Planning a shoot trip to Paris is exciting. It is also, if you haven’t done it before, a bit of a logistical puzzle. The weather doesn’t behave the way you’d expect. The stores don’t keep the same hours as back home. And the stairs are everywhere.

After ten years of photographing in this city, here’s what I actually pack, how I think about clothing, and what I wish someone had told me before my first time shooting here.

Pack for Weather You Cannot Predict

This is the single most important thing to understand about dressing for Paris: the weather is genuinely unpredictable, even in summer. I’ve had June days that started at 25°C and dropped to 15°C with rain by the afternoon. I’ve had October days that were warmer than August. The forecast is useful for about three to five days out and increasingly unreliable after that.

The solution is layers. Bring clothes that can be added or removed easily. A light jacket, a mid-layer, and weather-appropriate base layers will cover you for most seasons. For spring and autumn, always assume rain is possible. In summer, still assume rain is possible.

Don’t Plan to Buy Clothes Here at the Last Minute

This comes up constantly with visiting photographers. They think they’ll just pick something up if they realize they’ve packed the wrong thing. The problem is that Paris shops operate very differently from North America. Most stores are closed on Sundays. Many close for lunch. Boutiques keep shorter hours overall. You won’t be able to count on finding exactly what you need quickly.

It’s also worth knowing that not everything you’d order on Amazon in North America is available here in the same way. French Amazon exists but the selection and delivery timelines are different. If you’re relying on a specific piece of gear or clothing arriving in time, don’t leave it to chance. Pack what you need before you leave.

Use a Backpack, Not a Rolling Bag

Paris is a city of stairs. Trocadéro alone has multiple staircase descents down to the riverbank. The Métro has very few elevators. Street-level cobblestones and uneven pavement make rolling luggage annoying at best and exhausting at worst.

A large, comfortable backpack keeps everything accessible and on your body. This also matters from a security standpoint. Pickpocketing does happen in Paris, particularly in tourist-heavy areas like the Trocadéro esplanade and on the Métro. Wearing a backpack rather than carrying a shoulder bag or tote means your gear and valuables stay with you at all times. Keep the zippers accessible only to you, and you’ll be fine.

Travel Light with Gear

Unless you’re arriving with a full assistant team, bring less than you think you need. A two-camera setup, two to three lenses, and a flash or reflector is a complete working kit for most portrait and editorial shoots here. Anything more starts to slow you down and draw attention, which matters in Paris.

In gardens and public spaces, security guards will sometimes approach photographers with visible professional setups. This is much less likely if you look like a person doing personal photography rather than a commercial production. A smaller kit also makes it easier to move quickly between locations, which matters when you’re shooting in places like the Louvre where you might want to cover multiple setups in one session.

Permits, Security, and What to Expect

For personal client photography (engagements, families, couples), you do not need a permit in Paris. This covers the vast majority of what most visiting photographers are doing.

For styled shoots, the situation is more complicated. You technically can do them in public spaces, but you may be approached by a security guard if your setup looks like a commercial production. In my experience, staying calm and explaining that it’s personal photography (not commercial) is usually enough. I’ve never been removed from a location, though I’ve been approached a few times over the years.

Obtaining an official permit in Paris is genuinely difficult. The application process is in French, takes months, and costs money. Most photographers who come here for styled shoots skip the permit and keep their setups discrete. That said, if your shoot involves a large team, significant equipment, or a high-profile venue, doing the paperwork properly is the safer option.

For styled shoots specifically, I always recommend also booking a hotel room or renting an indoor venue as a backup. Even in summer, Paris can have a rainy afternoon with almost no warning. Having a covered option means a weather change doesn’t end the shoot.

What to Actually Pack

A practical list based on ten years of shooting here:

Gear

• Two camera bodies if possible (bodies, not just lenses, fail at the worst times)
• A versatile zoom for wide coverage and a fast prime for portraits
• One or two speedlights and a small softbox or reflector
• Extra batteries and cards (not always easy to source quickly in France)
• A small dry bag or rain cover for your camera if shooting in autumn or winter

Clothing

• Comfortable, quiet shoes you can walk several kilometers in
• A layer you can add if it gets cold mid-session
• A waterproof outer layer that folds small
• Neutral clothing that won’t reflect color onto your subjects if you’re working close

Practical items

• A backpack with good back support (you will wear it all day)
• A small first aid kit and any medications you need 
• A portable battery pack for your phone
• A paper map or downloaded offline map (phone data abroad is not always reliable underground)

One Last Thing About Shopping Here

If you do need to buy something after arrival, the department stores like Galeries Lafayette are your best bet for variety and hours. They stock clothing, photography accessories, and general travel supplies in one place. But they’re in central Paris, they’re crowded, and they’re not cheap. It’s still better than trying to track down a specific item in a smaller shop on a Sunday afternoon.