Spot a Mona Lisa

Spot a baguette under the arm

Find someone carrying a baguette under their arm or in a string bag, the classic Parisian commute (or a shot of a single fresh baguette sticking out of a bakery shelf).

Spot a boulangerie storefront

Find a storefront with "Boulangerie" lettered on the awning or sign. They are on almost every block; photograph the sign.

Spot a bouquiniste

Spot the green riverside book boxes (bouquinistes) along the Seine quays. They sell second-hand books, prints and postcards. Photograph an open box.

Spot a cobblestone street

Find a cobblestone (pavé) street, especially in the Marais, the Latin Quarter or Montmartre. Take a photo from low down so the stones lead the eye.

Spot a croissant

Spot a croissant in someone's hand or in a boulangerie window display. The flakier and crescent-er, the better. Photograph it close-up.

Spot a fromagerie window

Find a cheese shop (fromagerie) window with cheeses stacked behind glass. The smell from the doorway is a giveaway. Photograph the display.

Spot a Haussmann balcony

Find a wrought-iron balcony on the fifth or sixth floor of a Haussmann-era building (the long continuous balconies that run across the facade). Photograph it from the street.

Spot a love padlock

Find a padlock locked to a bridge railing, fence or gate. The Pont des Arts had them removed in 2015 but Pont de l'Archevêché, the Pont Notre-Dame and Pont Marie still carry plenty. Photograph one.

Spot a mansard roof

Spot a zinc-tiled mansard roof with dormer windows, the grey angled roof that gives Paris its skyline silhouette. Photograph the rooftops.

Spot a Parisian bicycle

Find a bicycle parked or being ridden, a Vélib bike-share, a vintage step-through or a courier on the move. Take a photo with the bike clearly in shot.

Spot a patisserie sign

Find a storefront with "Pâtisserie" lettered above the door (often combined with Boulangerie). Photograph the sign.

Spot a real beret

Spot a real beret worn by someone walking the street (not a souvenir-shop hat on a tourist costume photo). Take a candid photo.

Spot a tourist with a suitcase

Spot a tourist wheeling a suitcase down the street, especially near hotels, train stations or the Marais. Take a candid photo.

Spot a Wallace Fountain

Spot a Wallace Fountain, the 2-metre dark-green cast-iron drinking fountain with four caryatids supporting a dome. Around 100 of them dot the city. Photograph one.

Spot an airplane over Paris

Look up and catch a plane in the sky over Paris (Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Le Bourget all send planes overhead). Photograph it with a Parisian rooftop or landmark in the frame.

Spot an Art Nouveau Métro entrance

Find one of the surviving Art Nouveau "Métropolitain" entrances by Hector Guimard (green wrought iron, lily-of-the-valley lamps). Photograph the entry sign.

Spot an éclair

Spot an éclair (chocolate, coffee or vanilla) in a patisserie window or on a plate. The long fluted pastry with glossy icing. Photograph it.

Spot macarons in a window

Find a patisserie with macarons stacked in the window. Ladurée and Pierre Hermé are the famous ones, but any patisserie display counts. Photograph the colours.

Spot Notre-Dame

Get a view of Notre-Dame cathedral from the Île de la Cité or the riverbanks. Photograph the towers (the spire is being reinstated).

Spot Parisian bistro chairs

Find a row of woven rattan bistro chairs facing the street outside a café (almost every café has them). Photograph them lined up.

Spot Parisian sunglasses

Find someone in stylish Parisian sunglasses, or a sunglasses shop window with a striking display. Photograph it.

Spot pétanque players

Find a group playing pétanque, the boules game with metal balls. The Place des Vosges, Jardin du Luxembourg and the Arènes de Lutèce are favourites. Photograph a throw or measurement.

Spot red lipstick

Spot red lipstick on someone passing, on a beauty-counter poster or as an advert in a metro corridor. The classic French signature.

Spot red wine on a café table

Spot a glass of red wine on a Parisian café table. Frame the glass front and centre with the café terrace blurred behind.

Spot the Arc de Triomphe in view

Catch a clear view of the Arc de Triomphe, ideally framed down a boulevard from one of the 12 avenues that radiate from it. Photograph it.

Spot the Eiffel Tower

Catch a clear view of the Eiffel Tower from anywhere in the city: a viewpoint, a side street, a reflection in a window. Photograph the tower in the frame.

Spot the French flag

Find a Tricolor flag flying on a building, balcony, museum facade or government building. Photograph the blue-white-red.

Spot the Moulin Rouge windmill

Find the red windmill of the Moulin Rouge in Pigalle, or a Moulin Rouge poster, sign or souvenir in any neighbourhood. The big red M tells you straight away.

Spot the Sacré-Cœur silhouette

Spot the white domes of Sacré-Cœur, either from Montmartre up close or as a silhouette on the northern horizon. Photograph it.