Photographing La Belle France

Meet Kay Henson, after having an amazing time on a photographic holiday in France at the beginning of August this year, she decided to share her great photos and experience. Having left her holiday relaxed and with new skills she could not have wished for a better week….

Photographing La Belle France

Kay Henson August 15th 2014

This was a watershed holiday for me, my first holiday abroad as a single person and I wanted it to be really special. It took a while to filter through the amazing things on offer, but I wanted something that gave me a new experience and skill, but also gave me time to relax and cultivate the new me.

I opted for French Photographic holidays in the Dordogne (near Brantome). I could not have chosen better. There are so many things that a good holiday needs and I had everything I could possibly have hoped for.

I arrived in the afternoon to a really warm welcome and the chance to describe to Paul what my (very few) photographic skills were and what I wanted to achieve during the week. At the same time, over coffee, Pam asked about my likes and dislikes for food (as a veggie) during the week.

There are only two guest rooms and 2 students during the week and led to really personal attention. This was true for both the tuition and as hosts. My room was really excellent and the food as good as it gets (especially for a veggie in France).

During the week I produced photos that I am so proud of. I could never have achieved the results without Paul’s tuition and advice. I learnt about composition, the way to spot a good shot and that failure rate is high (just take time to consider your shots, but realise that they will not all be masterpieces). We looked at landscape, night shots, street photography, macro and long lens work. In each case Paul showed us his unique hints and tips for making it really special. Paul does not believe in vastly expensive kit and constantly updating equipment, just getting the best from the kit you have. Very refreshing!

After each day’s creative photo taking we reviewed the shots in an organised way – one that allowed us to rate and shortlist those for the Photoshop treatment. The computer element was all new to me and still amazes me that the use of the software can make a very ordinary shot into a masterpiece. That is not to say that we were taught to ‘fake it’, but to enhance the image we had captured, often to make it zing with the energy that it really had in real life. For someone with no experience of the software Paul’s tips and mechanism made it a really easy process.

I could not have wanted for a better week. I left my stay relaxed, with new skills, having been made to feel more welcome than I could ever have imagined.

Like the sound of Kay’s holiday? Find more details here.