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.