The Paris Seasons

The weather is the great imponderable when visiting the City of Light. You can buy all the right photographic equipment, pick a wonderful hotel and then struggle to get any decent photographs just because the weather refuses to play ball. Unfortunately, if that happens to you there’s not a lot you can do about it. I’ve found that colour photography is far more susceptible to the vagaries of the barometer than black and white. Dull, white skies or “grey” conditions that leave colour images looking “desaturated” are terrible.

However, in black and white these things don’t seem so bad. So if you happen to get unlucky during your stay then think seriously about making it a monochrome vacation. That requires a slight shift in perspective as light and shadow become the important factors rather than colour and tone.

It’s possible to talk in generalities about the Paris seasons but remember that you can enjoy stunning light conditions at any time of year: each season has its own particular allure.

Spring
At its best, Spring offers beautifully clear, fresh days. At its worst, you’ll find that winter clothing is vital if you want to stay warm. It’s probably the season with the widest extremes of climatic conditions and the most unpredictable. There are still plenty of visitors to Paris at this time of year but the streets wont be as crowded as in summer and you wont have to wait as long at the tourist spots. If you’re thinking of renting a house for your stay you might find that prices are higher than at any other time of the year.

Summer
This is a time of year when Parisians will take to the country to avoid the hot, sticky weather leaving the city to the tourists! Air conditioning is seldom encountered and the high humidity the city often experiences can sometimes make a sound sleep difficult to find. On the plus side, it doesn’t start to get dark until around 10 p.m. and the cafes simply buzz with life late into the evening. You’ll find lots of people willing to act as unwitting models along the banks of the Seine: romantic couples strolling hand-in-hand and other, more practical visitors, bathing their feet!

It’s a good time of year for street photography for two reasons: one is that the brighter light means you can set a higher aperture for extra depth of field which is useful if you decide to use pre-set focusing; and the other is that many of the people on the streets will be tourists who are less likely to take offence if you’re snapping away than Paris residents.

Autumn
La Rentree (the return) sees Parisians reclaiming their city from the hordes of tourists. It’s often a time when new exhibitions open and there are bound to be some photography shows amongst them. The weather drops from the mid-70s of summer to the 60s, a nice comfortable temperature if you intend doing a lot of walking with a heavy camera bag over your shoulder. This time of year can be very popular with conferences and trade shows and accommodation can be difficult to find if you leave it too late so best book early.

Winter
The cheapest time of year to visit Paris both from airfare and apartment rental points of view. Winters are never too harsh and snow is a rare occurrence - both of which are mixed blessings for the photographers. The weather can become quite grey around the turn of the year although the Christmas decorations might give you something to train your lens on. If you’re in a documentary frame of mind, why not record the arrival of the Beaujolais Nouveau in cafes and wine bars on the third Thursday in November. Otherwise, wrap up warmly and enjoy the shrinking queues at the major tourist attractions.


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