Jane

I'm traveling solo on my trip, and while I want to take pictures of the city, I want to be in a few. Would Parisians object to being asked to shap the photo? I've done it a hundred times for other travelers, just never asked anyone to do it for me. I'll even figure out how to ask in French! Would it be too pushy?

Amy

While my husband and I were in Paris, we would ask others to take our picture. Most often we did this at tourist sites. I would listen for someone else speaking English and ask them. They were always glad to oblige, and I would volunteer to take their picture. I also asked the person at the front desk to take our picture in front of the hotel. He was happy to help. <BR>I never asked a person on the street to take my picture (or a waiter in a cafe for that matter)--they all seemed to busy. <BR>You should have no problem! BTW, our favorite picture is from the viewing level of the La Samaritaine department store.

rlk

You will have NO difficulty finding someone to oblige your request. HOWEVER, you may be asking the wrong people. Rather you should look for another traveller (camera over the shoulder is a dead give-away) and most will snap a photo of you on your camera. <BR> <BR>And this is where language skills can easily defer to gestures & hand signals to convey your request. While atop the Campinile in Venice, I walked around taking in the view & wanted a pic of myself (traveling solo for that part of the trip); approached a Japanese woman who had THREE cameras with her --- (with a trio of cameras I thought I could be assured of a fellow photo-file) --- she didn't speak English, but I made myself understood & she took my picture. And yes, it did come out nicely. <BR> <BR>Being a shutterbug I've never had a problem seeking others to take my photo op. In fact, I even take it a step further. If I see a couple who are snapping each other, I've approached them & volunteered to take them together in a photo.

Alice

While wandering thru Keukenhof Gardens, I approached a lady who had been "loitering" near a lovely bed of flowers. When I asked if she would take my photo, she was relieved b/c she had been a little shy to ask someone to take HER photo... so, we traded turns with our cameras and moved on with a smile. The suggestion to approach someone who is also toting a camera is a good one.

Alice

I don't mean to monopolize, but another instance just came back to me. I was in Jardin des Tuileries, setting up my camera on a bench to use the timer to get a self-photo - a charming French woman stopped to ask if she could take the picture for me. She inquired as to where I was from, and 'what it was like in America'. We had a nice little chat (en anglais, I might add) and I have another example to present in the argument about 'rude' French people.

Mary

I've used Amy's and rlk's "offer" approach with great success--"Hey, if you want, I'll take your picture; and you can take mine." Never asked a waitperson in Paris to take a photo, because other tourists made that unnecessary; but I did ask one in Monschau, Germany, and she was happy to oblige--in fact, she took one of the pictures I framed from that trip. Also have asked bartenders (pubtenders?) in Ireland. I used to be so shy about these things. Now I'm older and realize, what the heck! Go for it. Just respect people in the process (as in, don't ask someone like a waiter who's rushing around and busy).

Jane

Thanks, everyone. Another tourist is probably my best bet...but would love to engage in conversation with a Parisian. I appreciate your advice.

Mary

Jane, if you would love to engage in a conversation with a Parisian, and ask for a picture that way, then do it. But be polite about it (at least learn how to ask in French), and, as I'm sure you know, don't ask just anyone. When traveling, I've been in many situations where, for who-knows-what reason, I've linked eyes with someone and shared a smile. I don't mean a pick-up situation, or anything like that; and I'm an urban dweller who understands the need for caution. Sometimes these smiles have developed into conversations or tidbits thereof, depending on my or their cross-language skills. (One example: a well-dressed woman in a cafe in the St. Germain area kept smiling at me; turned out she liked my hat.) Never asked for a photo in these situations ... but maybe next time! <BR> <BR>On a final note, you might want to ask yourself why it's important to you to engage in a conversation with a Parisian AND ask that person for a picture; I mean, isn't the good thing about conversation being engaged with the other person?; and the good thing about the photo getting the photo? In other words, why should it matter whether these two "quests" are linked? I suggest you go with the flow ... <BR> <BR>Maybe somebody else will give their view of this. Hope so. Also hope you have a wonderful trip--and get lots of good photos!

elvira

Flipside: volunteer to take someone else's picture, especially when there's a group where a member clearly is taking the picture and, therefore, not in the photo. Even if you don't need the reciprocal, it's a nice thing to do.

Jane

Mary: I was thinking that a photo op would be a possible way to begin a conversation with a Parisian. I'm sure I would ask another woman, probably my own age, if the opportunity arose. Similar to that one Alice told us about. This is not my first trip to Paris, but it is the first solo one, and I have time to learn about another culture first hand. I have American friends living in Paris, but I would like to have a conversation with someone who lives in Paris all the time, at least one or two, anyway. How old are her children? Has she been to the U.S....where does she go on vacation....that sort of thing. Just contact with another member of a different culture. <BR> <BR>Afraid I confused, or rather fused, the question of asking for someone to take my picture, with the entirely different statement about having a conversation.

Mary

Oh, that's different! Sorry I misread. Maybe your friends will know some Parisians, and introduce you. And the Parisians may introduce you to other Parisians, and so forth. I mean, this is a good resource, having friends who live there. Or maybe just keeping yourself open in everyday situations will do it, including the photo-taking approach. Sounds to me like you're geared for a great trip. <BR> <BR>Just as a side note, I think elvira's advice is pretty good. For some reason the happy faces of teenage tourists from this country or that come to mind; you wonder how the photos came out ... I offered to take one of a very very old (as in "ancient") woman at a holy well in Ireland once, with her elderly daughter and son-in-law at her side. That ancient woman was something. Sort of felt honored to take her picture, but ... I felt too respectful to ask if I could take a picture of her with my camera. (Never thought to ask them to reciprocate.) The woman had taken the well waters often in her youth, and now her daughter was doing an annual well visit with her. Sure was tempted to try the water myself ... Sometimes by simply offering to take a photo, you get a lot more than a return photo could ever give you.

Deanne

We were in Lisbon in November. A young couple came up to us and asked in English if they can take a picture of us. We were glad they asked because so far my husband and I did not have any pictures together. When we were ready to thank them and get our camera back they turned around and took off. With our camera! We screamed and tried to run after them. Only three other people who were there were also tourists and did not react. Not even one of them and believe it or not they spoke English because we heard them earlier talking with each other. But there is a good part to it. I gave them my emergency point and shoot inexpensive camera. Why? I don't know. Maybe intuition. Anyway, I am glad they did not have our expensive 35 mm Nikon with a long lens. Now when we ask someone to take a pictures we give that person our new emergency cheap camera. <BR>It is so sad that things like that happens because asking someone to take a picture always gave us a chance to begin a convesrsation. Last May in Paris a French woman came uo to us with the same question in front of the Eiffel Tower. She did not speak English and our French is very basic. Yet, we have a long conversation with her.

Heff

Didn't any of you ever see "National Lampoon's European Vacation"? When the Griswolds asked a passing Parisian to take their picture, he promptly lined them up for a shot in a fountain, then ran off with their camera. Never trust a Frenchie.

Ess

I'm often approached by people wanting to have their picture taken (I'm often approached by people asking directions, too - I think I have one of those "nice" lady faces). I'm always happy to oblige, and I'm never shy about asking someone to take mine. People usually enjoy it. Obviously, you don't ask someone who's in a rush or who looks very busy. <BR> <BR>Regarding engaging Parisians in conversation - just converse! They're not dangerous animals in the zoo. They're just people like anywhere else. I found that most Parisians don't mind speaking English. What they are is a little more reserved, but I found them to be friendly. They're just not loud and friendly like Americans. I've asked Parisian passers-by for directions in my godawful French, they usually immediately replied in English. One man even walked with us part of the way to show us where to go. <BR> <BR>The places we most enjoyed conversing with Parisians was in bars (of course, since I'm a lush). Nobody was in a hurry to go anywhere, everyone was there to converse and drink. I always have the best conversations with locals in bars and pubs, sometimes restaurants. My boyfriend is an exhuberant American loud mouth from Long Island, though he is also polite and knows how behave himself. We were in a bar in Paris, and he was talking about soccer and baseball to some Parisian guys - the world series was on then - and he got very excited and loud and he'd had a couple of beers. The Parisian guys in the bar loved him. One of them said, "He's very passionate about sports." I said, "He's got a big mouth!" Parisian guy said, "No, that's great. Is he latin?" I said, "No, he's Irish American." Then he said, "Oh, that explains it." Whatever that means. But it was ok. <BR> <BR>Anyway, I'm going off on a tangent, but my point is that it is our national differences that make us interesting to each other, but under that we're all just people. Talk to the Parisians the same way you would talk to anybody at home. We have such cliched images of foreign places, and are so afraid to be ourselves because we think we're perceived as ugly Americans everywhere we go. That may be true for some Americans, but for most of us it just isn't the case. Let's get over this timidity about being ourselves when we travel. <BR> <BR>Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Didn't mean to direct the above at anyone here in particular, just venting. Have a great day everyone!

Diane

The only out of focus pictures from our Paris trip were taken by the waiter at Chez Julien. He was sweet to offer, but...It is best to swap duty with someone else taking pictures. I have some lovely street-scene pictures taken while we were seated at a cafe (Le Dimey) in Monmarte. Included is one of some guy across the street taking a picture of me taking a picture...

Chris

A tripod works very well. Friends of ours recently took one on their tour of Europe and their photo's are stunning. We are leaving for Europe end of March and will definitely be taking a tripod with. They are really cheap as well and fold up very small.

Dawn

I ask everyone always and nobody has turned me down. <BR> <BR>Funny story, on a recent cruise, my husband and I were walking down the "grand" staircase and this lady who was very old and frail looking asked if we would like her to take our picture. It was obvious she had a few too many drinks in the lounge when she asked, slurring her speach quite a bit. We said sure, and I showed her how to work my camera. Fast forward to when we got the film back. There was this odd picture of the two of us, with no heads or necks! That was her picture. ; - )