Camargue Wildlife & Provence Lavender

Day 1.

Flights arriving at Montpellier airport by mid-afternoon. You will be collected from the airport for transfer to your charming hotel in Aigues-Mortes. Take time to unwind & unpack.

18h00 Welcome/briefing meeting at the hotel.

Day 2.

We leave before dawn for the Parc Ornithologique, which is a natural Camargue wetlands area with one of the largest arrays of birdlife in Europe, including the famous Pink Flamingos. Our privileged local contacts provide us with access the park, before sunrise and before it opens to the public, so you can capture wonderful, exclusive images as the birds fly in at sunrise. We will guide you to the prime locations, among the waterways and lakes, to capture a variety of species, from single birds perched at the nest, to large flocks of pink Flamingos.

In the afternoon, we will capture the Black Camargue bulls, thundering through the shallow waters of marshland, with their horns held high, as they are herded by the Gardians on horseback – a unique and thrilling photographic experience.

Day 3.

In the morning, we head to the beach for a shoot with a beautiful white Camargue stallion. We photograph him rearing on the top of the sand dunes and running along the golden sand of the beach, making for striking action shots and beautiful portraits.

Late afternoon, we photograph the Wild White horses running through the marsh. We shoot several drives with the horses running across and towards your field of view. We will also take shots of the ‘Gardians’ (Camargue Cowboys) dressed in their traditional Camargue shirts & hats, trident in hand, surrounded by the herd as well as some close-up portraits of both the horses and the ‘weathered’ ranchers.

Day 4.

At sunrise, we have another session with the horses, running together through the shallow waters of the lakes, with a different composition & location. In-between the action, we take portraits and close-ups of the horses on their own or in small groups.

Late afternoon, we head to the beach for the ultimate spectacle of the wild white horses running along the golden sand and through the surf, with sea spray flying. We shoot several drives in different directions, so you can capture an assortment of action pictures, with a variety of lighting conditions. There will also be another opportunity to take some portraits of the ‘Gardians’ and of the horses.

Day 5.

A relaxed morning to download your photos and pack, before checking out of the hotel to depart for the Luberon, early afternoon (approx. 2hr drive). The Luberon is characterised by its strikingly picturesque perched, hill-top villages, dating back at least 1000 years

Check in to the hotel and take time to unwind and unpack.

Late afternoon we photograph the first beautiful Luberon village, with the warm sunshine lighting up the ochre stone colours.

Day 6.

We head off early to capture some of the most beautiful Lubéron villages at sunrise and 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 also capture quaint shots in the narrow streets of the villages with their photogenic shutters and doors.

Day 7.

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.

Day 8.

We photograph the village at sunrise, for the last time, with the sun warming the ochre-red colours.

We return to the hotel for breakfast before checking out and heading for Provence late morning.

Check in to the hotel and take time to unwind and unpack.

Late afternoon, we set off for a shoot in the picturesque village, followed by an early dinner and another shoot of the Village, nestled in the hillside, with the lights twinkling at sun down.

Day 9.

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 (Mazet) with the mountains as a backdrop.

In the afternoon, we return to capture the beautiful blue lavender and sunflowers – a sight and scent to behold! We end the day when the sun sets over the lavender fields.

Day 10.

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.

In the afternoon, we return to capture the beautiful blue lavender and sunflowers – a sight and scent to behold! We end the day when the sun sets over the lavender fields.

Day 11.

A relaxed morning for breakfast before checking out of the hotel before departing to Marseille, arriving at around 12h00 to take your afternoon flight.