Cours Saleya Market and Vieux Nice Facades

Cours Saleya is the long pedestrian square in the heart of Vieux Nice, in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France, lined with pastel Baroque facades in ochre, yellow and pink. Its flower and produce market is the main photographic draw, with stalls of cut flowers, fruit, spices and local specialities set out beneath the buildings. The square runs roughly east to west, so the frame down its length gets morning light entering from one end and raking across the awnings and stalls, which makes early morning from about 7:00 to 9:00 the best period. Later in the day the stalls are in shade or harsh overhead light, and restaurant tables take over the square in the afternoon. The flower market runs Tuesday to Sunday and an antiques market takes the space on Mondays, according to the Nice tourist office. Spring brings the richest colour on the flower stalls, while autumn and winter offer softer light and fewer visitors. The square is busiest between about 9:30 and noon, especially at weekends and in summer, when cruise passengers and day trippers fill the aisles; a wide frame is easiest before the crowds, and a tripod is impractical once the lanes fill, so handheld work with a fast lens is the norm. Vendors are working, and it is courteous to ask permission before photographing people or buying something from a stall when taking close portraits. Surrounding lanes of Vieux Nice offer shuttered windows, laundry lines and narrow alleys that suit wide-angle street photography, particularly in the soft light after rain. There is no entrance fee. Drone use is restricted in the dense old town and is not realistic. Cafes around the square provide restrooms for customers, and public water points can be found nearby. The cobbled surface is flat, so walking between viewpoints with a camera bag is simple.