ALTERNATIVE PLACES TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED IN PARIS

Aside from the most popular and most requested outdoor photo shoot locations in Paris (Trocadéro, Montmartre, Louvre etc) the city offers an endless array of lesser known places and areas which make equally ideal settings for any kind of creative outdoor photography. If showing the emblematic landmarks of Paris is not a necessity for you you or if are looking for truly unique backdrops that escape the city's clichés, the following suggestions could really be for you.

LAC DAUMESNIL
(BOIS DE VINCENNES, 12TH ARRONDISSEMENT)

Whilst both of Paris's forests (Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes) both have at least one sizeable lake, Lac Daumesnil is by far the most accessible (métro line 8, station Porte Dorée), the most attractive and the most suitable for both lifestyle and portrait shoots: 

  • it offers diversity through its two interconnected central islands (Île de Bercy & Ile de Reilly)

  • being outside of the dense forest area, it’s in an area of unobstructed light

  • it has unique features that could be incorporate into certain shots, such as lines of banked paddle boats and its trademark grotto (cave)

  • it's next to (and indeed part of) both the huge forest Bois de Vincennes and the attractive 12th arrondissement, making it far from an isolated area; there's no reason why it can't be combined with other locations in the context of one shoot. However, the lake itself really offers more than enough for a whole session, and staying in its vicinity you’ll get the most out of your time with a photographer.

 

PARC DE BERCY
(12TH ARRONDISSEMENT)

Being apart from the main attractions of Paris and also being rather visually hidden (sloping away from the Seine), very few visitors will discover (let alone hear about) this unique location. Whilst its modernity and artificial features lack the classic charm of the city, they make extremely interesting backgrounds for a modern photo session. Here you’ll discover a traditional maze of bushes; stacks of water features; bridges; and sculptures: it's a goldmine for a creative portrait shoot.

Parc de Bercy is also right next to the Seine, so a shoot can always include a little of traditional Paris with some shots from atop the Passerelle Simone-de-Beauvoir bridge.

 

LA VILLETTE
(19TH ARRONDISSEMENT)

Arguably the most mainstream and down-to-earth area in all the 20 districts, this modern Park, with its colourful bridges, sprawling lawns, activity grounds and quirky contemporary design, is the most unique area area of the French Capital. Following the Canal de l'Ourcq (which runs right through it), it's linked to the equally diverse Bassin de La Villette (the city’s largest artificial lake).

 

MARTIN LUTHER KING PARK & SQUARE DES BATIGNOLLES
(17TH ARRONDISSEMENT)

These two very different parks that practically lead on from one another can quite easily be combined to form the basis of one very diverse shoot. What the shamelessly artificial Martin Luther King Park lacks in sprawling lawns and charm, it makes up for in unique and modern backdrops made from the high-rise buildings, each a unique and imposing example of modern architecture. This is contrasted by the unsophisticated charm of Square des Batignolles, which is in fact one of the most attractive park in Paris; all packed into a fairly compact area, it offers lots of natural diversity in very few steps.

 

LA COULÉE VERTE RENÉ-DUMONT
(12TH ARRONDISSEMENT)

Also known as the Promenade plantée or, by most, as simply the Coulée verte, this 4.7 km elevated park is one of the most appreciated and easily accessible escapes for Parisians who want to forget the city without having to leave the city. Each section having its own unique views and features, and the entirety being linked by a single linear walkway, a shoot can take place in a very efficient and structured fashion.

 

LE MARAIS
(4TH DISTRICT)

Whilst this area - a sprawl of some of the city’s most elegant streets, architecture, museums, cafés and boutiques - is far from being off-the-beaten-track, due to its tourist density many overlook it as a photo shoot route. However, at a well-chosen time (e.g. an off-season week morning), it offers potentially stunning portrait backdrops and - if you don't mind sharing the frame with the odd passerby - a fun and unmistakably Parisian setting for a lifestyle shoot.

 

LA DÉFENSE
(HAUTS-DE-SEINE)

Located 3 kilometres west of the city limits, this area falls outside of Paris, but seeing as it’s both accessible by métro and so often referred to as being part of the capital, I’ve included it here. If international and business are your main focus and including the typical charms of the French capital are not important to you, you couldn’t really do better than this area for professional portraits. Being essentially an area of high-rise minimalist office towers, the area is hardly the most varied, although there are some hidden gems such as the one of a kind Japan Bridge / Pont d'art.

 
 

DO YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS FOR PHOTO SPOTS?

The above are just a handful of ideas; the reality is that it's difficult to think of anywhere in the French capital that wouldn't make a great setting for capturing people on camera. If you'd like more idea or, better yet, have your own suggestion for photographic locations, I'd welcome your thoughts. In the meantime, I'll leave you with the list above, in addition to, of course, the usual suspects: