Climbing the Eiffel Tower with Ilford Delta 100

The Eiffel Tower is head and shoulders taller than the next tallest building in Paris. It’s a long way up to the top but thankfully you don’t have to walk the entire way. 1/800s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

As you’ll know from my first blog, my initial attempt to go up the Eiffel Tower didn’t exactly go to plan as the site was shut due to strikes. Being one of the main things on my to-do list, I decided to postpone a visit to the Louvre for another trip and used my penultimate day to try again. Thankfully it was open and even though it felt like I had to queue more than I’d ever had to in my entire life, the experience was absolutely worth it. I’m not kidding about the queueing. I had to queue to go through security, then to buy a ticket, then to go up the stairs and finally each way going up and coming back down from the top via the lift. It’s a good job I’m British!

This close-up shows the viewing platforms on the first and second floors. The workmen climbing up on the bottom right hand side give a proper sense of scale. 1/320s 200mm F4.0 with polariser.

The stairs spiral up from the bottom to the second floor. 1/800s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

As you go up your view of Paris changes and you see more of the internal structure. 1/500s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

For those who haven’t been before the Eiffel tower is split into three sections: the first floor viewing platform, the second floor viewing platform and finally the top floor. You can buy different ticket combinations depending on whether you want to take the lift the whole way to the top or walk to the second floor first. I opted for the combined ticket that included walking, and this is what I recommend for everyone who is physically able. Not only is this ticket the cheapest way to get to the top, but it also offers the best experience as you not only see a lot more of the views, but also see a lot more of the structure of the tower itself. Just don’t be tempted to buy any food at the cafes on the way up, if you thought Paris is expensive generally, you’ll be in for an even bigger shock when you see the prices here.

I framed up this symmetrical section of the structure which worked perfectly for black and white. 1/640s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

The workmen were still busy with renovations on the tower. 1/320s 135mm F4.0.

As a photographer it was a real dream going up as there was just so much to capture. Not only were the views changing as you got higher but so did the internal structures you pass on the stairs. The stairs are not the widest so at times you had to be patient as people were coming up and down but as there is no time limit you needn’t worry. I also had the added bonus that the workmen were still hard at renovation work which added interest to a few of my photos. They really get the ultimate experience of going up and down the tower.

I took this shot looking upwards while waiting for the lift to the top. 1/640s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

Taking the lift to the top. 1/160s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

Whilst the views from the first and second floor platforms are good, going to the top is something else entirely. To say you are above and beyond everything else around you are a bit of an understatement. When I showed the photos I took to a friend after the trip, she initially thought I’d taken them from a helicopter.  I think that says it all. I’ve not been up the shard, but I have been to the top of the Sky Garden in London. In some ways the views are similar but the other skyscrapers around you detract somewhat to the experience, it feels that much more ordinary. That’s not the case in Paris, you feel that full sense of height.

The Southeast view from the top, down the Champ-de-Mars with Montparnasse Tower in the distance. All the views from the top are breathtaking especially as you are in the open air. 1/1600s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

The Northeast view from the top. You can see how popular the Seine is as a waterway, further down the river you can see the Grand Palais. 1/1600s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

It gets busy up there so make sure you take your time to fully enjoy the views from every angle. With all that queuing you have to do; you might as well make the most of it. I took a wide angle shot from each side with my 35mm lens and I then switched to my 70-200mm zoom to try and pick out far away details. I was lucky that a patch of sunlight broke through the clouds and shone on the Arc de Triomphe which made for a dramatic photo, especially as it looks so small and by looking down on it you can see the crowds of people standing at the top.

The Northwest view from the top, across the Seine to Trocadéro Square. In the distance you can see the few other skyscrapers that Paris has from its financial district which is relegated to a part of the city far out of the centre. 1/1600s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

The Southwest view from the top, looking right down the Seine. The strip of land in the middle of the river is a park called L'île aux Cygnes which has a small replica of a the Statue of Liberty (which was made in Paris) at the other end. 1/1600s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

Conscious of my limited amount of film I didn’t take many photos on the way down. I can’t remember whether I took the photo of Sacre Coeur from the top or from the second floor. I did take a shot from the first floor on the way up but that proved to be a mistake as I was just too low down. Finally, I decided to take two more photos from the park outside the tower to cap off the morning. One that captures the traditional view of the whole tower and the second which highlights the first and second floors. Upon looking back at the photos after I had them developed, I realised I was lucky enough to capture two workmen on the bottom right-hand side. Another great reference for scale.

You can purchase very expensive champagne at the top to celebrate the occasion if you so desire. 1/1000s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

The Arc de Triomphe from the top, the sunlight fell on it at the right time to make it standout from its surroundings. If you look closely you can see crowds of people at the top. Having switched from a prime lens I accidently underexposed this image by three stops. 1/1250s 200mm F4.0 with polariser -3 stops.

One thing I have reflected on with my photos in Paris was my obsession with shooting wide open at F1.4 with my prime lenses. As my Nikon F100 goes all the way to 1/8000s (not something most film cameras can do) like this despite bright sunshine and though it does render with a really classic look I do think I should have stopped down more often. Especially as some shots have come out soft and sometimes not even properly in focus. I’d only had the lenses for a few months before this trip and I fell into the trap of trying to ‘make the most’ out of the lenses. Ultimately that is the final result not the aperture you shoot at, something to think about for my next trip.

You also get brilliant views out to Sacre Coeur from the Eiffel Tower. 1/400s 200mm F4.0 with polariser.

My final photo of the Eiffel Tower from the Champ-de-Mars, a popular place for photos with the tower. 1/4000s 58mm F1.4 with polariser.

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