It was our first weekend away together. Our first ‘proper’ date.
We were in Paris, the city of love, and we were totally smitten with each other. Taken from opposite sides of the planet, we had been drawn together like moths to the light.
Said to be the most romantic city on earth, I wanted to charm the woman who would eventually be my wife.
I spent weeks planning the short break. Coordinating with work colleagues based in the French capital, developing our itinerary, and keeping the event a secret from my beloved. I remember being incredibly nervous. I also remember how excited I was. This was a golden chance to reveal the true depth of my feelings for her.
I had almost no money to my name. I was laden with student debt, saving every available penny for the future, and earning a basic wage in my first job. The weekend was an extravagance I couldn’t really afford but I’d fallen head over heels in love and I wanted to show her how much she meant to me.
This photo of us on our weekend in Paris was taken 12 years ago this month.
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| Us in Paris – my ‘bad’ photo. |
With impressive buildings surrounding us and grand avenues stretching out in every direction, we posed for the camera in front of the grand Arc de Triomphe. It was a rushed shot, the traffic swallowing us up as a passer-by hurriedly took the photo.
The photo doesn’t do justice to that moment in time. It fails to capture our feelings for each other in those early days of our relationship and it understates the beauty of Paris.
We had no decent camera of our own. If I had my time again, I would have visited a reputable camera store and picked up a decent digital SLR from a selection like Ted’s digital SLR cameras.
This photo was taken with a cheap and cheerful disposable camera. The focus was poor. The camera had no zoom and we stand too small in the picture. It was a typically grey day in Paris and the colour and light of the photo is dim and washed-out.
Poor quality as it is, this photo signifies the beginning of our life together. Young and in love, we went on to live in three countries on three continents, own three houses, take care of two dogs, and recently announced the impending arrival of our first child. We married beside Sydney Harbour seven years after this photo was taken, having celebrated our engagement in New York with a diamond ring purchased in Ottawa.
For no good reason, we never returned to Paris.
We travelled far and wide over the years yet, of all these travels – adventurous, glamourous, out of the ordinary – Paris is the place we remember with the fondest of memories. And this badly-taken photograph is the one that puts the biggest smile upon our faces.
I wish I could go back to the city of light and lovers, to this point on the Champs Elysees. I wish I could stand there with my wife of five years – my partner and best friend for the past twelve – and with my soon-to-arrive first child.
I wish I could recapture that special moment we had and show you the family we will soon become. This time, I’ll make sure we have a better camera and, this time, there will be three of us, not two.
My wife recently handed me a postcard bought in Paris on that memorable trip. It’s a photograph revealing a young couple embracing in front of the monumental arch. The subjects are in sharp focus in the foreground, while the famous attraction in the background is deliberately blurred.
The postcard is adorable. The young lovers are the centre of our attention.
On our weekend in Paris, the disposable camera had no special features to take such a shot. If I could recapture our photo, I’d want it taken with an optical zoom to focus in on us and an intelligent auto function to shoot us with a soft background as they did with Amour De Paris. I’d have that defining moment in our relationship recaptured on the Champs Elysees and I’d have it done in the spirit of this beautiful postcard we later found.
I’d show you the essence of this city of love, the most romantic of places. And I’d show you how, twelve years on, my wife and I are as in love now as we were then on that grey day in June in our favourite city on earth.
Paris, j t’adore.
Now it’s your turn.
The reader competition
I’m running a reader competition here on In Search of a Life Less Ordinary related to Sony Australia’s own No More Bad Photos and they’ve kindly provided the prize.
So here’s what you have to do to enter this reader promotion here on ISOALLO:
- Pick one bad photo from your travel experiences or expat adventures (‘bad’ in terms of poorly taken, over-exposed, or simply very dated).
- Share that bad photo and explain why you wish you could recapture that moment again (you don’t need to talk technical about camera specifics, but I had to for my post above).
- If you have a blog, you’ll need to write a post on that bad photo and link back to here. If you don’t have a blog, you can email me your entry with the attached ‘bad’ photo to here.
- Then leave a comment below to tell me you’ve entered and direct me either to your blog post’s URL or to my email inbox so that my wife and I can judge it on its creativity, stand-out writing, and all-round uniqueness.
- There’s no word count limit but one paragraph probably won’t cut it!
You have until the end of Friday, 29 June (your time) to enter and I’ll announce the winner on Monday, 2 July on the ISOALLO Facebook page. To find out who the winner is, make sure you’ve liked the page here beforehand.
And the prize for the winning blog post or email entry is…
…a brand spanking new Sony Cyber-shot HX20 camera valued at $499.
The camera has 18.2 Mega Pixel, 20x Optical Zoom, Intelligent Sweep Panorama, GPS and High Definition Video. Also, the camera battery charges through your computer via the USB cable so there are no country compatibility issues. For more info on the Cyber-shot HX20 camera, head here.
No need to worry if you’re entering the competition from outside Sydney or overseas as I’m happy to cover the cost of mailing it out to you in return for endless future blog support/love.
If you have any questions, ask away in the comment box below.
And the best of luck… because the competition has officially begun 🙂
Disclaimer: This blog post is my entry into Sony Australia’s No More Bad Photos blogger competition. Sony also gave me a Cyber-shot HX20 to try out and it really is a fun camera to use.
Note: This competition has now closed – details of the winner can be found here.
Ah Russell you big romantic you!
Truth be told, I like your photo much better…Looking forward to the next Triomphe-ant photo opp. (Sorry! 😉 )
Love your shot, it actually captures the feelings of the moment you described. This sounds like an amazing photo competition. Will I enter? I’ll definitely try. So many bad photos taken, so little time…
Lol. Thanks Kym. You mean you like my French Connection tightly-fitted black t-shirt and white trainers? Could I look any more English in that photo? I think this photo should be ‘bad’ on the basis of my dress sense 😉
So are you going to enter then? Would be a nice camera to have for that small sports competition that’s coming up in London soon?!
Thanks, Linda. It still amazes me that this photo is 12 years old to this very month. I’d like to say that we’ve both aged well but others may disagree!
I think you should definitely enter, Linda, given the number of countries you’ve seen and your wonderful writing ability. Probably lots to choose from but go with the one that first comes to mind. That’s what I did. Looking forward to seeing something soon 🙂
Wow! What a great competition! I find Venice rather more romantic than Paris. But some of my favorite photos are “bad” ones – it’s the thought, and the occasion, that counts, and all the feelings that go with it.
Hi, glad you think so – question is, will you be entering? 😉
I’ve never been to Venice but have heard it is beautiful. Looking forward to seeing some ‘bad’ photos from you!
So many bad photos! So little time to find the one to enter 🙂 Great post … glad to have found you via @andreaexpat !!
Hi Naomi – welcome to ISOALLO! Glad that you found me too 🙂
I hope you’re able to enter this comp – sounds like you have a few ‘bad’ photos to choose from! Let me know if you do and thanks for leaving a comment.
Ahh if we could only turn back time!
http://thelakehousewriter.blogspot.com.au/#!/2012/06/on-top-of-world.html is my entry!
Thanks for the entry Katische! Looking forward to comparing it to other entries as they come in. Thanks for taking part and keep an eye out on the July 2nd for the results. Good luck 🙂
Great read 🙂
Rus,
Katie the 0.8th of a wonder here – I’ve just emailed you a photo and some words 🙂 Please just confirm that you got my email, when you get time. Thanks heaps!
Thanks Katie 🙂
Hey Katie, got your email and entry (it had gone into my junk mail) – great stuff. Consider yourself entered into the comp and watch this space. Love the angle you took 🙂
Will do … just looked through ONE month of photos in Delhi and have about 30 that I could choose from — and that’s AFTER deleting the really horrid ones. Blog post link to follow ..
Junk mail is fair, your email account got it correct 🙂 Hope you guys have a great weekend and see you back in the pit.
Good job. Keep me posted.
Never! Have a great weekend too.
Gosh I so would love to say that I have been to Paris! Bad photo or not 🙂
Have subscribed to your blog so that I can make sure I get updates..as I want to come back and read more! Will have to see how many bad travelling photos I can dig up! There is a few too many.
Hi Russell,
Here is my entry for the ‘No More Bad Photos’ Competition!
http://quintessentially-english.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/san-sebastian-memories.html
Thanks again for the great inspiration!
Erin x
Lol. Thanks. It was a great trip.
I hope you’re able to dig up some bad photos soon – would love to see you enter 🙂
Great. Thanks Erin. Looking forward to reading it – off to your blog now and thanks for entering 🙂 Good luck!
Ahh yes, I too have quite a few from the days of non digital. I actually liked the shot of you two … I think you would have felt a bit self conscious in the postcard pose – especially if it had meant posing like that for a complete stranger!
Thanks Johanna. I agree with you. A nice idea but it might have been a bit intimidating to do that on a busy avenue in Paris! I don’t mind our shot but I like the idea of a good excuse to go back.
I do think you need to dig out one of those bad photos and get entering 😉
here ya go :: http://www.delhibound.com/2012/06/no-more-bad-photos.html
Fantastic. I’m off to read it now. Thanks for entering and the very best of luck 😉
Thank you Russell for this post, I really enjoyed thinking about it and writing about it. And I think the picture of you and your wife is beautiful….. My post is here: http://hjunderway.com/2012/06/28/the-chance-to-do-it-over-again/
Thanks for entering, MommaExpat, and for the very kind comments. I’m off to read your entry now. Very exciting having someone enter from Paris, the home of our picture together. Sure it will be great 🙂
Half my life is captured in bad photos, lol! But here’s one – thanks for this. It made me smile to write about it – http://phoebeholmes.com/2012/06/29/1932/
Hi, bounced in one or two times during the NorthSouthEastWest Expat Dispatches and found you again just in time for this competition… Please accept my entry: http://femmeaufoyer2011.blogspot.fr/2012/06/no-more-bad-photos.html I know, cutting it close to the deadline! Thanks for the chance, and thanks for a thought-provoking post.
Thanks for your entry, Phoebe. Great to have you part of the comp. I’m off to have a read of your post now – looking forward to it 🙂
Hey Liene, great to have you back here 🙂 We stopped the NSEW Expat Dispatches posts but it may start up again soon. It was a good series, for sure.
Thanks for entering – jumping over to your blog for a read now. Fingers crossed!
The winner will be announced on facebook.com/insearchofalifelessordinary on Monday 🙂
Congrats after all, Liene 🙂 Great effort and a well-written, creative post! Well done on winning the competition…