Which day to shoot, where to go, and how to group your sightseeing
The simplest two-day plan in Paris puts the photoshoot on the first full day, in the Eiffel Tower and Trocadéro area at sunrise or golden hour, and uses the rest of both days for museums, gardens and neighbourhoods grouped by geography.
This guide is for visitors with 48 hours or less who want one properly directed session without losing a day to logistics. It covers which day to book, a route for each day, which package fits a short stay, and what to check before you pay. I am Finzi, I work from Avenue de Camoëns beside the Eiffel Tower, and this is the order I suggest to clients with a short trip.
Book one session, place it at the start of the trip, and build each day around one part of the city. Paris sights cluster well: the Eiffel Tower, Trocadéro and the Seine bridges sit together on one side, and the Louvre, Tuileries and Palais Royal sit together on the other. Montmartre and the Marais each work as a half-day on their own. Crossing the city three times in a day is what eats a short trip, not the session.
A session is a guided walk, not a studio appointment. You cover 3-5 km on foot with me, so the session is also a sightseeing walk. If you choose locations along your route, the photos cost you almost no extra time. Two-day itineraries from travel writers tend to admit the same limit: with only two days you will likely have time for just one museum. Decide that before you book anything else.
"I put the session where you will be walking anyway, so the photos are a by-product of your day, not a detour from it," Finzi says.
TipPick your one museum first. The session fits around it, not the other way round.
| 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 |
Put the photoshoot on day one, either at sunrise or in the hour before sunset. Delivery is within 24 hours, so a day-one session means your gallery is ready before you leave on day two. A day-two session still works, but the gallery arrives after your last day, online, so you view it from home or on the train.
Day one also gives you a buffer. If weather or a change of plan moves the session, rescheduling is free, and you still have a second day to use. A session booked for your last morning has no fallback. For a two-day trip, that matters more than any lighting preference.
Sunrise gives empty streets and soft light and suits couples and proposals. Golden hour is my usual recommendation because the light is warm and directional and the crowds thin out. Midday light is harder, and I shape it with shade and backlighting, which works best for families with young children. Sunset time moves a lot through the year, so the exact start is set once we have your dates.
TipArriving late on day one? Book the session for the first morning of day two instead of squeezing it into the evening you land.
Start the session at Trocadéro, but not on the main plaza. The upper platform is crowded all day, so I take clients to the lower terrace and the side staircases, where the Tower stays in frame and the background is clean. If you chose Signature or Prestige, the second location can be Pont de Bir-Hakeim for steel and shadow, or Avenue de Camoëns for a quiet, private street with a direct Tower view.
After the session you are already next to the rest of day one. Walk the Seine toward Pont Alexandre III, or cross to the Eiffel Tower gardens, and use the afternoon for your one museum. In the evening the Tower is lit and sparkles for five minutes every hour on the hour after dark. That is free to watch from the quays or Trocadéro, and it makes a simple finish to the day.
If you want photos of that evening sparkle, it is a separate Night Session at €450, after sunset with the Eiffel Tower lights. It is booked on its own, so decide whether you want it when you pick your date.
TipWear shoes you can walk in for hours. The session and the sightseeing use the same feet.
Use day two for the Right Bank cluster: the Louvre area, Tuileries and Palais Royal in the morning, then Montmartre later. Check the opening days first. The Louvre publishes its own hours and closures on its official visit page, and its weekly closing day is Tuesday. It is also closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. There are late openings on Wednesday and Friday evenings, so on those days the museum can sit at the end of the day instead.
If your two days include a Tuesday, make that the day for gardens, the Seine and Montmartre, and move the museum to the other day. Tuileries and Palais Royal are outdoors and are good for a walk even if you skip the museum interior. Montmartre has steep stairs and narrow streets, and the best time there is early or late, when the stairs are quiet.
If you would like a second location photographed on this day, Palais Royal courtyards and Tuileries work best early, before shops and crowds build. That is a conversation for before booking, because a second session on another day is a second booking.
TipBuy museum entry for a fixed day only after you have confirmed your session date.
Signature at €500 fits most two-day trips: 2 hours, 50 edited photos and 2 locations. It is the most popular package because two locations let you get a landmark frame and a quieter frame in the same morning without rushing. Essential at €300 is 1 hour, 30 photos and 1 location, and it suits a tight schedule where you want one strong set at one place.
Prestige at €800 gives 3 hours, 60 photos and 3 locations. It makes sense if the session is the centre of the trip, for example an anniversary, a honeymoon or a family with grandparents who need a slow pace. A proposal is its own session at €300, 1 hour, with a hidden camera, so the person you are proposing to does not know I am there.
Every package includes full posing guidance, professional editing, high-resolution files and a print licence. Choose by how much of day one you want to give up. A longer session means less afternoon for the museum.
TipOn a two-day trip, Essential or Signature leaves room for sightseeing. Prestige works when the photos are the main event.
I recommend booking at least 2-4 weeks ahead, especially from April to October. Last-minute bookings are sometimes possible, so if your dates are close, message me directly and I will check availability. Send your dates, the session type and any location you already have in mind. I reply personally, in English.
A €30 non-refundable deposit locks your date. Rescheduling is free whenever you need it, so a change in flights or weather does not cost you the booking. I confirm the meeting point and what to wear once the date is set.
Before you pay for anything else on the trip, run through this list:
1. Confirm your arrival and departure times against the session date. 2. Check the opening days of your one museum on its official site. 3. Choose a package by how much walking time you want. 4. Pick a session date on day one if you can. 5. Decide whether you want the evening Night Session. 6. Plan clothing in layers, in classic colours, with comfortable shoes.
TipElegance over trends works best. Avoid large logos and busy patterns, and bring a layer for the changing weather.
Quick answers to the questions visitors ask before they book.
“It was very special. Finzi is very caring and enjoyable. It was a dream photoshoot experience. His artistic vision has collected very beautiful and special memories for us.”
Pick a session. Choose a date. I handle the rest.
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