Montmarte' in Paris - a walk amongst the artists

Montmarte' in Paris - a walk amongst the artists, originally uploaded by Photomike07 / MDSimages.com.

Having spent a bit of time in Paris over the years during a few various trips there, I didn't really take the time to wander this remote area called Montmarte' till last summer. Set up on the hill near the Sacre Couer that overlooks this city of light, its certainly worth trecking up there for an evening if you can. A great night usually begins with a bottle of wine and some local cheese while enjoying an incredible sunset from the steps of this cathedral. The tableaux vivant of street performers, travelers, and the like are a great theatrical feast while the Parisain skyline serves as its scenic backdrop. After this "living french" experience, the procession then continues to any one of the various street cafes or quant restaurants just a few enjoyable steps away. While it can feel a bit touristy, the trick is to wander away from the crowds and immerse yourself in ths wonderful area, like the famous artists Salvador Dalí, Amedeo Modigliani, Claude Monet, and Pablo Picasso must have done.

An evening in Montmarte, Paris

An evening in Montmarte, Paris, originally uploaded by Photomike07 / MDSimages.com.

There are many places that just seem to have that "I'm in the center of it all" feeling. You know, like you are at the point in which all around seem to gravitate to. This is one of those places. Montmarte' in Paris. This place has long been the hangout of artists and musicians, and although it can feel a bit touristy at times, its still a great place to explore.

And, for the musical journey.......

The Louvre at night (and reflecting on the art of colaboration)

The Louvre at night (and reflecting on the art of colaboration), originally uploaded by Photomike07.

Collaboration.......a sharing of ideas, techniques, and vision.....all focused on a common goal. In this case, the goal is part of an artistic journey I have been on for a while. Creating what I like to refer to as art, or at the very least, my creative view of the world around me, has been a fun ride to be on over the last couple of years. HDR processing is often called a modern day form of Impressionism. Without getting into a long and drawn out history of the Impressionistic movement in Nineteen Century France , its very interesting to note the similarities between todays acceptance of modern day HDR processing techniques and the critiques view of early masters of this similar French painting technique. Artists such as Monet, Manet, Renoir, and Degas fought this and pursued their passion and dedication, while sharing their art with each other....in collaboration.

Having said all that, its is no wonder that I am looking forward to heading out to Austin this weekend to spend a little time with Trey Ratcliff from Stuck in Customs. He has been quite a pioneer in this modern day art and has been quite an open teacher to to anyone interested in this form of expression. His workshop, the first he has every held, has purposely been kept at a very intimate size as to create a kind of synergy. When he first announced it, his servers actually crashed for about 30 minutes! I must say, I am quite honored to be part of this groundbreaking event. As did the early French artists, I look forward to collaborating with a few other modern day rebels as we pursue our craft!

Of course, his site is www.stuckincustoms.com

More to come...

Up to Montmartre' - Paris, France

Up to Montmartre' - Paris, France, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

I've often heard a few critiques talk about HDR photography as if its a fad. Hmmm, yeah, just like the impressionistic paintings in France were originally seen as. The only difference in todays internet age is how this fast this new look has spread. A passing fad? No, I think not. A technique that artists of the future will continue to explore, create with, and expand......you bet. I'd lay a nice size stack of cash on that one. There is no one that understands that more that the HDR guru himself, Mr. Trey Ratcliff from Stuck in Customs.

Check out his stuff at: www.stuckincustoms.com/2009/12/06/where-the-impressionist...

And while I'm chatting a bit about artists...and specifically about art it Paris.....here is a little clip of the one and only Jami Cullum jammin to a cut off his new album in, .......well,...... Paris!

Look what I found!

Look what I found!, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

I don't care how many times I visit this incredible city, the desire to wander about the grounds at the Eiffel Tower (or Tour Eiffel as its known over there) never diminishes. I haven't scene it yet, but according to PLSN (a local trade publication for the lighting industry), this famous monument in Paris has been lit since October with more than 400 LED fixtures to mark its 120 year anniversary. I can only hope that the programming has been done tastefully. I am sure, being French, that restraint has been coupled with elegant style. The last thing the world needs, in my humble opinion, is another beacon of illumination slapping rather haphazardly thru the visible spectrum of light like a cheap imported souvenir! I'm just say'in.........

Tour Eiffel

Tour Eiffel, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

As many times as I have seen it, its still quite difficult if not impossible to stop photographing it. Although I originally intended to pass it right up, I actually stopped and spent my first afternoon looking for new vantage points and angles to capture this most unique of structures. Incidentally, off to one side (I think it was the west side) beyond the little lake but before the park benches, was the largest gathering of French police I have ever seen. In addition to the 30 or so cars there were several out patrolling the area fully armed and ready to kick in to full attack mode. Still not sure what that was all about. And oh yeah, one more thing, has anyone actually ever bought one of those silly little LED Eiffel Towers from one of the thousand duffel bag totting Nigerian vendors? Just wondering.......

So, posting at 7:00AM......just another example of how I am STILL not over the jet lag :)

Eiffel Tower from the Roof of the Pullman (and thank you security for letting me up there!)

Eiffel Tower from the Roof of the Pullman (and thank you security for letting me up there!), originally uploaded by Photomike07.

As my little getaway comes to a crashing halt, I figured I would post one from when I started this little loop. By tomorrow about this time, I will be back in Paris....most likely scouring the streets like a madman trying to capture more images from the "City of Lights."

I hope everyone is OK out there and thanks for checking in. I look forward to posting more in the weeks and months to come!

Wandering in Montmartre' - Paris, France

Wandering in Montmartre' - Paris, France, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

Finally, a post from Europe! Sorry 'bout that....had a couple of lame connections lately. This was taken up in Montmarte' in Paris, which is a really cool area to hang out on a brisk Parisian September evening!

Btw, I am already in the South of France! Look for more posts over the next few weeks from Paris, Provence, and the Cote' de Azure :)

Parisian sun

I'm gonna take a different approach tonight. As mentioned before, I have often wished I could paint. Not that I can remember actually trying at any great length, perhaps I could if I had the patience! With this little series of images, I took the painterly approach. I frequently enjoy processing my images with HDR software, but a visit to Paris for me helps to extract another creative side. Capturing the full tonal range of an image as in HDR is great, but sometimes the soft painterly and somewhat impressionistic quality can help evoke a completely different feeling.

As I arrived for my first day of Parisian wandering, I started by trying to capture the general mood. Paris has a casual flow to it but at the same time, there are calculated lines and structure. It certainly is an incredibly intricated city as a quick overhead of the city layout will show you. I was hoping to catch both of these moods at the shutter click. It was only after I applied this painter effect that I think the real mood popped into view.

The courtyard of the Louvre....a great convergence of glass and stone. The interior of this museum can be quite intimidating at first. The best bet is to focus more intently on a small area, artist, or style. Rest assured, it will always be there (and a great reason for another trip!)

With a million other photogs snapping pictures at all times of the day, I really hoped to isolate some details while still expressing the vastness of the architecture.

Paris is really the city of light (and cafes!) Starting at just a small snapshot, this image takes on a whole new feel with a paint effect.

As I stumbled upon this vantage point, the sun was just starting to paint the walls of the Seine River with this incredible warm light. The silhouette of Notre Dam in the background was an added bonus.

As the average traveler to Paris does, I snapped images at almost every turn. Through the magic of post processing, sometimes only then can the real emotion be portrayed.......the emotion that prompted you to click the shutter in the first place!

A Renaissance Trip in Europe

Bridge details in France, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

As I begin to embark on a bit of "Spring Cleaning" of my apartment so to speak over the next few weeks in preparation for my move, it seems only appropriate to start purging out some of my "ready to blog files" from the virtual world as well. With that in mind, I plan to post a few more than 1 per day for a few of my up and coming posts. I hope that this thinning out of my safety net of images will catapult me back out into the real world to capture more imagery and create better art.

Ah, wait Mike, before you ramble on....what's this about a move?

Oh yeah, a simple one at that. Same building, 1 floor down, a 3rd room, same price, a no brainer actually.....more on that soon....

So, about this post. I was reminded of this feeling in a forward by Anthony Bourdain of a collection of travel stories that I am reading. Those of us, who either travel for work.....or more accurately, want and need to see more of the world, seem to suffer the same dilemma. There is quite often the empty feeling as you long for the comfort of home and loved ones, yet this feeling is never too powerful to keep you held back in the first place. As strong as the feeling might seem to get home, it is never quite as intense as the restless feeling while at home....in that comfort zone.... that propels us back to explore the unknown. I often wonder if this enormous compulsion to experience the unexplored would have sucked me in for good had I not began the relationship I did a few years ago. Even though that union failed miserably, I guess the real challenge for me now continues to be how to balance this insatiable appetite for exploring this wonderful planet and its wonderful mysteries with the remaining responsibilities I have created for myself back home. By the tone set forth in the introduction of this book I am about to read, it sounds like I am not alone in this feeling.

But for now, I'm gonna play it a bit safe with a few images from my last trip to Paris. For me, this trip was more that just a return visit....it was a personal renaissance. My passion for photography was in a way "reborn" on this trip. During previous trips here about 10 years or so ago, I always took pictures, but was never really "taken" by pictures. (credit for that line goes to Vincent Versace of course). Shortly after returning to the States....while on headset for a show actually....I began to tweek some faders and sliders in Photoshop from my captures from the summer and from that moment, was hooked on digital imaging. It's funny, I still visit some of those files....2 years later, and the following images are the result of that process.

I have always, for some reason, embraced solo travel. For me, there is no better way to really sink deep into my own space. Memories of totally focussed thought and meditation on long train rides, Greek ferries, and motorcycle rides come to mind. Kind of ironic that a process that seems to position yourself to consume a broader and ever shifting perspective actually forces a more acutely inward understanding of yourself. That is of course if you let it happen!

Even as a solo traveler, especially throughout Europe, you are never really alone. There are constant opportunities to relate with other human beings.....as often as you care to. The freedom that you do have, however, is incomparable. The ability to create your own flexible journey is an incredible experience, and with my camera by my side, thats exactly what I did on this trip.

Having no idea that 2 years later, I would find a way to create my own individial feel for this scene, I still felt compelled to record it. There is a special place in Paris called the Ille' de Cite. Two little islands in the Seine river with some of the oldest architecture, greatest cafes, and best places to rest your head. Located in the shadows of Cathedral de Notre Dam in the city that never sleeps, it was a peaceful oasis that welcomed me back after a long day exploring.

For me, Paris has always been a city to wander in. A walking city by design, its parks full of vibrant Parisians who have mastered the art of "Living".


There is no finer place to find the artist in you than the Museum de Louvre. As you can see, even the details in the exterior can provide the art enthusiast with hours of appreciation for the celebration of creativity.

Although my tripod was trapped in my luggage that arrived 3 days late, I was kind of happy to have the chance to slowly scout this wonderful city for locations without the endless and somewhat required need to record it from the start. Its actually best, I have found, to slowly immerse yourself into this environment to really appreciate its abundant treasures.

Knowing that the "City of Lights" will always be there as a bright welcome and convenient gateway for another European trip someday is somehow, for me, a very warm feeling indeed :)

Park bench in Paris

I know I've said this before...many times before actually...

When my mind wanders, it wanders to Europe for some reason. I guess it all goes back to those pre marriage days of the early 90's when I used to get out the maps and guidebooks around mid March as the Palm Beach Season was coming to a fast and furious end. I eventually got my trips up to 2 months. Living low to the ground and soaking in as much of the world as I could. It never took alot of money....just one bag, a camera, a tape recorder, a meager budget, and a free spirit! That was the norm for me.......standard practice every year. 

So.....what happened? Hmmmm, guess life got in the way of living!

So here I am, 15 years later, living on my own again (for roughly the last 2 and a half years) and all I can think of is grabbing the back pack again! There's a huge and beautiful world out there just waiting for me to continue to explore it......so.......now what?

(more from the Ocala gig tomorrow......I felt like a little mind trip tonight)

click for more detail

Sunset along the Seine

So, as you might remember, I have been dappling a bit with photo painting. Since I have never been one to have much talent with oils and canvas, I have lately embraced this digital approach. I know I have a way to go, but I am enjoying the journey. Isn't that what its all about anyway?

The quay along the Seine in Paris is a wonderful place to stroll. A great place for artists, authors, lovers, and people ....... well, just enjoying life.....the Parisian way.

5 continents in 5 days - Europe - A night in Paris

The city of love, the city of light, the city that never sleeps......aahh, Paris. My fondness of this city, ever since I visited for the first time a few years ago, has always sparked a dream of mine. To have an apartment in the ILLe' de Cite', the St. Germain de Pres', or perhaps up near the Sacre' Coeur in Mont Marte'. The sidewalk cafes, archectecture and art museums are an excuse al by themselves for such a choice! Could you imagine, what a great place to base yourself for day and weekend trips to the rest of continental Europe. An overnight train to Barcelona, Lucern, or Copenhagen......a leisurely weekend in the Mediterranean.....a week of touring the vineyards of Bordeaux? I ask you, what could be finer than this?

My image above was created on a brief trip here a couple of summers ago while enjoying a cool evening walk along the romantic Seine River. Enjoy :)