro. If you open your jpegs in Adobe Camera Raw you can really get much more out of the files. Hope you have a Great Time over there!
Thanks, Reed. I have my phone set up to send my photos to iCloud and they appear on my MacBook Pro for editing. This is all pretty new for me with the phone, so I am learning new things each day.
Nice angles, Mike. I love the Eiffel, so iconic. And to think it was originally built to be up only for the Paris Exhibition, then taken down. Unimaginable!
Thanks, Eliza. As I recall, there was a lot of controversy initially about how the style was too modern and did not fit with the traditional architecture of the city.
Now no one can imagine Paris without it!
Very nice choices, Mike. These are great photos.
[…] 5″ x 7″ (127mm x 177mm). If you would like to see my original posting, check out ‘Eiffel Tower perspectives.’ I used the same transfer method for the sketch that I described above for 16 […]