Way too early
The last full day in Paris is a blur, mostly because I got through it on thirty minutes of sleep. Our days were filled with so many things that by the time I was finished blogging for the day, it would be the middle of the night. And on that last day of portrait sessions, I had the brilliant idea to do a sunrise shoot at Sacré Cœur.
As you may recall from a previous blog, we first visited Sacré Cœur during the late evening. Although incredibly crowded, it looked like it might just be an amazing spot at sunrise for portraits of Maggie. And while I knew that it was going to be an early morning call, I was worried that we’d regret it later on if we didn’t do it. That, and we were already well in the swing of getting up early on no sleep. I figured we could always sleep on the plane and once we were back home in Denver-but anytime you are in Paris it’s an opportunity of a lifetime to create beautiful art and see the sun rise over what would normally be a crowded location.
BUT Oh my God.
I slept for literally 30 minutes before this accidental screenshot occured.
When my alarm went off………..there are just no words. I quite literally wanted to tell everyone, “just kidding guys!!!! Let’s all go back to bed!!!!”
Sunrise. And urine.
Despite the (yet again) early call, We all managed to be awake and before I knew it, we were in an Uber headed to Sacré Cœur. I asked Maggie to do her own hair and makeup that morning and wear her own clothes, as I wanted the images to truly feel like her. We had a hair and makeup artist arriving later, as well as two very fancy dresses in a luxurious location…but I wanted these sunrise images to just speak to who she authentically is on a daily basis…a laid back California girl, visiting Paris and marveling at its exquisite beauty.
I forgot to get behind-the-scenes images at majestic Sacré Cœur. Instead, do enjoy this lovely snap of the garbage truck that almost made us miss sunrise over Paris. Also, I need these lights in my car.
The view from Sacré Cœur at sunrise? Amazing beyond belief. The smell? Just, no.
The stairs leading up to the church are often filled with people, many who are enjoying the view of the city while a bit intoxicated. And as we had previously seen, it’s not very well lit at night. So I suppose it’s also very hard for any security to control people peeing and OH MY GOD, it reeked worse than Manhattan. So much so, that I wasn’t sure I wanted to stay very long.
It was quite cloudy that particular morning. Normally I would be insanely happy because it makes for lovely, soft and diffused lighting. But I truly wanted to capture a ball of fire rising over Paris. It wasn’t meant to be…but the view was still incredible and absolutely worth getting up for.
Within just a few minutes I felt good about the portraits I had taken, including one with a bird flying into frame. I was having a hard time focusing due to the smell of urine, so I recommended we call for an Uber and return home. The Uber came, and just as we were driving off I saw an AMAZING spot near where we had been minutes earlier. Suddenly a whole separate portrait session flashed before my creative eyes. Not finding that spot earlier in the trip is maybe the one regret I have about Paris…well…and not finding the cheesecake sooner.
But there’s always next time ;)
Glam Squad
We arrived back home and shortly after, the hair/makeup artist of the day arrived. As she walked in and saw our location for the day, her eyes lit up. Later on between looks she would stare up at the chandelier and enthusiastically say, “I…LOVE…LUXURY.”
Girl, moi aussi (paints fingernails)
As Maggie got glammed up, I attempted to steam the first outfit. Thanks to the help of Facebook followers, I chose a gorgeous strapless ball gown in burgundy…the only problem was, it was wrinkled like crazy. And no amount of steaming was working. I finally decided to let it go and prayed that the Photoshop gods would be able to help me in post-processing.
When Maggie slipped the gown on and walked out of her bedroom, I gasped. She truly looked like she was stepping out of a fashion magazine, which is what I want for all of my clients. The portrait session began…eventually the second gown was hand-delivered from the company I rented it from…and the final portraits of the day ended with me hanging outside a small balcony. Yes, I probably could have died. And yes, it was worth it.
Hey! Remember that time I could have died in Paris?! Because I do.
Last night in Paris
Just like that, all of Maggie’s portrait sessions were over. I couldn’t believe it. In some ways, it was a relief. We were all tired of being so tired. And yet at the same time, finishing everything meant going back to reality. Walking around Paris every day truly felt like a dream that I didn't want to end. So before we had to say goodbye, we walked over to the Trocadero one last time and gazed at the Eiffel Tower as it lit up the evening sky.
As Martin and Maggie grabbed crepes nearby, I started walking by myself to have a moment of reflection and bask in complete gratitude. Our first portrait session had been at the Trocadero in order to capture Maggie in front of the Eiffel Tower without anybody there. It had been a shot I was really anxious for weeks prior to capture and suddenly in that moment, I realized it was a thing of the past. It was incredible walking around that night, surrounded by endless tourists, thinking of the magic we had successfully created just days before at sunrise. I felt sad to say goodbye, but I knew that the real magic would occur once I got home and was able to begin the editing process.
Merci Paris.
With that. I took one last look at the Eiffel Tower…gave her a wink…and said “see you soon, Chérie.”
The Windy City
After we got back to our AirBnb, I immediately focused on packing. Luckily, I was already 95% packed because I had left everything in my suitcases after transferring locations that week. Once completely packed I saw the opportunity to blog about that last full day in Paris…but instead I did the sensible thing: I lit every candle in the luxurious home we were staying in and watched Downton Abbey in my bathrobe. Yes, I am aware that that takes place in England. No, I do not care. I figured it could be a long time before I’d be in a home like that again, and I wanted to soak up every second.
The next morning Maggie and I headed for the airport as Martin headed towards the train station. He had two more stops to make (London and Dublin) before he would return to Denver. Maggie and I were taken by chauffeur (that came with booking the fancy AirBnb!) to the airport and before we knew it, we were flying over Paris and on our way to Denver. But not without a stop in Chicago first!
On the Chicago Metro
The cheapest flights from Paris to Denver included a rather lengthy layover in Chicago. But we saw it as an opportunity to see Chicago, a city that Maggie loved and one that I had never seen before! I had no problem being a typical tourist, so I asked Maggie to take me to the “mirror thing” and I wanted real Chicago deep-dish pizza. Maggie is great navigating around a city (I am NOT), so during our layover we were able to see Millennium Park, eat deep-dish pizza and even swing by the new Nutella Cafe for dessert!
Ok, Maggie…I feel like I am doing all the work in this photo. Also, turnout Jody.
Bae.
Hello Gawjus.
Finally saw the “mirror thing”. Check!
This is literally making my mouth water all over again.
I actually enjoyed this more than the one crepe I ate in Paris. But do not tell Paris that. I’m not trying to start WWIII.
Home Sweet Home
After an eight hour layover, we flew back to Denver…got a Lyft back to our respective homes…and that was it…it was over, Just like a dream. I had no trouble getting to sleep that night…and knew that as I woke up the next morning, the real work would begin: sorting through thousands of unedited images and turning them, one by one, into pieces of heirloom art for Maggie to gasp at and treasure for the rest of her life.
To see the images, stay tuned. I cannot wait to share them on this blog. And to everyone who loyally followed along on this amazing journey, I say thank you. Whoever you are, I hope to photograph you one day, too.
Link of the day
