Early Morning at La Favorite

This June was the third June in a row that we’ve visited Paris. Usually, we combine four or five days in Paris with a stay in Brittany, which is beautiful that time of year. I’ve become very fond of the floral displays that are prominent on many Parisian cafes, and it’s given me a subject which I can concentrate on when photographing the city.

Last year’s visit was particularly good, with a lot of nice light. This year, we had a lot of clouds and periods of rain, which isn’t ideal for the kind of photographs I’m hoping to take. Our first morning in Paris was clear and sunny, and I decided to visit one of my favorite subjects, La Favorite.

La Favorite is located on the Rue de Rivoli, and was easy to reach by using the Metro. I arrived not too long after sunrise, hoping to get some photos before it got busy. Tables and chairs had already been set out, but there were no patrons. Perhaps my favorite composition of this cafe is from the side, where you can also see the Parish Church of St. Paul. This particular morning, the sun was hitting the facade of the church while the cafe fell in the shadows. I took this photo with my Nikon film camera and Kodak Gold film:

I also took a few photos of the front, but the light was not so great. I may share one or two of those in the future. Here’s another photo of La Favorite from last year.