Notre Dame at sunrise

November 9, 2019 by Mike Powell

After I did the posting called Sunrise on the Seine earlier today, I realized that it did not truly give readers a sense of location. Yes, it was in Paris, and yes, it was on the Seine River. The image was pretty, but it didn’t really speak “Paris.”

I shot a lot of photos this morning as I walked and stopped on the paved pathway down near the water level of the river. I was hoping to be able to capture an image of Notre Dame at sunrise. The angles and timing did not quite work out as I expected. By the time Notre Dame came into view, the sun had already risen a little too high and was directly in front of me.

When sorting through my photos, I initially rejected this image because the bright sun created a hot spot in the image. Later today, I decided to revisit the image and decided I liked it. Why? It has Notre Dame in the frame, of course, but it also shows the effects of the early morning sun as the rays illuminate the boat on the right and the concrete barrier along the pathway.

So, I decided to break my normal pattern and post multiple images today. It’s Paris, after all—I am sure I will be forgiven if I feel extra inspired here.

Posted in Architecture, Autumn, Language, Paris, Photography, Travel, US Navy | Tagged Canon 10-18mm, Canon SL2, Notre Dame, Notre Dame de Paris, Paris, paris 2019, paris france, Seine River, sunrise | 20 Comments

20 Responses

on November 9, 2019 at 1:20 pm | Reply rugby843

Beautiful
on November 9, 2019 at 1:22 pm | Reply Eliza Waters

I’m glad you included it as it has great atmosphere unique to Paris.
on November 9, 2019 at 1:48 pm | Reply Robert Kirkendall

A perfect composition!
on November 9, 2019 at 1:58 pm | Reply Dan Antion

For this, you are forgiven, Mike. This is wonderful.
on November 9, 2019 at 1:58 pm | Reply Gottfried

I’m awowed
on November 9, 2019 at 2:09 pm | Reply Laura (PA Pict)

I am glad you are sharing it. It’s a really interesting composition, quite dynamic. I also like the balance of the cold and warm hues.
- on November 9, 2019 at 2:12 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Laura. You always have such a wonderful way of describing your reactions to my images. Your artist’s eyes see a lot in a photo and I am appreciative of your willingness to share your perspective.
  - on November 9, 2019 at 2:14 pm Laura (PA Pict)
    
    I am glad you find my witterings interesting. 😀
on November 9, 2019 at 2:55 pm | Reply blhphotoblog

I would never reject this shot, it’s lovely!
- on November 9, 2019 at 3:14 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. I need to look more carefully at my images when I make a first pass. I suspect that I manage to let some good ones slip by quite often. 🙂
on November 9, 2019 at 4:00 pm | Reply sv-anui.com

Forgiven Mike!
- on November 9, 2019 at 10:57 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  As the saying goes, it is often better to boldly do something and ask forgiveness than to ask for permission in advance. 🙂
on November 9, 2019 at 8:51 pm | Reply Robert

What a wonderful image, thank you.
- on November 9, 2019 at 10:56 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Robert. For me this is one of those images in which the overall artistic impression was more important than whatever technical issues I may have with it. I suspect that I am like a lot of other people in having trouble objectively assessing my own work.
  - on November 10, 2019 at 2:36 am Robert
    
    It makes it even more special that you decided to post it, Mike.
on November 9, 2019 at 9:03 pm | Reply joyroses13

So beautiful! So glad you posted it! Feel free to post as many pics of Paris as you want. 🙂
- on November 9, 2019 at 10:53 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. I sort of guessed that most readers would be ok with me posting lots of Paris images, but it is definitely nice to get the confirmation.
  - on November 9, 2019 at 11:04 pm joyroses13
    
    😊
on November 11, 2019 at 12:32 pm | Reply Andrea Jones

I definitely like the featured image, but particularly love two ideas in your text: the process of revisiting a thing you initially rejected, and breaking out of normal patterns. Thanks for the thoughtful sharing, and may you enjoy safe travels!
- on November 11, 2019 at 3:35 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Andrea. Over the years, I have discovered that I enjoy expressing myself as much with my words as with my photos. I tend to write about what is on my mind as I think about the photos I am posting. Sometimes I write about technical aspects of the photos or provide additional information about the subject. Other times, like in this case, I will write about more philosophical issues, about broader topics that were sparked by my experiences. I think a lot about many different things, and my blog serves as a creative outlet for expressing some of my doubts, fears, and concerns. I don’t want it to be a place where I present a facade, a carefully curated view of my life, like you find in so many Facebook and Instagram postings.