The Maritime Fountain and Luxor Obelisk
The Maritime Fountain sits at the northern end of Place de la Concorde, flanked by sculpted sea gods and bronze figures that catch light beautifully throughout the day. The Luxor Obelisk rises behind it, giving you a strong vertical anchor to work with in your compositions. Shoot from low to the ground to include the fountain's basin in the foreground and stack the obelisk against the sky beyond, or step back toward the Champs-Élysées axis to frame both elements with the wide plaza stretching out around them. Golden hour before sunset is ideal, when warm light wraps across the stone and gilded tip of the obelisk glows. A 24-70mm lens handles most compositions well here, though a longer focal length lets you compress the fountain and obelisk together. The area is busy with traffic, so use the pedestrian islands carefully to find your footing. (Paris, Île-de-France, France)
