As seen from our seventh-floor apartment.
Actually, I think this first shot can be titled “Paris in the Rain as shot from Standing in Barbara’s Bathtub” if you really wanted to get all GPS on me.

At this point in the trip, my wide-angle lens had pooped out on me and I was left with the 50mm f1.4 lens. So, while other folks were swilling wine and comparing notes on the day, your friend, Wabi Sabi, was playing around with what the lens could do with rain on the rooftops and in the street below.

My primary use for the 50mm is close-ups with great shallow depth of field or magical bokeh…but not distance shots. So really, for me this was like getting to know a brand new lens.


As a bonus, there were no screens on any of the apartment windows and all of them cranked out. I was free to play with focus and depth of field from inside the windows or to hang out and go for a perfectly unobstructed view of the street.
No one was paying attention to me and I am grateful for that. When I get into the “Zone,” I actually process aloud: “Yes!…Okay, okay…wait, no. Try this… All right!”


Fortunately for me, this is a pretty opinionated AND vocal group given to excited utterances, so my own brand of hyper-enthusiasm has plenty of space to blend in.
Like everyone, I have my own list of “Things That Give me Great Joy.” Rain is one. A splash of red is another. Blessings on the woman who showed up in my frame with a red umbrella.