Provence Photography Workshops
Lavender fields and vineyards, mountains and beaches, abbeys and Roman vestiges
Welcome to French most photogenic region
With its mythical charm, breathtaking natural diversity, and universal appeal, Provence is a region at the top of many travellers’ bucket lists.
This magnificent region is shaped like a giant wedge of quiche. From its sunburned crust, fanning out along the Mediterranean coast from the Camargue to Marseille, it stretches north along the Rhône Valley to Orange. The Romans had been here for centuries and left many vestiges — some of the best anywhere. Great artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne enjoyed their years in Provence and painted some of their masterworks depicting this magnificent land. Now it's your turn, as a modern days' Van Gogh, to endeavour in the same venture.
Main Shooting Locations
Plateau de Valensole
Covering an area of 800 km2, the Valensole plateau is located at an altitude of 500 meters above sea level. Kingdom of the famous Provençal perfume plant, this territory, covered with lavender and wheat fields, is also dotted with charming localities, such as Saint-Martin-de-Bromes, Riez and Valensole itself.
Lovers of typical landscapes of Provence will not fail to crisscross the Valensole plateau in the months of June and July, when the lavender, then in bloom, lights up with a beautiful blue. An enchantment for the eyes and the sense of smell...
Le Colorado Provencal
Located in the massif of Luberon and not far from Gordes in the department of Vaucluse, The Provençal Colorado is an old open-air ochre mining site from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, classified as Natural Monuments of historical character. You will discover exceptional colors in the old ochre quarries, but also the remains of its industrial past such as size fronts, settling basins, channels, pipes…
The current landscapes are the result of the work of the hand of man and natural erosion.
ā
Arles
The city of Arles, placed just north of Camargue, preserves impressive Roman monuments among the very best in the world, the oldest of which – the arena, ancient theater, cryptoportics - date back to the first century BC. It experienced a second golden age in the fourth century, as evidenced by the baths of Constantine and the necropolis of the Alyscamps.
ā
Camargue
Placed between the two arms of the Rhone, the Camargue is simply an exceptional land, a country at the end of the world with its singular atmosphere that can not be found anywhere else. A paradise for migratory birds, land of pink flamingos, wild bulls and the famous white horses.
ā
ā
Plateau de Sault
Dominated by the Mont-Ventoux and the Albion mountain to the north, limited by the Vaucluse Mountains to the south and west, the Sault plateau is a vast expanse of limestones at an average altitude of 900 m. in the department of Vaucluse. It features some of the biggest and best looking fields of lavender in the whole region of Provence, literally miles and miles of lavender, woods and scattered farm houses.
ā
Abbey of Senanque
The abbey of Notre-Dame de Sénanque is a Cistercian monastery ilocated in the town of Gordes, in the French department of Vaucluse, Provence.
Founded in 1148, it became an abbey in 1150.
Today priory of the Lérins Abbey, the monastery, located in the valley where the Sénancole flows, is still occupied by a community of 6 Cistercian monks from the Cistercian. In June and July this abbey is completely surrounded by some of the most beautiful fields of lavender of the whole region
ā
Pont De Gau
Located just outside of Les Saintes Maries de la Mer, the capital town of Camargue, the ornithological park of Pont de Gau is a concentrate of Camargue. It's the ideal site to discover, observe and photograph many species of birds, including hundreds of pink flamingos, in their natural environment. Pond, marshes, lawns, rubines, reed beds and sansouires form this vast space of 60 hectares entirely devoted to the discovery of nature and the birds of the Camargue.
ā
Gordes
On the borders of the Luberon Regional Natural Park, in the heart of the Vaucluse mountains, Gordes is the emblem of the Provençal hilltop village.
Described a thousand times, photographed, admired, it owes its aura to the illustrious artists who once revealed it and left a lasting cultural imprint.
ā
ā
ā
Example of a typical
day in the field
Early morning
We will leave Arles right after breakfast and with an 1hour trip by car we will get to the abbey of Senanque, a medieval abbey in the outskirts of the town of Gordes, surrounded by beautiful fields of lavender
ā
rest of the morning
We will spend the rest of the morning visiting and photographing at the Abbey. We will then have a quick lunch at some bar/restaurant in a nearby village have breakfast at the hotel in Arles and then we will check out and head to our next destination, the Verdon river gorges. This is the deepest and longest canyon of Europe, the deepest point is about 800 mts (2500 ft) below the level of the surrounding terrain. The name of the river comes from the opal green colors of its waters. This is a one of those paradise of the landscape photographer, with fantastic big vistas at every corner. The trip will take about 2h30', so we will check in at our hotel at around noon.
Afternoon and sunset
Right after lunch we will take the car again and with a transfer of about 1h30' we will get to Valensole. This is a small town lying right at the centre of a plateau, and the plateau itself is probably the best place in France for photographing lavender, as there are acres and acres of lavender fields there. We will spend the rest of the day shooting in this amazing location.
About your Photography Instructor
Ciao! My name is Paolo.
I have been a full-time professional landscape, nature, travel and architecture photographer since 2007. Since then, I have planned and led hundreds of private one-to-one and small groups photo workshops and tours in some of the best looking regions and cities of Italy and France.
My pictures have appeared in calendars, books, travel magazines, brochures and as wall art in offices, hotels, restaurants and corporate venues. For more info please click here
More Photo Workshops
Private, one-to-one photo workshops, available year around
