As usual, our most recent trip to Paris included a family photoshoot by our favorite Parisian Photographer – Celine Chan. Last time we visited, we had our photoshoot at the Eiffel Tower and Pont Bir Hakeim. This time, we opted for the Louvre and the Tuileries. We arrived at the Louvre Pyramid around 7:45am before the crowds – and rain – arrived. This shoot took place in the middle of February so we were appropriately bundled up. The wind was blowing hard so my skirt did its own thing throughout the entire shoot.
We started the shoot at the Louvre Pyramid. It was wonderfully quiet in the early morning and Samson loved being able to prance around while we took photos. It’s always a priority of ours to get a formal photoshoot when we travel to Paris – with this photoshoot we didn’t worry about family photos for the rest of the trip. Photos in the winter was an interesting spin we had never dealt with before; I would definitely not recommend it. We were COLD and most of the shoot was so windy that we just had to hope that my skirt wouldn’t fly off. Regardless, we tried to enjoy our time together. Samson didn’t mind the cold at all so we took after his lead and didn’t let the frigid air bother us much.
The main courtyard of the Louvre Pyramid is a stunning place – The pyramid stands in the center and acts as the entrance to the world famous Louvre museum (home of the Mona Lisa). The museum extends underground and also around the structures that surround the courtyard. In addition to being breathtakingly beautiful, the Louvre is officially the largest museum in the entire world.
Samson loved licking the dirty rainwater off the floor – we spent a decent amount of time telling him to stop licking the sewer but he was just so entranced by all the smells. He didn’t get sick and enjoyed himself so no harm, no foul. The sides of the Louvre courtyard are lined with antique style lamp posts. We didn’t miss the opportunity to get some shots with them.
Samson and I finally got some solo shots together. Throughout the entire trip, he was so happy to come along for the ride and join us in any activity. He was just as happy running through the Louvre courtyard as he was sitting on my lap getting kisses. Samson has been such a magical addition to our family. He and Calvin couldn’t be more different – He is the calm spirit we never knew we needed amidst our crazy life. Calvin gives us energy when we are feeling low, but Samson reminds us to chill and take a nap when we start moving too fast.
I love how creatively Céline makes all her shots. The silhouette against the smaller pyramid is one of my favorite shots. We were once more reminded of how peaceful the Louvre Courtyard is so early in the morning – when we visited later in the day, we got lost in the swarms of crowds around the museum.
After spending time at the Louvre courtyard, we did a quick outfit change and headed across the street to the Tuileries. The Tuileries Gardens refer to the park across the street from the Louvre. The rain had started so we powered through until we got too wet. The Tuileries is a beautiful place to wander around at any time of day – the garden is the area between the majestic Place de La Concorde and the Louvre Pyramid. The garden originally belonged to Catherine De Medici and officially opened to the public in 1667 after the French Revolution.
As always, our shoot with Céline was lots of fun. The rain eventually started pouring on us but we still were able to capture some wonderful family moments. We are looking forward to our next trip (and of course, our next photoshoot).
I Louvre You,
Your Pal Cal