France, 2022 

In April, 2022 - my family and I flew to France to attend my cousin’s wedding. In our typical style, we made sure to make the most of our first international trip since the pandemic began. For me, as you might have guessed, this involved taking a few photos (ok maybe more than a few). The last time I traveled internationally with a camera was all the way back in 2017 when I studied abroad and first fell in love with Street Photography, so I was eager to show my growth as a photographer.

Finding Focus

Now, travel can be overstimulating for a photographer - too much gear, too much to look at, too many gigabytes for my hard-drive. I actually think a lot of beginner photographers find this out the hard way, I know I did. With this in mind, I was cognisant of keeping things simple for myself. Inspired by Ivan Chow’s Montreal Video (a great watch in my opinion), I decided to try and find my Focus by selecting three themes: Architecture, Fashion, and Romance. To me, these three elements represent what comes to mind when you think of France, and would make sure my photos stood out from my other Street Photography. I also chose to keep my gear quite simple, choosing a minimal kit that would get the job done without getting in my way.

The Gear

For this trip, my main camera was the Fujifilm X-Pro2. Durable, simple, yet incredibly capable. I chose to pair this with my Voigtlander 21mm f/4 (~30mm full-frame equivalent) and the TTartisans 50mm f/f1.2 lenses. The 21mm is my go-to focal range, and last time I was in Europe my 28mm lens stayed on my camera 99% of the time, and this trip was no different. I found that the 50mm (75mm equivalent) was a perfect addition, not too tight that I lose context, yet not too wide that I lose the small details. I also packed my tiny Olympus XA2, packed with Kodak Gold 200 and DJI Osmo Pocket 2 for all of my video needs. And that’s it, no overcomplicating things with a tele-zoom or an ultra-wide, or by packing my full SLR kit and lenses (a lesson I learned on my Colorado trip). Simple, yet sweet.

Paris

Our journey began in Paris, where we landed early in the morning. Jordan and I had flown over alone and met my brother and sister-in-law at our Airbnb in the Deuxieme Arrondissement. This area is much less touristy than we had previously stayed in, which made our entire experience feel much more authentic, something I had always missed in Paris. Our first order of business was to stop by a local mall and find some Frenchier clothes. I of course brought my camera with and captured some images:

Afterwards we met up with some friends for some drinks and dinner. That night we walked around a little bit more and I finally got to test the low-light capabilities of the 50mm f/1.2:

The next day started out in Place des Vosges, a small square surrounded by some beautiful arched buildings. While the others ate breakfast, I decided to take advantage of the beautifully harsh morning light and snap some photos in the square and outside the surrounding shops:

Afterwards, we made the decision to walk the 6 kilometers from Place des Vosges all the way to the Eiffel Tower, passing the Notre Dame, Louvre, Champs-Elysees, and Trocadero Gardens on the way. This walk took most of the afternoon, and by the time we arrived at the Eiffel Tower, we decided to relax and have a bottle of wine on the lawn. Very civilized as my mother would say. Afterward we were too tired from walking to do much, and needed to wake up at the crack of dawn the next morning to begin our road trip to Bordeaux for the wedding.

The next day, we woke up early, packed up, and said goodbye to our Airbnb. While the others were getting the car sorted (or sleeping in, in Jordan’s case), I decided to get out and do a quick photo walk. Paris isn’t an early-rising city, it’s not a very French thing to do. Still, I got a few decent photos in the peaceful morning light, and filmed a POV video for the YouTube channel.

Bordeaux

Before we knew it, it was time to hit the road for the 8-hour drive from Paris to Bordeaux. The drive was beautiful, but unfortunately, our car was quite cramped and I couldn’t take many photos. Plus I may or may not have been stuffing my face with delicious French snacks :)

Once we got to Bordeaux, photos became an afterthought as I was reunited with family that I haven’t seen in years, and the focus turned to the happy couple of the hour. We spent a week in what I would best describe as a Villa Compound, complete with tennis courts, a golf course (well done there James), a bar/restaurant, a pool, and beautiful scenery all around. Most of our time was spent playing lawn games, exploring nearby towns, and simply catching up with loved ones. The wedding was beautiful and the afterparty was lit. On the last day, my cousin who is a super talented tattoo artist (check her work out here) did me the honor of tattooing one of my favorite photographs of all time, taken by Andre Kertesz in Paris, on my arm.

The Dordogne

When it was finally time to leave Bordeaux and say goodbye to our family, it definitely felt like leaving paradise. On our final day, the weather was cloudy and dreary, as if the sky knew how we all felt. Despite that, it was not the end of our adventure, as myself, Jordan, my brother, his wife, and my parents all embarked in caravan on a journey through the Dordogne, following the river and stopping in several lovely towns. The first of which was Saint Cyprien, admittedly we only stopped here to use les toilettes, but we wandered through the charming little town and I thought it was quite nice.

Next up was Beynac, which was most notable for its castle on top of the hill. This town seemed touristy, but for good reason as it was beautiful. We climbed up to the very top and the view was magnificent.

Domme

After the walk up the hilltop in Beynac and several hours in the car, we decided it was time to stop and eat. We picked a beautiful town named Domme, only a few more miles farther along the Dordogne. Here we stopped and had some drinks and food, and took in the views of the countryside and the incredible historic architecture.

Finally, we arrived at our next destination - Sarlat. This town felt like something out of a medieval fantasy show. The tall walls all around you and the yellow brick make you feel like you are walking around King’s Landing. We arrived pretty late, so we ended up not exploring too much, instead making sure to find a dinner reservation. I had the local delicacy of Duck Confit and it was to die for. After dinner we decided to walk around a bit, I once again donned the 50mm f/1.2 onto my Fuji to make sure I could document what we found.

With that, it was time to make the long drive back to Paris to fly home. We didn’t have much time or energy to go back into the City, but we did muster the strength to eat one last fancy dinner. I had the Risotto. Tres bomb!

And that’s the finale to an incredible trip! It was not nearly long enough, but it was so refreshing to leave the US and visit some new places for the first time in years. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the Travel breakdown! Stay tuned for more content soon.