South of France: Wild Horses and Lavender Landscapes

Camargue Wild Horses, Provence Lavender Fields, and Luberon Hilltop Villages

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Experience Highlights

  • Photograph the famous wild white horses of the Camargue during multiple photoshoots on private land.

  • Capture the stunning vast lavender fields of Provence in golden hour light

  • Experience the beauty and charm of ancient hilltop villages in the Luberon

At A Glance

Dates:
July 9-19, 2025

Starts/Ends:
Marseille /Montpellier, France

Price: $7,950 Single Occupancy

Deposit: $1500

Your Instructor:
Stephanie Hogue

What's Included: Airport Transfers, Lodging,  Breakfasts, Transportation, Guides & Photography Instruction

What's Not Included: Airfare to Marseille/from Montpellier from, France; Meals other than noted in itinerary; Travel Insurance; Personal Expenses (including alcohol); Gratuities. Anything not specifically listed as included

Luberon & Lavender
We begin our adventure photographing the vast fields of lavender in the valleys of Provence. The fields should be in their prime in mid-July with sublime colors and fragrance to fill the senses. We’ll rise early and stay out late to capture the fields in the best light and avoid the tourist hordes. Note: we’ve timed this trip based on historical lavender bloom and harvests but these are subject to the vagaries of mother nature and decisions of farmers who don’t consider the desires of photographers. Therefore, we cannot make any guarantees about the condition of the lavender fields.

Next, we move on to the Luberon massif, a mountainous region with rolling landscapes and ancient hilltop villages. The honey-colored stone architecture of the area is reminiscent of Tuscany and supremely photogenic in warm early morning and late afternoon light.

White Horses of the Camargue
We conclude our time in France photographing the famous wild white horses of the Camargue as they splash through the shallow marshes and lakes of their natural habitat. Capture white stallions rearing on the beach and charging through the surf alone and in groups.  Camargue’s black bulls and beautiful pink flamingoes also reside in the area and we won’t skip the opportunity to photograph them. The “Gardians”, the cowboys of the Camargue, in their traditional garb and gear also make fabulous subjects for our cameras.

Epicurean Delights
We’re here to make photographs but it would simply wrong to overlook the gastronomical delights of this region. Indulge your palate at the many local cafes and restaurants.

READY TO JOIN THE ADVENTURE?

Alumni Discounts

If  you’ve traveled with us before, we want to thank you with discounts of future trips View details of our Alumni Rewards program 

  • Stephanie Hogue

    Texas native Stephanie Hogue moved to southern California to pursuing her passion for photography at the highly regarded Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara. 


    She eventually settled down in Ventura, California and  began a very successful wedding and portrait business, earning the respect and admiration of clients including the Hollywood elite, presidential and  senatorial candidates. Her work has been published in publications including Time magazine, People, InStyle and Modern Bride and many others.

    In 2012, Stephanie achieved a lifelong dream by founding Latitudes Fine Art Gallery in Ventura. Latitudes showcases her work and longtime friend, renowned marine and wildlife photographer Steve Munch. She went on a second Latitudes Fine Art Gallery on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Since then she has published four coffee table books of photographic art and both galleries are still running strong. 

  • We understand life happens and plans may change. If you need to cancel your reservation, the following policies apply to this workshop:

    Deposits are NOT refundable but may be transferrable to another Art of Seeing workshop for up to 24 months from date of cancellation in accordance with the following schedule:

    Regardless of when you cancel, if we fill your spot*, you will receive a refund of all fees paid less your deposit and $150 processing fee. If we cannot fill your spot, the amount of your refund is based upon the cancellation date:

    • Cancellation 120 days or more from workshop start date: 100% refund of fees paid less deposit and $150 processing fee. Deposit transferrable up to 24 mos

    • Cancellation 90 – 120 days from workshop start date: 50% refund of fees paid less deposit and $150 processing fee. Deposit forfeit.

    • Cancellation less than 90 days from workshop start date: No refunds.

    *canceled spots are filled after the workshop reaches full capacity

    Click here to read our complete Terms & Conditions

    We highly encourage participants to purchase travel insurance to recover expenses not covered by our Cancellations & Refunds policy in case you need to cancel your reservation. 

  • Q: Where will we stay?

    A: We will stay in small hotels in each of our 3 locations

    Q: Is there an extra fee for a private room?

    A: No, the workshop fee includes private rooms with ensuite bathrooms.

     

    Q: What if I have special dietary requirements?

    A: We will pass on any dietary requirements to the hotel where it is relevant to breakfast, which is included in the workshop price.  You will have many options at the restaurants we eat at for lunch and dinner which can accommodate most dietary needs.

      

    Q: Breakfast is included in the workshop, but what about the other meals?

    A: Lunch and dinner are not included in the workshop because there are so many fabulous restaurants to try in the charming towns and villages we will visit and we want each person to sample the cuisines that most appeals to them. 

      

    Q: What happens if it rains?

    A: We work around the weather and may adjust the itinerary to ensure you get the best possible shoot on any given day.  It is extremely rare we cancel due to rain, unless conditions are extreme.

     

    Q: How should I make my travel arrangements?

    A: Book your international flights to arrive at Marseille International Airport (airport code: MRS). and depart from Montpelier International Airport (airport code: MPL) in Montpelier, France. Additional details to help you plan your travels will be provided to registered participants

     

    Q: Do I need a tourist visa to enter France?

    A: If your passport was issued by the Unites States, a tourist visa is NOT required to enter France/European Union.

     

    Q: What if I want to arrive early or stay after the workshop dates?

    A: No problem, let us know your arrival/departure details and we will book the additional hotel nights on your behalf (additional cost).

     

    Q: Can my non-photographer friend/partner attend?

    A: Absolutely, travel partners who may not share your passion for photography are very welcome. Just make sure they can handle being part of a group that wants to do nothing but eat, sleep and talk about photography. Also, they should be aware of our (very) early start times and long days. Unfortunately, due to limited space, we cannot offer a discount for non-photographer partners.

               

    Q:  What is the fitness level required for this trip?

    A:  This trip is classified as Easy from a physical fitness perspective.  No hiking is in the itinerary but we will be strolling the streets of small villages which can be hilly for several hours at a stretch.

Day Date Itinerary Overnight Included Meals
1 July 9 Arrival - Provence - welcome to France! We will transfer you to our charming hotel in central Provence. Relax and recover from your travels until 4pm when we gather for our Workshop Overview meeting followed by a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Provence Hotel Dinner
2 July 10 Provence - Provence - before sunrise, we set off to photograph the Lavender fields in the pale morning light. We will capture different views of the lavender, dotted with small stone shepherd’s huts with the mountains as a backdrop. In the afternoon, we return to capture the beautiful purple lavender and sunflowers – a sight and scent to behold! We end the day when the sun sets over the lavender fields. Provence Hotel Breakfast
3 July 11 Provence - we set off again today for the lavender and sunflower fields, but we head for different locations today, giving you the opportunity of photographing diverse landscapes with varying backdrops, providing a wide array of stunning landscape images at sunrise and sunset. Provence Hotel Breakfast
4 July 12 Provence-Luberon - sleep in and enjoy a leisurely breakfast before we make the drive to a small hilltop village in the Luberon (~2hrs) This region is the rural French countryside of your imagination, characterized by strikingly picturesque hill-top villages dating back 1000 years or more. We’ll check in at our hotel and get settled before heading out to explore the village on foot with our cameras in late afternoon light Luberon Hotel Breakfast
5 July 13 Luberon - We depart early to capture another beautiful hilltop village in the soft morning light. Late afternoon we set off again to photograph different villages and lavender fields, offering you a wide array of varying landscapes. We’ll also stroll the narrow cobblestone streets of the villages creating compositions with their photogenic shutters, doors and other architectural details. Luberon Hotel Breakfast
6 July 14 Luberon - today we photograph more villages and lavender fields. You can obtain a wide array of images including perched villages at sunrise and sunset, some with lavender stretching out at the foot of the village and others with wonderful views out across the valley floor with a patchwork of orchards and vineyards. We also photograph a beautiful and still working 12th century abbey in a sublime, solitary setting, surrounded by fields of lavender, one of the most iconic sights in Provence Luberon Hotel Breakfast
7 July 15 Luberon – Camargue - we begin with a sunrise shoot nearby. Then we check out after breakfast and drive to the Camargue, stopping along the way to visit the impressive Pont du Gard Roman viaduct ruins where we’ll do a bit of photography and have our lunch. We arrive in Aigues Morte midafternoon in time to get settled and stroll the lanes of this medieval village before dinner. Carmargue Hotel Breakfast
8 July 16 Aigues Mortes – we depart before dawn for the Parc Ornithologique, a natural Camargue wetlands area with one of the largest arrays of birdlife in Europe, including its famous Pink Flamingos. Our local contacts provide us with access to the park before sunrise and before it opens to the public. Capture images of birds flying at sunrise. Our guides will direct us to prime locations among the waterways and lakes to capture a variety of species from single birds to large flocks of pink Flamingos. We return to our hotel for meals and some downtime before heading out in the afternoon to photograph the Black Bulls of Camargue, thundering through the shallow waters of marshland, as they are herded by the Gardians on horseback – a unique and thrilling photographic experience. Carmargue Hotel Breakfast
9 July 17 Aigues Mortes - we start this morning with an early morning beach photoshoot with a beautiful white Camargue stallion. Capture portrait and action images of our subject rearing and running atop the sand dunes and along the beach in golden hour light. Return to our hotel to clean up, eat and download images. Time allowing, Stephanie will cover image management and post processing tips in Lightroom before we head out in the late for another photo session of wild white horses running through the marsh. The horses are herded by the “Gardians”, Camargue Cowboys, who make fantastic subjects dressed in their traditional attire, trident in hand, surrounded by the herd as well as some close-up portraits of both the horses and the “weathered” ranchers. Carmargue Hotel Breakfast
10 July 18 Aigues Mortes - in the morning, we head to the beach for the ultimate spectacle of the wild white horses running along the golden sand and surf, sea spray flying. We’ll shoot several drives in different directions to capture an assortment of action images in a variety of lighting conditions. There will also be another opportunity to capture “Gardian” portraits as well as more intimate photographs the horses This afternoon is our final photoshoot with the horses and Gardians splashing through the marsh. Take advantage of breaks in the action to capture portraits of individual horses or Gardians or up-close detail shots. Carmargue Hotel Breakfast
11 July 19 A relaxed morning for a leisurely breakfast before checking out of the hotel and departing to Montpellier airport in time to check in for your homeward flight.
End of Service 		- Breakfast