A window in time, literally. I captured this view through the clock face at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris on the fifth floor, in the North-East corner of the museum. The space behind the clock face in the North-West corner is a restaurant and I don't find the view through it as pleasing.

Opening as a train station in 1900, by 1939 the platforms had become too short for the trains of that age. The French government saved the building from demolition and opened as an art museum in December 1986. It now houses the world's largest collection of impressionist paintings and it has to be on your ‘must-see' list if you visit Paris. I find the contents far more interesting than those of the Louvre.

Part of the Louvre can be seen in the background on the right. That tower is part of the Musée Des Artes Décoratifs, the North-West wing of the Louvre complex. The trees and Ferris Wheel are in the Jardin des Tuileries and the row of Haussmann buildings behind are the shops and apartments of the Rue de Rivoli.

Upon the hill on the left, you see the silhouette of the La Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre. Sacré Coeur is not that old. Construction completed in 1914 while it was consecrated in 1919.

Running through the bottom of the frame is the river Seine.

I chose to give the image an HDR treatment. This has rendered the buildings and sky in a nice, almost Wedgwood-style, blue, and white; adding a pleasant antique feeling to the image.

While I did toy with the idea of trying to clone and heal the dirt on the clock window glass, I think the dirty windows add character. Besides, I was too lazy to spend the time doing a really good retouching job here.

Below is a black and white rendering of this image.

Image Processing

To take a similar photo yourself you just need to visit the museum. Pack your patience as it's a very popular spot for taking photos. If you want to also get yourself in the frame, I think selfie sticks are likely banned but the old fashioned way – asking a friend or even a stranger – to take your photo remains an option.

Tripods are also banned, I believe. I'm sure you can apply for permission and pay a fee but it's really not worth it. Although this is a three-frame HDR image, I shot it hand-held. I also employed my son and daughter as minders to help keep the scene somewhat people-free but the tight crop is because there were lots of people crowding around. Perhaps if you're first in line and go straight there you might get a few minutes to compose a wider shot. To get this shot, I hung around for about ten minutes waiting for the scene to clear.

Multiple layers processed through Lightroom CC, Photomatix for the HDR, and photoshop CC
black and white conversion through Topaz B&W Effects

Camera

For sharpness through the image, I selected a tight f/16 aperture. As I was handholding the camera I increased my ISO to 800 for a shutter speed of 1/100 s.

With my eos 5D Mark III I usually steady the camera by resting the body on my left shoulder and using my left eye on the viewfinder, a hold I learned from Joe McNally.

• -2EV: ISO 800: 1/1600 sec at f/16
• 0EV: ISO 800: 1/400 sec at f/16
• +2EV: ISO 800: 1/100 sec at f/16
• Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III
• Lens: Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM at 28mm

Notice that to change the exposure I only varied the shutter speed. If you change the aperture instead then you lose sharpness in your final result.