The Louvre is an amazing place. You can walk for hours, days actually, and never really get a chance to see all the amazing art and artifacts on display. On my last visit I spent a little time looking at not only the art in the building, but also the art in the architecture. This is the view when you look up to enjoy the ceiling in one of the many galleries.

There is actually nothing secret about this. It’s amazing how you can stray just a few feet off the beaten path and find yourself able to see a totally different perspective than those that follow the crowds. Besides being a great metaphor for a way to live life, it’s also a great way to find new photo opportunities. While walking through the gardens of Versailles, I slid away behind the topiary and found this solitary path just a few feet from the masses.

Few rooms in the world are as awe inspiring as the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles just outside Paris. My family visited Europe when I was 16 and I still recall this room during our Paris visit. The day I shot this it was dreary & raining and I believe many of the tourist that perhaps might have been walking the wonderful grounds on a more beautiful day, were hanging out inside instead. I would love to go back and arrange for an hour or two of shooting before the crowds arrive.

Another stairway photograph. This one is in a hotel I visited in Paris. Although this stair is also surrounded by flowers, it is pretty much the polar opposite of the Butchart Gardens stairway image I posted a few weeks ago. Looking thru my archives I’ve noticed that I very rarely shoot a stairway from the top looking down. I suppose that is because I think of a beautiful stairway as a metaphor for moving up through life.