Visiting the Louvre Museum
Nov 28, 2023 10:44:30 #
larryepage wrote:
Yes...check the rules. The French seem to be parti... (show quote)
Larry's advice is excellent and saves me the time of repeating it. I do museum photos all the time at the Museum of Fine Arts here in Houston, TX. They do not allow flash (or tripods, etc). My biggest challenge is getting the White Balance setting correct for each room or for each image as the color of light may differ even in one room versus another room. This is why I shoot RAW so I can change the white balance during processing if needed. My usual lens is a 24-70mm or a 24-85mm. I usually set Aperture Priority, f8, Auto ISO and a shutter speed of 1/250 sec.
In addition to the Louvre, make sure you go to the Museum O'Rsay. The museum itself is a photo op as well as the art in it. Get tickets in advance.
https://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/visit
Nov 28, 2023 12:08:25 #
Nov 28, 2023 12:09:33 #
Nov 28, 2023 12:10:45 #
Nov 28, 2023 12:13:10 #
Nov 28, 2023 12:19:21 #
Nov 28, 2023 12:20:32 #
DavidPine wrote:
I made many images there. Use a 35 or 50 mm lens, 1/200 SS, 1.8 or 2.8 aperture and Auto ISO if you are shooting manual. Otherwise shoot auto. Hire a guide with a reservation.
Thank you
Nov 28, 2023 12:53:52 #
Rloren wrote:
Thank you
I have photographed museums all over the world, including the Louvre. Use the fastest 50-100mm prime you have. Shoot a stop or two down from wide open to facilitate sharpness; obviously the slower the shutter speed you can handhold without sacrificing sharpness will allow a lower ISO with higher image quality. Take several test shots at every location to figure out best white balance settings for color accuracy then you are good to go. Use continuous shooting and hold the shutter down to take at least 3 images of each painting to help ensure you have at least one tack sharp. And leave sufficient “room” around the 4 edges of the painting so that in post you will be able to level and adjust horizontal and vertical planes. Ideal setup for me was typically a 50 or 85mm 1.2 or 1.4 set to 1.8 or 2.0, respectively, which allowed for a reasonable shutter speed and an ISO in the 200-800 range depending on the museum lighting.
Nov 28, 2023 13:20:12 #
Burkley
Loc: Park City
I have many photos from the Louvre. The ones I treasure most are the antiquities. No flash, no tripod, no monopod. I use a Nikon 50 1.8 with an auto ISO, 2.8 to 5.6 f stop depending on desired depth of field and speed of at least 60-100. For hung art I use 2.8, for statues 2.8-5.6 to get good overall focus and desired DOF. Get tickets ahead or use the Paris museum pass. BTW, I much prefer the Musee d’ Orsay. I also really enjoy the Rodin Museum for the photographic opportunities.
Nov 28, 2023 13:25:45 #
Yes you need tickets, they will likely be for a specific time because of the crowds they need to accommodate .
Also because of Crazies defacing art or gluing themselves places, sadly, restrictions have greatly increased.
If you make an effort to speak the language, even minimally and show respect for the place and customs the French can be very welcoming. The opposite is also true. There have been demonstrations about immigration, so check the situation before you go. Be ready for crowds, People will be 'in your way' everywhere. Last time I was there people were 10 deep in front of the MonaLisa , but there was complete access to many Masterpieces that aren't on the top ten list in tourist guides.
Buy some guides to the museum and STUDY them before you go. The Louvre is HUGE.
Check all the latest limitations on the website.
Buy a good overview book of their collections. I was an Art History major in college and seeing nearly every great
painting you ever studied can be overwhelming-- and an unforgettable experience.
Take a small camera with a fast lens, as illumination on paintings is lower than you expect for conservation reasons.
It is a fantastic place to visit, load up on books on the way OUT, the pictures will be far better than you will get, and you can relax and shoot the experience rather than attempting to document the collection.
Do not underestimate how far you will walk, so plan what you will carry carefully.
One other suggestion, the building itself is spectacular, both the old and the 'New" glass pyramid. If you have time arrive in the very early morning for exterior shots, or at night visit the cafe's on the left Bank and while Notre Dame is still being repaired Ste. Chapelle is breathtaking.
Good Luck
Also because of Crazies defacing art or gluing themselves places, sadly, restrictions have greatly increased.
If you make an effort to speak the language, even minimally and show respect for the place and customs the French can be very welcoming. The opposite is also true. There have been demonstrations about immigration, so check the situation before you go. Be ready for crowds, People will be 'in your way' everywhere. Last time I was there people were 10 deep in front of the MonaLisa , but there was complete access to many Masterpieces that aren't on the top ten list in tourist guides.
Buy some guides to the museum and STUDY them before you go. The Louvre is HUGE.
Check all the latest limitations on the website.
Buy a good overview book of their collections. I was an Art History major in college and seeing nearly every great
painting you ever studied can be overwhelming-- and an unforgettable experience.
Take a small camera with a fast lens, as illumination on paintings is lower than you expect for conservation reasons.
It is a fantastic place to visit, load up on books on the way OUT, the pictures will be far better than you will get, and you can relax and shoot the experience rather than attempting to document the collection.
Do not underestimate how far you will walk, so plan what you will carry carefully.
One other suggestion, the building itself is spectacular, both the old and the 'New" glass pyramid. If you have time arrive in the very early morning for exterior shots, or at night visit the cafe's on the left Bank and while Notre Dame is still being repaired Ste. Chapelle is breathtaking.
Good Luck
Nov 28, 2023 13:31:47 #
JFCoupe
Loc: Kent, Washington
Some excellent information already has been posted. One other suggestion since you have time, is to visit some art museums that may be close to where you live and practice some of the techniques you have recieved in preivous post above. True, the lighting isn't going to be the same, but the practice of setting ISO and White Balance will be very helpful when you get to Paris.
Nov 28, 2023 13:34:21 #
47greyfox wrote:
No flash, no monopods or tripods, restricted exhibits, all typical of most museums. So are people taking selfies in front of an exhibit. As for shooting, I’m usually in “auto” or “aperture priority” at f/4 or so. Personally, dealing with reflective light is usually my challenge. White balance can also be a spoiler if you aren’t shooting “raw.”
Better yet, shoot in manual mode and auto ISO (assuming your camera has that feature). You pick the shutter speed "and" aperture, the camera will choose ISO. You can then vary metering modes and make any + or - exposure compensation to suit your taste in additional shots.
My OPINION only. It works for me.
Nov 28, 2023 13:47:52 #
On our recent trip to Italy I thought about all the art we would see in the various museums, galleries and other buildings and decided to sidestep all the technical considerations for accurate photo-reproduction of artwork. There are far better images of the specific statues, paintings, etc. on line than I would ever be able to produce without a tripod, supplemental and controlled lighting, correct position, and lack of crowds. If I wanted a particular artwork to hang on my wall, I would buy a poster. Instead, I focused on ambiance, the "feel" of the place, interesting details, things we did and what happened while we were there, and of course, photos of ourselves in all the amazing places to prove to our descendants that we were there. This also freed me to just look and appreciate the marvelous works of art. A MFT camera with amazing image stabilization and 1 lens (12-100mm) plus my phone's camera did the job nicely. Just a thought.
Nov 28, 2023 13:47:54 #
JFCoupe wrote:
Some excellent information already has been posted. One other suggestion since you have time, is to visit some art museums that may be close to where you live and practice some of the techniques you have recieved in preivous post above. True, the lighting isn't going to be the same, but the practice of setting ISO and White Balance will be very helpful when you get to Paris.
Thank you all for the input and advice....
Nov 28, 2023 13:48:09 #
JFCoupe
Loc: Kent, Washington
Some excellent information already has been posted. One other suggestion since you have time, is to visit some art museums that may be close to where you live and practice some of the techniques you have recieved in preivous post above. True, the lighting isn't going to be the same, but the practice of setting ISO and White Balance will be very helpful when you get to Paris.
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