Photographers: favorite subjects

Architectural details like balcony railings

Definitely architectural details including gables on bldgs, windows and doors, chimneys, window boxes and exterior decorative details.

I love to photograph headstones and funerary architecture in cemeteries.

Street scenes, alleyways, manhole covers, and fountains.

Domestic animals, mostly cats.

Flowers and unique garden layouts.

I had a lot of fun photographing the public art installations and street performers too.

Ok, so just about anything and everything.

Floors.

Floors with special designs. (Saint Denis for example)

Floors when the light filters through the stain glassed windows. (Sainte Chapelle, another Paris example).

"Steet Madonnas", that is the different Virgins and Saints usually in niches or painted on street corners.

Rather than a particular object, I like to target specific venues that represent a place in a certain light. In Paris, you can point your camera in almost any direction at Luxembourg Garden and find a spontaneous composition. Whether it's filtered light hitting the surrounding buildings; the main area's seating, stairs and sculptures; or kids floating boats in the fountains - there's an abundance of charming photo opp's within the grounds. In Lyon, two of my favorite locations for taking photos is walking thru the Bocuse food hall (Les Halles de Lyon), and getting lost in the traboules between streets. Just so many unique subject ideas which capture the essence of that great city. Have a great trip, Mike!

shadows
shapes
patterns

Art Nouveau design Metro entrances in Paris
The iconic dark green, Wallace drinking fountains in Paris
The Bouquinistes of Paris - booksellers along the Seine

In Paris; Gargoyles, artisans, church interiors, cemetaries, street markets, and parks.

People. Having spent some of my life doing photography for several publications, it's my opinion that people are the most fascinating subject one can possibly have.

Bridges, pub signs

Also architecture, but mostly churches and cathedrals, especially those that are very old and have beautiful designs. Buildings that have color and interesting shapes. Local people doing everyday things. Colorful houses; especially Nordic or German. Historical clothing. Interesting or unique street or house signs.

Doors and doorways, especially old crumbly unusual ones.

I specifically love architecture, gardens & lots of little details around the city found while looking up, down & around that identify the photos as Paris or being in France.

Something I don’t see mentioned, yet, are photos that tell stories: The personable ones - sipping a morning cup of coffee on a balcony overlooking a Parisian street with a look of anticipation; a smiling face holding the croissant just made in a pastry class; an older couple sharing an umbrella on an evening rainy street shining from the streetlight reflection; a poignant memorial with a faded rose. The photos that may look best as b&w or with a pop of color for the focal point.

For Lyon, go to the Musée Lumière - wonderful photo opportunities from their displays! Also, the building has beautiful art nouveau. I still recall several of my photos from Lyon in 2016.

Mike,

I'm an avid photographer when travelling and always fill up a few memory cards on each trip. I always travel with a full size dSLR and two lenses (and sometimes a tripod) and have found that kit covers just about every situation. I'm more comfortable with settings on the dSLR and haven't been able to achieve the same results with a phone. I always shoot RAW so I have lots of control over the finished images. I also pack at least one P&S backup camera as well as my iPhone.

In terms of subjects to photograph I don't have a set list, but tend to choose subjects based on what I'm seeing at the time and the lighting conditions, whether that's scenery, city scenes, buildings, etc. I always like to have some early morning are evening photos, as the lighting is better. Since the dSLR is somewhat conspicuous, I generally ask before taking pictures inside museums, churches, or whatever.

In Marseille it was dogs. In Naples, street shrines and the Bay. Glaciers. Volcanoes. Water.
My husband photographs his restaurant meals.

Old doors with iron strap hinges.
Other architectural features.
Tiles and other patterns on floors/ walls.
Stairways and entrance portals

Ceilings. I lay the phone flat on the floor and shoot straight up.

I want to thank everyone for their fantastic suggestions!

I am going absolutely nuts this trip taking photos of things. I think I've taken more shots on this trip than one my last two. I've even scored some absolute winners (one or two, anyway).

Keep making suggestions, if you feel like it -- I'm reading them all!

-- Mike Beebe

I love shooting people (not that way) going about their daily lives. Most times I ask or motion for permission and my last trip to Paris was the only time that people were reluctant.

The main problem I have is I like to spend a great deal of time walking around looking for interesting shots and this usually conflicts with my family’s desire to get from point a to b as fast as possible.

I've always had a terrible memory so I tend to photograph everything, and make a point of including a pic of each sign of what I'm using my camera to remember. I photograph every hotel room as soon as I enter, esp. bathroom and views - very useful for return visits and giving recommendations. Memorable meals, drinks, sometimes interesting people I meet along the way,

On my first trip to Andalucia, I began with azulejos - beautiful ceramic tiles in every entranceway and patio, then I started seeing other patterns, in pavements, grills, Moorish decorations, just about everywhere I looked. Wonderful.

After a architectural walking tour in Barcelona, I looked for bits of Moderisme (Catalan art nouveau) - they are everywhere, on sidewalks, in shops.

Lots of photos of sunsets in the Greek isles - mostly including a glass of wine. I love the late afternoon light.

I am an amateur photographer (what my family calls me). Photos from travel are usually geared towards architectural details, everyday life, and capturing a moment in a photo that will make me relieve that day when looking back at photos. And sunsets - I'll always search for the best place in a new location to watch the sunset.

It is rare to have me on the photo. I travel alone a lot and dislike selfies, but will take a few occasionally to send to family with “look where I am!” .

When I’m traveling with family, I capture them on photos with pretty or interesting background. I gave up asking them to pose for me and, honestly, the best photos are when they are not looking at the camera, feels more natural.

One? I can't choose just one.

I like to photograph:
- Cats
- Architectural Details, especially gargoyles and grotesques
- Very narrow, picturesque streets
- Reflections in ponds, lakes, rivers, and puddles
- Children chasing bubbles or pigeons in a square (not closeups, though)
- Birds
- Funny or unusual signs
- Things that are different from home, to remember and celebrate the differences
- Beautiful or interesting scenery
- Wildlife
- Paintings that "grab" me
- Flowers in the foreground. i.e. I like to photograph scenes or buildings with flowers or foliage in the foreground. I call these my "FFFP"s (Famous Flowers in the Foreground Photos) :D
- Little, found moments that evoke the feeling/culture/history of a place. For instance, in my first trip to Paris, I captured a pair of lovers having a spat on the steps of an old greenhouse in the Jardin des Plantes. The young woman was actually wearing a beret. In a small town in Ecuador, I snapped a pic of an old man herding some sheep down a dirt road.
- Things I find macabre or grotesque, such as reliquaries
- Experiences that I can't have at home, such as "Doctor Fish" nibbling my feet in a spa in Taiwan
- Famous landmarks