Holiday itinerary
Learn the true art of digital photography on this photographic holiday based in Dordogne, the heart of French Perigord, a region famous not only for its rich flavours but its colourful landscapes of green fields and forests, plum coloured vines, chalky-white limestone and the charcoal coloured valleys.
As well as learning the fundamentals of digital photography, this holiday is a real opportunity to develop your creative instincts and to absorb the fascinating French landscape and culture, a chance to take beautiful images that express you own individual approach to the inspirational surroundings and colourful culture.
During this memorable photography holiday your tutor Gareth and attentive host Lila will be on hand to organise every element of your break. Lila will cook delicious Dordogne specialities using home-grown and local farm produce to give you a flavour of the area’s enduring culinary delights, while Gareth will organise all elements of the course, including early morning shoots, to ensure you gain the most from your weekend.
Get more from your camera and learn photography in France, enjoy the warm climate and hospitality, great food and wine, stunning surroundings and take home images from this beautiful area to treasure for a lifetime.
Suitability
- Suitable for all levels from beginners to advanced
- Minimum age 18 (younger students of 12 and over are welcome if accompanied by an adult, please enquire at for more details)
- Courses have a maximum of 6 people in each group, singles are very welcome as you'll meet others with a passion for photography and there are NO single supplements
- The course is mainly focused on digital photography
- If you would like advice on which DSLR camera to buy before your holiday, your tutor will be happy to advise once the holiday has been confirmed
Who Are Our Guests?
- Holidays are typically made up of international travellers looking to get more from their holiday
- Ages vary, but the typical customer falls in to the 30-60 age bracket
- The majority of our guests are beginners or those with limited experience
- Of course, everyone shares a passion or interest in discovering a new activity or continuing a hobby
- To read some more in-depth guest reviews, click here to visit our blog
Photography Holiday Start Days
- Photography courses start on set Fridays in May and October
Typical Photography Holiday Itinerary
Please note that the itinerary is as a guide only and may change depending on the weather and time of year.
Day 1 - Arrival and welcome dinner
- You will have time to settle into your luxurious French 18th Century stone house and soak up the welcoming atmosphere
- At 6pm you will enjoy a welcome introduction with aperitifs, in the evening you will enjoy a traditional delicious French meal and an introduction to the main topics that will be covered during the weekend
- Please note: we recommend you aim to arrive no later than 6pm where possible as not to miss the welcome dinner
Day 2 – Dawn shoot, market day and more...
- Today you will be up at 5.30am to catch the perfect light on the dawn shoot, you’ll have a croissant and a hot drink on the move
- After the shoot you will return to the accommodation at around 8.30am for breakfast
- At around 10am you will depart for a morning shoot in the medieval town of Sarlat as its market day, an excellent opportunity to catch the colourful sights and characters
- After the photo shoot at the market you will enjoy a restaurant lunch in the town of Sarlat (at extra cost)
- In the afternoon you will return to your accommodation for free time and siesta
- At 5pm you will depart for the evening photo shoot
- When you return to the accommodation after the shoot you will sit with your fellow photographers, friendly tutor and host to enjoy a delicious homemade regional French meal
Day 3 – Dawn shoot, Domme visit and editing tuition
- On the second day of the course it’s time to get up early again at 5.30am to catch the perfect light on the dawn shoot you’ll have a croissant and a hot drink on the move
- Return at 8.30am for breakfast at your accommodation
- At 10.30am you’ll set off for a morning shoot at the beautiful walled town of Domme which will be followed by a group lunch (at extra cost)
- After lunch you will have free time and a siesta
- In the early evening you will have a tutorial with Gareth, editing images in Lightroom along with Photoshop, digital workflow and learning how to back up your photographs
-After your tutorial you will have free time or Gareth will be available to review your work and discuss your photography if you like
- At around 8pm you will enjoy your final meal
Day 4 - Departure
- A lie in today, enjoying breakfast at the accommodation at 8am
- After breakfast at 10am, you’ll be asked to check out of your room ready for departure, taking with you fantastic photos, new skills and memories of a wonderful photography experience
What Will I Learn?
- Understanding the difference between the way your eyes see the world and how the camera does
- How to see the world as a photographer, striking photos are taken of quite mundane subjects and it’s the photographers’ eyes that have spotted the potential of a subject
- Understanding the nature of light, whether shooting at dawn, in the middle of night or in a busy market town, the effect that it will have on the image we are making
- Looking at formulas for successful pictures, which have been used by artists for centuries:
- The rule of thirds
- How to organize elements within the frame to create harmony and balance
- Balancing shapes and colours, light and dark, creating a focal point and the use of foreground interest and lead lines to give depth and direction to an image
- How to capture a correctly exposed digital image to maximise tonal range and create a file with the best potential for successful editing later and understanding the histogram as our main tool for doing this
-Understanding shutter speed and depth of field so that you can take more control of the images we are making and not to use the auto button
- Using filters to help control exposure levels within the frame
- Looking at the complete digital workflow from capture to print
- Including uploading of images, sorting, key-wording and editing using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, and finally backing up
Your Photography Tutor
- Passionate about photography, your British photography tutor Gareth has been a photographer 20 years
- With over 15 years experience working as a professional photographer, Gareth has taught photography at all levels
- His passion has always been landscape photography which began watching his father working as a landscape painter when he was very young
- He enjoys every element of photography, not just landscapes, from portraits to weddings
- Moving with his French wife Lila and his young son to the Dordogne in 2003, he found a landscape that he found truly inspiring and a move that has allowed him to concentrate on his professional photography
- Landscape photography is now the mainstay of his professional work and he has quickly established himself as the landscape photographer of the area
- Working as a photography teacher as well as working on commissions and local projects, with a friendly and approachable manner, there is no one better to teach you the art of photography
- To learn more about Gareth's passion for photography, visit our blog
Accommodation
- You will be staying in one of the two charming 18th Century stone houses situated on a hilltop, with beautiful views overlooking its 20 acres of sloping lawns and woodland
- See our ‘about the school’ page to read more about this stunning location in the Dordogne
- The house and cottage have been lovingly restored, whilst retaining all their original features
- Its private swimming pool is just a few metres from both houses amongst fruit trees and palms, overlooked by the property's terraces (dependent on weather)
- The house has 4 bedrooms and the Cottage has 2 bedrooms, sleeping a maximum of 12 people
- Friendly and hospitable you will find the atmosphere welcoming and relaxing
Meals
- All breakfasts and evening meals are included in the price of your course
- Lila your host is an excellent cook and the wonderful dishes she prepares will be an added highlight to your photography weekend, ensuring you are well fuelled for your photo shoots
- Delicious meals are prepared from fresh local produce and include French classics and regional specialities
- Evening meals are 3 course and include half a bottle of wine per person
- Please note that lunch on day 2 and 3 in the restaurants are not included in the price
Weather Conditions And Itinerary
- Your photography tutor will alter the itinerary if the weather doesn’t offer the best conditions for photographing the area
What To Bring
- Bring your own digital camera (with manual), charger, memory cards, tripod, filters and flash if you have them
- Point and shoot if you have one
- You may be able to borrow the digital SLR at the school but please enquire about availability before you book
- Please bring suitable footwear for walking as you will be spending a lot of time exploring the different areas
- Please bring warm clothes as the weather can be very cold during the early morning shoots (even in May)
Be inspired by the beautiful landscape, colours and flavours of France, for a truly unforgettable experience. Learn photography in France and take your skills to a new level on this digital photography holiday with a difference.