One of our favorite towns in France was Annecy (our being me and my husband, Neal). Also known as the “Venice of the Alps” it’s a picturesque town with canals, cobblestone streets, and pastel colored ancient buildings. It sits at the edge of the pristine Lake Annecy surrounded by snow-capped mountains. We were hooked as soon as we arrived.

If you didn’t catch my post about our trip to Dijon, you can read that one here. See we started our trip there, in Dijon, and then headed on over to Annecy. How did we head on over there? Well by train, of course.

We arrived in the Annecy train station and walked to our Airbnb apartment in Annecy’s old town. It was perfect! A blend of old and new, everything functioning and clean, with a sweet little outdoor patio... the perfect location to start exploring.

We met friends in Dijon, and I mentioned NOT getting quite as many photos as I would have liked. But here in Annecy it was all about the photos. We were there by ourselves, and it was so incredibly beautiful that I was inspired to really create some amazing images. So let’s talk about what we saw, what I captured, and what I missed out on. It will be a fun way to share my experience, take a stroll down memory lane, AND learn from my mistakes. Let’s do this!

The canals were lovely little reflectors for all the colorful buildings.

I mentioned that it is called the “Venice of the Alps”, and for good reason. There were canals winding through the town, with bridges crossing them, making for some excellent meandering. It seems as though when we travel that we meander from meal to meal. And Annecy was no different.

One bonus about the meals in Annecy was breakfast. We found a typical French cafe which was adorable, where we had coffee and croissants or tartine which is simply a baguette with butter and jam. That’s a French breakfast. Delicious, but not the bacon and eggs we Americans are used to when we eat out for breakfast.

But in Annecy, there was quite a tourism contingent. What does that mean for breakfast? Eggs! Yes that’s right, we found a cafe that catered to British tourists and they had bacon and eggs for breakfast. We were pretty darn excited about this find. Not that we need eggs for breakfast every day, but it was a nice treat since we sure didn’t have any restaurants in Toulouse that offered this luxury.

The perfect mode of transportation here.

One of the truly unique and picturesque features of Annecy, is the canals. They wind around the old town, lined with colorful houses, markets, and restaurants. We really could have just wandered around for hours (and probably did).

When we finally strolled out of the old town, we were then struck by the magnificence of the lake surrounded by snow-peaked mountains, the Alps. A trail led us all around the lake, where we watched boats, birds, other people strolling along, and even saw some picnics spread out on the grassy areas (I just said that with a French accent “peek-neek” and made myself giggle).

After taking in our new town (well for 3 days anyway) we went back to our apartment to figure out the specific plan. And when I mean plan, I mean photo plan. When did I want to make photos and what kind of photos? Did I want any sunrise and sunset photos and if so, of what? Now let me clarify a bit here. I am a loose planner. I don’t like to be constrained by too much planning, and like to leave a lot of wiggle room in the schedule. And I want to be able to change the schedule at any given time if I see fit.

Which makes it super handy traveling with Neal. Because I’m in charge of the photography schedule. And if I had planned to do a “sunset shoot” and at the last minute change my mind because I’m hungry and opt for dinner and wine? He’s completely okay with that (and probably prefers it, let’s be honest).

The canal leading out to Lake Annecy, with the Alps behind it. Gorgeous!

So I decided to do a sunrise photoshoot at the lake, and a “blue hour” photoshoot at one of the canals, specifically of the Palais de l'Ile. Of course on different days, so as not to spread the whole process out too long. And then the rest of the time would be devoted to wandering around with my camera in hand, making photos of the market, people, buildings...what we experienced. I wanted to capture the feeling we got when we were there.

Well the first planned session at sunrise turned out to be a flop. Cloudy and nothing really dramatic, the only change from night to day was that a diffused grey light appeared. Oh well, off to breakfast. Eggs and bacon! Another thing I need to clarify (I don’t know why, you probably aren’t that concerned about it, but I feel the need so…)

I am a fan of the plant-based diet. I think it’s the most healthy, and let’s face it, sustainable way for humans to eat. And if you’re thinking “hmmm...neither eggs nor bacon are exactly plant-based” you’re right! I really do okay with mostly plant-based foods until bacon, and then there’s French cheese…are involved. I don’t need a label, so I just consider myself flexible on the topic. Moving on.

Not the stunning sunrise photo I had imagined, but still lovely.

The rest of the day we spent our time further exploring the winding streets and canals of old town. And to our delighted surprise, it was market day. Now this market wasn’t like others in France I had witnessed. Because there were no particularly large straight areas to set up in Annecy. So instead, the market wound around the old town, sitting atop bridges and throughout narrow cobblestone streets. It was like a treasure hunt finding each section of the market, from roasting chickens, cheese, handmade textiles and soaps, to glorious produce.

Oh how I do love the French markets! Not just finding the perfect lettuce or lavender soap, but photographing all the marvelous details. The colors, textures, smells (yes you can photograph those too), expressions, energy. I want to go back right now and make more photos! Okay, focusing and moving on.

One of the many stations of the market, this one was set up on a bridge crossing the canal.

The next official planned photoshoot was at the “blue hour” which is the hour after sunset when the sky turns a brilliant blue color. It was a good option because the days were overcast, and as I mentioned with the sunrise flop, they didn’t lend to really striking “golden hour” photos (the hour after sunrise and before sunset). But even on overcast days, the blue hour can be remarkably stunning. And so it was.

We (Neal) dragged my tripod along and we set up on a bridge overlooking the Palais de I’lle. Were there people around? Yes. Did we have to set up in the walkway right where they wanted to walk? Yes. Did I care? Slightly but I was pretty excited about the potential photo, so I found that I could ignore any irritated glances coming my way.

And then the blue hour struck. In all its glory. I made photos at that location, and then shifted to another. Frantic to get in as many angles and perspectives as I could while I still had that light, that color.

Once the light was gone? Time for dinner. And a recap of our day, and of our trip. Because the next day we would be off to the train station, and back home to Toulouse.

Now let’s talk about the photos I ended up with from Annecy. Did I like them? Well if you know me at all, I probably didn’t like any of them the first time around. But after another look and some editing, yes I did end up with some photos that I fell in love with. For me falling in love with my photos is like dating. I have to see them, get to know them, spend some time with them...it’s rarely love at first sight.

What was missing? Well I wish I had photos of our sweet little apartment, of the street where it was located, and of the train station. Maybe even some of the cafes where we dined, like the breakfast restaurant with eggs perhaps. Those might not have been the most beautiful of photos, but I have memories of those things, those places, and would like to have a little more detail from photos.

What I learned from this experience, and from others during my travels, is that you can never really make too many photos. And that I need to stop worrying about making “good” photos as much as I think about telling our story and creating memories. The good photos will come. The more you practice, and the more thoughtful you are, they will come.

Do you have photos from a trip that you’d like some feedback on to figure out what worked, maybe what didn’t, or what could have been done differently? I’d love to help! Schedule a free chat with me here and we can take a look.

What I Learned From Visiting One of the Most Beautiful Towns in France

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