The horseshoe staircase, Cour du Cheval Blanc

The Escalier en fer à cheval was built in 1634 by Jean Androuet du Cerceau: two curved flights that leave the first floor, swing outward and meet again on the gravel of the Cour du Cheval Blanc. It is the front door of the château and the single most recognisable thing at Fontainebleau — and because the courtyard is enormous, you can shoot it from thirty metres back with nothing else in the frame.

Three frames work here. Dead centre from the far end of the courtyard, symmetrical, tiny figures at the foot of the stair; halfway up one arm, looking along the curve; and from the side, where the balustrade runs as a line across the facade. The gravel is pale and acts as a natural reflector under all of them.

The courtyard faces roughly west, so morning light rakes across the facade from the side and the evening sun comes straight in — golden hour here is the whole building lit at once. Overcast is workable too because the pale stone and gravel keep the exposure open.

Timing beats everything: the gardens open before the château, so the first hour of the day gives an empty courtyard, and by mid-morning there are queues, coaches and a car park in view. Note also that this is a national estate with its own conditions for professional photography — check them before a session is booked in the courtyards.