5 Tips for Getting the Best Mona Lisa Photograph at the Louvre

Millions of tourists flock to the Louvre each year to see Da Vinci’s famed work, the Mona Lisa.

So, if you’re planning to catch a glimpse of the enigmatic painting and, hopefully, snap a decent photo of the masterpiece, you’d want to be prepared.

Thankfully, taking vivid and stunning shots of the Mona Lisa isn’t as far-fetched as some people might think.

With proper planning, patience, and these five practical tips, you can take fantastic photos of “La Gioconda.”

5 Practical Tips to Get Stunning Snaps of the Mona Lisa

There’s a reason why the Mona Lisa is one of the most favored photo subjects in the world.

Some say it’s the woman’s intriguing smile, others refer to her eyes, which are said to follow you around the room. A handful of people point to the fact that the Mona Lisa was stolen in 1911.

Whichever it is, the portrait of the unknown Florentine woman has piqued the interest of millions since its creation in the 16th century.

On our end, we’d say the painting’s mysteries are best understood with your own camera, so, here are the best tips to get the best Mona Lisa photograph at the Musée du Louvre.

1. Plan Ahead

As with most things, planning ahead of time is the ultimate hack to get a first-in-line view of the Mona Lisa. Plan your itinerary a week or two ahead of your photography sessions, especially in bustling sites like the Louvre Museum.

Purchase your ticket online in advance to avoid the endless queue at the Louvre. This way, you can head straight to the museum’s security gates and make your way through to the museum’s massive 35,000 works of art.

Ensure to book your tour on a Wednesday or Thursday, as these are the days when the museum has fewer tourists scampering around. Weekends are a straight-up congested nightmare, and the Louvre closes on Tuesdays.

Here’s the most important part: book the first slot of the day. That means 9 AM—not 10 or 11, but sharp 9:00 if you want to get an exclusive with the Mona Lisa.

• More: World’s 12 Most Famous Portraits

2. Arrive at the Louvre Early

Musée du Louvre opens at 9 AM, so be sure to arrive at the entrance before that. It’s best to arrive at least 30 minutes (preferably an hour) before the opening to get first in line.

Speaking of entrances, picking the right Louvre entrance could save you time and effort, especially if you’ve bought your tickets online.

There are four entrances to the Louvre. The Pyramide du Louvre is the main entrance, which is the glass pyramid smack in the middle of the Cour Napoléon.

Passage de Richelieu and Porte des Lions are your best bet if you happen to visit the Louvre on a busy day. Not to mention, breathtaking architectural features to snag a few shots of!

3. Bring Your Best Photography Gear

You can take a picture of the Mona Lisa using any old camera. But if you want the best snaps, we’d say bring the big guns.

Choose a lens with the least distortion and the best optics. As you’re taking pictures up close, a lens that works best on close-range subjects without a hitch is ideal.

No need for a bulky 300mm.

A 50mm or 100mm lens with reasonable close-up capacities should suffice. Even something small like a 35mm or 24-70mm could produce superb photos inside a museum.

Additionally, photographing a two-dimensional subject such as the Mona Lisa painting doesn’t require too much depth of field. So, don’t feel compelled to bring small aperture lenses.

Unfortunately, the Louvre Museum doesn’t allow tripods or selfie sticks inside the palace, so you’ll need to rely on your camera’s built-in stabilizer (if any) for frame stabilization.

If sharpness is a big deal for you, going manual focus is the best way to go. Practicing these practical features before going to the Louvre would certainly be worth it.

• More: How to Photograph Paris at Night

4. Watch the Lighting

Fortunately, art exhibitions often have the best lighting setup in place. But it doesn’t mean you can’t improve your images further.

Take the time to observe how the lighting works around the painting, and think of creative ways to compose stunning exposures.

Don’t forget that the Mona Lisa is hidden behind a safety glass, installed in the 1950s to protect it from protesters. So, note where the reflections might hit and potentially ruin your photos.

Avoid using flash lighting at all costs, which creates ugly light spots on the image. The Louvre Museum also bans artificial lighting like flashes to prevent harming the historic artifact.

5. Don’t Just Photograph the Mona Lisa

By that we mean, don’t simply take pictures of the most famous painting in the world without careful thought. Let your creative juices flow and find some elements to include in your frames to make your photos interesting.

Observe how the people or the room interact with the painting. The best shots are often hidden in the most mundane stuff around you, and you never know when you’ll strike gold.

Anybody can pull up their phone and Google a vivid image of the Mona Lisa. So, add a touch of uniqueness to your snaps and make it your own.

Of course, besides “La Gioconda,” there are plenty of masterpieces you can appreciate with your camera at the Louvre Museum.

Think of the “Liberty Leading the People” by Eugène Delacroix, the renowned oil painting commemorating the historic July Revolution of Paris, which led to the overthrow of Charles X.

There’s also “The Coronation of Napoleon,” a monumental painting by the French artist Jacques-Louis David, depicting Napoleon Bonaparte’s ascension to the throne.

• More: How to Use the Golden Ratio in Photography

Final Thoughts

“Yo, Mona Lisa, could I get a date on Friday?” Or so the lines of Wycliffe Jean’s “Mona Lisa” song go.

Well, with these practical tips, you won’t only get a date with the Florentine woman depicted by Leonardo Da Vinci. Take note of these in your Paris travels and you can snap winning photos with the famed “La Gioconda.”