How to choose between one, two, or three hours with a Paris photographer
Choose a one-hour session if you want a single location and one kind of light. Choose two or three hours if you want more than one setting, a larger group in the frame, or a slower pace.
I am Finzi, and this is what I tell clients who are undecided between Essential, Signature, and Prestige. It covers what each length includes, when a short session is the better call, when a longer one earns its price, and how walking, daylight, and crowds affect the decision. It is for couples, families, and solo travellers with limited days in Paris who want to book the right amount of time.
Yes, one hour is enough when you want one location and one look. The Essential session is €300 for 1 hour, 30 edited photos, and 1 location. That is enough time for me to meet you, settle you in, and work through several compositions in the light I have planned for your day.
The limit is variety, not quality. You get one backdrop and one stretch of light. If your ideal gallery has the Eiffel Tower view, a quiet street, and a garden, one hour will not cover all three.
The Proposal session is also one hour at €300 with a hidden camera. It works for the same reason: one location, one moment, then a short couples portrait once the secret is out.
TipPick the short session when you can name the one place you want, not three.
| Package | Price | Duration | Photos | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | €300 | 1 hour | 30 photos | 1 location |
| Signature | €500 | 2 hours | 50 photos | 2 locations |
| Prestige | €800 | 3 hours | 60 photos | 3 locations |
There are three lengths and one standard of service. Every package includes location scouting, full posing guidance, professional editing, high-resolution digital files, a print licence, and delivery within 24 hours. Only time, photo count, and locations change.
Signature is €500 for 2 hours, 50 edited photos, and 2 locations, and it is the most popular choice. Prestige is €800 for 3 hours, 60 edited photos, and 3 locations. Going from Essential to Signature adds an hour, a second location, and 20 photos. Going to Prestige adds a third hour, a third location, and 10 more photos.
The photo count rises more slowly than the clock. The extra hours buy variety and an unhurried pace more than volume.
A short session fits when your trip is tight, when one place carries the whole idea, or when you want great photos without turning them into an outing. Typical cases are a couple with one free morning, a solo traveller who wants portraits at one landmark, and a proposal. Trocadero is a good one-location choice because the main plaza, the lower terrace, the side staircases, and the fountains sit close together.
A short session depends more on timing, because there is less time to wait out a crowd. The Eiffel Tower's operator, on its official attendance page, states "Saturdays and Sundays are the busiest days of the week." Outside peak season, school holidays, and public holidays, it says attendance is usually lowest on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you have only one hour, a weekday gives us more room to work.
"With one hour, I do not wander," Finzi says. "We go to the spot I picked for that light, and we stay there."
TipShort session, weekday, early. That combination protects the hour.
A longer session is worth it when you want two or three distinct settings, when more than two people are in the frame, or when you want to move slowly. Each setting has its own character. Trocadero is famous, Bir-Hakeim is moody, and Camoëns is intimate. Combining an famous view with a quiet street gives you a gallery with range instead of many versions of one frame.
Groups need a few minutes to settle before natural moments arrive, and in a short session that settling takes a bigger share of the time. Sessions are designed for couples and families of up to 6 people. If your group includes young children or several generations, extra time means I can let everyone relax and vary the mix of posed, candid, and movement shots.
Light is the other factor. At the Eiffel Tower it changes every fifteen minutes, so a longer session lets me start in one light and finish in another without rushing anyone.
"The third hour is rarely about more photos," Finzi says. "It is about not hurrying anyone between locations."
TipIf your wish list has three places on it, book three locations, not one long stay in a single spot.
Generally yes: sessions cover 3 to 5 km on foot depending on the package, and more locations means more of that distance. The session is a guided walk, not a set of poses in one place, so your shoes matter more than your outfit.
Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a layer, since Paris weather changes through the day. If anyone in your group walks slowly, such as a young child or a grandparent, tell me before booking. I plan locations and the route around that, and the pacing stays flexible so everyone is comfortable.
TipTell me about slow walkers and tired toddlers in your first message, and I will plan the route around them.
Season decides how much good light fits in your day. Sunrise and the hour before sunset give the softest, most flattering light. In winter the sun sets early, so an afternoon session can run into evening. In summer the evening light arrives late, so morning sessions are easier to plan.
The Eiffel Tower's night sparkle follows the same pattern. The first sparkle comes in the early evening in December and very late at night in June, so a midsummer night can hold a single sparkle. The sparkle itself is short. The Tower's operator describes the hourly sparkling lights as lasting five minutes every evening on the hour.
Because that window is so brief, I treat night photos as their own session rather than the tail end of a longer one. The Night Session is an add-on at €450 and takes place after sunset with the Eiffel Tower sparkle. If you want daytime portraits and the sparkle, tell me both and I will plan them around your dates.
Pick a session, choose a date, and pay the €30 deposit, which is non-refundable and locks your date. Rescheduling is free anytime. Your gallery arrives within 24 hours of the session.
I recommend booking at least 2 to 4 weeks in advance, especially in peak season from April to October. Last-minute bookings are sometimes possible, so contact me directly to check availability.
If you are between two lengths, send me your dates, who will be in the photos, and the places you have in mind. I will tell you which length fits and why.
TipTell me your dates, the session you have in mind, and I will take it from there.
Quick answers to the questions visitors ask before they book.
“Finzi made our whole family feel so comfortable. Even our two-year-old was laughing the entire time. The photos are absolutely perfect and we received them the next day.”
Pick a session. Choose a date. I handle the rest.
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