Submitted by Alexis Short on the 2018 winter session study abroad program France sponsored by the Department of Art…
Week two in Paris has been another eventful week. One of my favorite events this week was the photography workshop with photographer Vinciane Verguethen. She owns her own photography company here in Pairs and was gracious enough to hold an interactive workshop at the Paris American Academy (PAA). We first had a lecture and then watched her photograph fashion pieces put together by students at PAA. There were four pieces in total, ranging from dresses to a cape. Verguethen taught us how to be mindful of our angles when photographing objects so we do not distort the image. She also taught us the importance of proper lighting. Since photography is a hobby of mine, I found this session to be very informative and useful. It will definitely help me when composing my final photography presentation. It was also interesting to see what the fashion design students presented.
Another highlight of the week was visiting Shakespeare and Company and Notre Dame. Shakespeare and Company is a famous bookstore in Paris that has been around for a very long time. Our professor explained to our class the history of the shop. It was a beautiful store, filled with everything from Catcher in the Rye to Parisian Style Look-books. I purchased a picture book called Paris in Color, which features different photographs from all over the city in different color schemes. I thought it would be good inspiration for my photography. There is also a coffee shop adjacent to the bookstore, so of course I had to stop in for a cappuccino! Afterwards, we visited Notre Dame and walked down some quiet Paris streets.
I learned a lot about photography perspective during this week. I was also able to discover more of the history and culture of Paris from the bookstore to the streets. I am so grateful that I am able to gain something new each and every day!
