Christmas Day is an interesting day in Paris. Many cafes, boulangeries, pharmacies and restaurants are open for business. Dalloyau patisserie, next door to my apartment is open all day and well into early evening, as is Le Notre, around the corner.
Today is dedicated to photographing Christmas window displays. The Christmas decorations in Paris are always somehow a step above colder climates. I decide to start with Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, given that everyone should be at home eating their festive meals. Yep, everyone except the (mostly French-speaking) families with kids who have the same idea as me. Galeries Lafayette have windows directed at entertaining children, and have clearly spent a lot of money on this years theme, which involves the extensive use of marionettes. Even with a polariser, dodging kids and having to shoot at an angle means there are far more reflections from the glass evident in the images than I would like.
Prada has designed this year’s windows for Printemps, and has a bear theme with far more product placement evident that in Galeries Lafayette’s windows. It is not quite as popular for this reason with the families and kids, and is therefore easier to photograph!
Across the river, Le Bon Marche also has Christmas windows, but with no crowds.
Quite a few boutiques. passages and restaurants have elaborate window displays in addition to the Grand Magasins….
After sunset, I decide to chance my luck and return to the Grand Magasins with my tripod. If anything, the crowds are worse now than in the morning, but thankfully across the road there is room to set up the tripod and capture the exterior lights of Printemps.
And a pretty tame effort from Galeries Lafayette….
