First, best wishes for a very happy American Thanksgiving to blog readers south of the border <3
I thought I’d take a break from “formal” trip recaps to highlight our beloved black-and-white photograph collection from Paris. Most, if not all, of these pictures were taken by John. Like so many things in our marriage, photography becomes a shared project and we don’t tend to fuss over who gets the limelight. But credit is overdue since he so capably captures many of the moments and angles I miss and I repeatedly showcase his artistry here on the blog without much fanfare and acknowledgment. So, this Thanksgiving, I’m very thankful for a husband who loves taking pictures and does such an incredible job with this role!
The first three – Notre-Dame, a Montmartre café scene, and the chocolate shop – all hang as giant engineering prints in our basement hallway.
Pictures taken in and around Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Montmartre.
From Musée d’Orsay and the Louvre.
Shakespeare and Company, the Eiffel Tower carousel, and Arc de Triomphe.
Happy Thanksgiving. I hope your day includes many special moments with people you love, delicious food, and plenty of rest. For anyone struggling with loss, grief, and other challenging emotions this year – I’m sorry. It’s especially hard to encounter holidays in the midst of difficulty; I hope there are rays of joy that shine through in and around your sorrow or pain.
Your turn. Do you like black and white pictures? Who is the primary photographer in your family?
What is your favourite Thanksgiving item: savoury and sweet? Thing you’re most thankful for in 2023?
J
Thanks for the Thanksgiving wishes.
Jon’s Paris photos are simply beautiful, I love them. I would buy them as postcards and send them, or of course, frame them as you have.
Elisabeth
They would make lovely postcards!
Hope you’re having a wonderful Thanksgiving.
mbmom11
Your husband’s pictures are wonderful. I love the churches, and the clock one divine.
I like black and white photography- it makes me look at the shapes and details in a different way. I have a black and white photograph of my cats on our bathroom wall. It makes them appear so dramatic!
Nothing special I’m thankful for right now; it’s been a rough year and some battles yet to be fought. But I have a good life and family, so let’s go with the cliches.
Elisabeth
Yes – I do find I pay attention to different details with a black-and-white image. And dramatic is a great word for many B&W shots.
Sorry it has been a rough year and that you are still looking ahead to challenges, but what a blessing those “cliches” can be <3 Wishing you a wonderful day full of little (and big) joys.
Suzanne
Beautiful photography!!!
My husband is the better photographer in our family. We have many of his photographs hanging up around our house.
Happy Thursday Elisabeth!
Elisabeth
I didn’t know your hubby liked to take photographs!!! While my father isn’t overly proficient at it, he was always the “photographer” in our house, too. My mother almost NEVER took pictures, now that I stop to think about it.
Nicole MacPherson
Wow, those are really gorgeous! They are so professional!
Elisabeth
He is soooo good. I think we’ll take a LOT of photographs in retirement.
Beckett @ Birchwood Pie
The better photographer is always the person who has their camera out when something epic happens;-)
There are pros and cons to iphone (me) vs Google Pixel (hubs) cameras, so we’ll mix and match. I have a nice Canon SLR that’s gotten me some epic shots, but I don’t always happen to have it in my back pocket.
What kind of camera do you have and who is the primary photographer – you or John?
Elisabeth
What a great point – a good picture only exists if someone is out and ready to take the picture! I tend to take a lot more pictures of people; John does landscapes and buildings.
We both have iPhones. That’s it. Every single picture on the blog has been captured by an iPhone. We had DSLR cameras in the past but never really got into using them. They’re bulky and our phones, for better or worse, are always with us.
He has a newer iPhone (don’t ask me what one, I’m clueless but he got it 3 years ago-ish?) and mine is older (and SE). He says my camera is better than his, but I think he takes the better pictures. He is very humble about it all.
John takes more photos than I do but, again, we tend to focus on different things. Together, we make a cohesive whole!
Jenny
These are BEAUTIFUL! I love black and white photographs. For our wedding, my brother in law (who’s an artist) took the pictures and he did some in black and white. They’re all sitting in my closet… I should dig them out and look at them again!
Thank you for the Thanksgiving wishes! I hope you have a wonderful day : )
Elisabeth
Ohhh. I’d love to see those hidden pictures! Your closets are a treasure trove!!
Linda
The photos are breathtaking! Each one makes such a thoughtful statement. My husband is the photographer but I am just lazy about takings pictures myself, and after out recent trip, I vowed to join in the fun since I have my phone handy at all times. Husband is also the chef for holiday meals and I will be his trusty sous chef (and dishwasher). My favorite dish will be the sourdough dressing—all buttery, crunchy with nuts and sweet with raisins—yum! This year, I am so thankful for loving family. Have a lovely day, Linda
Elisabeth
Sous chef and dishwasher is my preferred role, too. I’m generally the head chef for many holiday things, but this year I’m hoping to do less!
Happy Thanksgiving, Linda!
Ernie
These photos are so beautiful. He really has a gift. I like black and white photos. I’m the photographer of the family, but not to the extent of your husband. I took black and white photos of my kids when they were babies and I made 6 huge arrangements of them in their first years, had them matted, and framed. That is the art that decorates our formal living room.
I’m partial to mashed potatotes, but I do love dessert. I had no GF desssert yesterday, but I will treat myself to something today.
Thanks for thinking of us on our American holiday. I’m most grateful for my husband and my children. There were months earlier this year when I wasn’t sure if Lad would be here for the holidays. I feel especially blessed that he has reconnected with us, while we still hope and pray that he addesses his mental health issues – it is a relief that he hasn’t shut us out of his life.
Elisabeth
Those B&W of your kiddos sound gorgeous.
I’m glad you were all able to be together and really hope your son continues to reach out and is able to turn to you for support in this hard time.
Lisa’s Yarns
These pictures are amazing! I love the drama of black and white photos. I am the photographer of our family but I only take pictures on my phone. I don’t own another camera! But my pics are all of the boys for the most part.
My favorite savory food is the GF stuffing my mom makes with gravy on top. It’s sooo good. My favorite sweet is probably the chocolate pie my mom makes for me. It’s just the filling that she puts in the choc pie, so no crust but I don’t need the crust!!
Elisabeth
We only own our phone cameras now, too. The kids have some ooollld point and shoots, but they mostly use those to take funny videos of each other.
Stuffing is so good.
Crust is overrated. I often leave pie crust. Though I love graham cracker bases for cheesecake; one of my sister’s just eats the filling and leaves the graham base. NOT ME!
Tobia | craftaliciousme
Wonderful artsy photographs. Thank you for sharing them.
I do like black and white photography. Scrolling through this post I kept thinking I need to do some b/w photos again. It’s been too long.
In our home we both take a lot of photos. The husband is the master of (our) selfies. Also of panoramic shots. I complement his style with more details, different perspectives and such. In the end we have a good collection.
Elisabeth
We are both TERRIBLE at selfies. John loves to take panoramas; I rarely take them.
You’re right – it’s great to have different styles and perspectives. It makes for a good, diverse collection <3
Melissa
These photos are so wonderful. I love black and white photos they are so timeless. I am the main photographer in our family. When we travel all the family relies on me to take the photos then send them through. I do like black and white, especially if there is dramatic light or distracting or off lighting or colours.
Elisabeth
I handle people, John tends to handle the rest! But we definitely look at things differently. He loves, loves, loves to take and edit photos and I get to benefit from it!
Kate
These photos are absolutely stunning! He truly has an eye for capturing a mood and framing a shot. I’m amazed that these are all iPhone photos! Maybe I need to upgrade my SE 😉 (not that I would end up with photos like this even with a better camera, but still, the focus/aperture capabilities are impressive!)
Thank you for the Thanksgiving wishes! My absolute favourite Thanksgiving dish is stuffing. I could eat it for every meal and never grow tired of it. Green bean casserole is a close second (the original Campbell’s recipe with enough sodium to kill a horse, none of this fancy homemade cream-of-mushroom soup business).
Elisabeth
I think an SE is what I have. Though in Paris he would have had an 8…maybe?
Stuffing is so good. And, would you believe it, I’ve never had a green bean casserole. It is not really a “thing” in Canada?
San
Beautiful pictures. I love black and white photography, especially for captures in and around a city (not so much for landscape). Your John definitely is a talented photographer with a great eye for composition and detail.
I am the primary photographer in my family when we’re together. My Jon hardly ever takes pictures (can you imagine?).
Elisabeth
I find it such a treat to not have to be thinking about taking pictures because I know John will get awesome ones. I did this A LOT in Rome. I just…didn’t reach for my phone because he loves to take pictures and I was happy to let him take the majority of them!
Anne
The black and white photos really bring the beauty of Paris – and its buildings – to the forefront, I think. John has a gift. Thank you for sharing it with the rest of us. <3