When it is pouring rain all day in Paris, what can you possibly photograph? Like wildflowers in the spring, colorful umbrellas have sprung up all over the city and they make cool subjects.
I captured the first little scene along the Seine River this morning. I envisioned the possibility of the photo and hung around the location as the group of three people approached. I took multiple photos as the moved toward and under the bridge. The biggest challenge I had was a distractingly bright orange bicycle parked in the middle of the pathway beyond the exit. Fortunately the green umbrella was large enough in this shot to hide the offending bicycle.
I semi-stalked the next group of three young ladies as they walked through the Tuileries Garden toward the pyramid entrance to the Louvre. It was a little frustration because they kept stopping for selfies, but I finally got a shot when they moved together for a moment. I love the way that the three subjects had complementary shades of umbrellas and stylishly distinctive backpacks.
The final photo highlights the umbrellas themselves and not the owners. Although it was still raining, the owners had carefully placed their umbrellas to the side so that they could take photos of themselves with the Louvre pyramid in the background. I like the angle at which the umbrellas are placed, which, along with their black color, emphasizes the form of the umbrellas. The shadows on the wet cobblestones add additional visual interest to the image.
It was cold throughout the day today, about 34 degrees right now (one degree C) and the possibility of snow is forecast for this evening. Yikes! Fortunately I have warm clothes with me and most importantly my camera bag has proven to be as waterproof as advertised. I don’t exclude the possibility of an after dark adventure a bit later.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Cool idea about the umbrellas! Hope you do get an adventure after dark. 🙂
It stayed cold and wet, so I only ventured far enough to resupply my wine and buy a few treats. I am addicted to a particular brand of Galette cookies made with lots of butter.
Well that sounds like a sweet adventure.. 😊
Love how you’ve related colourful umbrellas to wildflowers in spring, nice writing! Good on you working with the weather and not bemoaning the wet 🙂
I brought along the right kind of warm and waterproof clothes and a decent umbrella, so I don’t mind getting wet. I bought a new camera bag for this trip. It was a little pricey, but has worked out well in the rain (my umbrella is pretty small and leaves parts of me and my gear exposed).
Love your first image in particular – nice composition, Mike. And good to be out and about despite the weather!
I had the composition in mind and waited a while for passersby to come by. I probably could not have set it up better if I had had control over the process. 🙂
Very clever of you to envision these, Mike. They speak of life that goes on despite the inclement weather. Stay warm!
It really is amazing, Eliza, how much life does go on. Tourists stood in long lines clutching their umbrellas as they waited to enter the Louvre Museum. Locals rushed on to head to work or run their normal errands. I am used to living in a suburban world, where most of the people that I see are hidden in their cars. For them, rain is a minor annoyance. In a city like Paris, it seems like many more people move about on foot (maybe it is like that in other cities too). I suspect that my perspective is affected by the fact that I don’t have deadlines or a fixed agenda–I can wander where I choose. A while back I saw a motto on-line that could be mine–not all who wander are lost. 🙂
Oh, yes, that is a good one…
I love that last photo.