Street Photography in Lyon

Vieux Lyon is the Renaissance quarter along the Saône, and Rue Saint-Jean is its main pedestrian lane. The draw for photographers is the traboules, passages that cut through buildings from one street to the next. Chalair calls them history in chiaroscuro: dim light and spiral staircases, with the Tour Rose courtyard at 16 rue du Bœuf as the standout. Stand at the end of a passage and wait for a figure to cross the bright opening. Mornings are quieter, before the lanes fill with visitors and restaurant touts. Many traboules are in private residential buildings, so keep your voice down and leave if a door is closed.

The esplanade next to the Fourvière basilica is the classic view over Lyon, with the red roofs of the old town below and the Part-Dieu towers beyond. Chalair recommends blue hour, just after sunset, when the city lights come on against a dark sky. For street photography, the subject is the people at the railing: couples and families lined up against the view. Shoot them in silhouette from behind, or step back to include the whole row. The funicular from Vieux Lyon saves the climb, and walking down through the gardens gives you more angles. Respect services if you go inside the basilica, where flash is usually not allowed.

The Croix-Rousse market stretches along the Boulevard de la Croix-Rousse on the plateau. According to the City of Lyon, it runs from Tuesday to Sunday, from 6am to 1:30pm, with about 95 traders on Tuesdays and Fridays and at weekends, and a smaller market on Wednesdays and Thursdays. This is the Lyon of residents, not visitors: people with shopping trolleys and stallholders calling out prices. Go on a Saturday or Sunday morning for the biggest crowd. The long, straight boulevard lets you shoot down the line of stalls with a longer lens. Buy something before you ask for a portrait.

The Montée de la Grande Côte climbs the slopes of the Croix-Rousse from near the Terreaux up to the top of the hill, part street and part staircase. PhotoHound lists the ascent as a spot, and Chalair calls the Croix-Rousse the Canuts district, after the silk workers, and a wonderful playground for street photography. The slopes have bars and street art, and the stairs give you strong diagonals with people climbing. Shoot uphill in the afternoon, when light comes across the steps. Nearby, the Cour des Voraces has a monumental stone staircase in a residential courtyard, so be quiet there. The Mur des Canuts mural is on the plateau.

Place des Terreaux sits between the city hall and the Museum of Fine Arts, and Chalair calls it the vibrant heart of the city. The Bartholdi fountain, with its rearing horses, is the landmark, and the square has a grid of small ground fountains. Chalair's tip is to come in the evening after a light rain, when the square turns into a giant mirror. People cross it all day on the way between the Presqu'île and the slopes, so find a clean background and wait. Cafe terraces on the edges give you people watching. It is also a natural start for the climb up the Croix-Rousse.

Quai Saint-Antoine runs along the Presqu'île side of the Saône, facing the old town. Chalair points to the colourful facades reflected in the river, and the red footbridge nearby that contrasts with the classic buildings. PhotoHound's contributor calls the Saône banks at blue hour the place where the true magic happens. For people, walk the lower quay in the evening, when joggers and couples pass in front of the reflections. Use a footbridge as a frame, with one walker in the middle. Mornings give soft light on the facades of Vieux Lyon across the water. It is a calm place, good for slower work.

La Guillotière, across the Rhône around Place Gabriel Péri, is what Tripbase calls Lyon's most multicultural neighbourhood, with souk-like markets and genuine grit. It is the least polished part of central Lyon and the most alive at street level, with shops spilling onto the pavement and a covered market. Weekend mornings are best for market life. Work the edges of the square and the side streets, and keep your camera low key, since many people here do not want to be photographed. Ask before any close portrait. Some guides advise care in this area late at night.