Where the Impressionists Haunted the Streets Montmartre, in the north of Paris, is a very artsy place and I would love to open a little photography studio there, even if it is a bit touristy now. I don't think they had neon paint-palettes hanging in the streets when it was frequented by Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, and the whole cast of bohemian characters.I'm halfway through a book now called "The Judgement of Paris", about all these guys had to go through to get their paintings shown in the Salon. Old-school judges would only approve paintings that showed historical scenes and the moral teachings of antiquity. Consequently, dozens of today's priceless paintings were stamped on the back with a big red "R" for "Refused".After the Impressionists' paintings were refused by the selection committee, the artists would gather at cafes here, drinking wine that tasted of "mountwash and soot", and lament about the state of the art, so to speak.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

Lyon in the Evening Hiking to the top of this beast with my camera and tripod was a lot tougher than it looked!I saw this area from the train as I came into Lyon, and I was bound and determined to get to the top before dark. As I began the switchbacks, the darkness was falling, so I had to switch my iPod over to some upbeat music to drive me to the top in time. As soon as I got up there, the ferris wheel lit up and the city came alive with light. Like a marine with his gun, I assembled the tripod, ran through my settings on the camera, and fired away.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.