Camargue Wildlife

Tour Leader: Serge Krouglikoff

When you think of the Camargue, you picture Wild White Horses running free, imperious black bulls thundering through the marsh and Pink Flamingos flying in V-formation. By popular demand, we’ve combined the three, so you get the best of all Camargue wildlife.

Photographing the Wild White Horses is a dream come true for most people. It’s an exceptional experience to see this world-renowned and noble breed splashing through the shallow waters of the marshland, with the Gardians (Camargue Cowboys) on horseback.

The famous Black Bulls are also a big part of life in the Camargue and we offer a unique opportunity of capturing the bulls thundering through the marshy shallow water with their horns held high.

Our extraordinary Flamingos & birdlife photography is run by our talented specialist BBC Wildlife birdlife photographer. The Camargue is surrounded by the largest cultivated reed-bed in Western Europe, offering an unbelievably wide range of habitats, each with its characteristic flora and fauna and migrating birds. This workshop is a top pick for Wildlife and Equine photography.

Day 1

We will collect you from Montpellier airport for transfer to your charming hotel in the centre of the medieval town of Aigues-Mortes. Take time to unwind, unpack and explore the streets of the city that lies within the mile-long rampart walls.

We will gather for a welcome drink and briefing meeting late afternoon/early evening.

Day 2

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

In the afternoon, we capture the Camargue Black bulls thundering through the marshy shallow water with horns held high, herded by the Gardians on horseback – a unique photographic experience.

Day 3

We leave before dawn for the Parc Ornithologique, which is a natural Camargue wetlands area. Our specialist BBC Wildlife photographer, Thierry, is regular here and is expert on where to be and at what time to get the birds at their very best. He is the only person authorised to 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.

Late afternoon we return to the Parc where you can capture a wide variety of shots –birds on their own and up close, Flamingos congregating in pairs or in a group and you can even create a landscape image with the birds in the water together at dawn. We end the day with sunset shots as the birds take flight in iconic V-formation.

Day 4

At dawn 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 close-up portraits of the ‘weathered’ ranchers.

Late afternoon we have another session with the horses running together through the shallow waters of the marsh but with a different composition. After the action, we take portraits of the horses on their own or in small groups, as the sun sets.

Day 5

In the morning, we photograph the sparring stallions – this is a unique opportunity to see the White horses entwined at full height, in feisty temperament with their manes flying.

Early afternoon departures to the airport.

Create Away is the only photography workshop company actually based in the Camargue, making us the number one specialists

We have built up strong relationships with the locals who highly respect the local traditions, wildlife and their beloved Camargue

Exclusive access to private ranch land, inaccessible to the public
2 galloping horse shoots with several ‘drives’ per shoot
1 shoot with sparring Stallions
1 shoot of the Black Bulls running through the marsh
1 shoot with a beautiful white stallion, running on the beach and rearing on the sand dunes
2 shoots of Flamingos and birdlife, with access to a natural ornithological park before it opens to the public, oﬀering exclusive photography opportunities
Tuition from a highly successful, professional photographer whose international career spans over 3 decades, as well as our professional specialist bird photographer
B&B at a charming hotel in a picturesque Mediaeval walled city
Airport transfers to and from Montpellier airport

Single occupant (en-suite): £2375 per person

2 people sharing a room: 5% oﬀ the workshop price

Discounts available for group bookings (6+). Please enquire for details

A deposit of 25% is payable at the time of booking

To join our workshops, you need to have a good understanding of how your own camera works (how to set it up in Manual, Aperture and Shutter priority) and understand about exposure. If this is not the case, we recommend you book a pre-workshop course.

FLIGHTS IMPORTANT NOTICE

Please note we sometimes run this workshop back to front. Also, there is a minimum number of people required, so please do not book your flights until you have checked with us.

Pre-workshop course (subject to availability)
Cost including hotel £370 pp.

If you would like to arrive a day early to beneﬁt from a course on your camera, settings, techniques and how to obtain the best out of your workshop, please let us know. We consider the pre-course very worthwhile for intermediate-level photographers and essential for beginners or photographers with new equipment with which they are not familiar.

What is included in the price:

4 nights B&B in 3-star Hotel (5-star hotel with price available on request) in Medieval Aigues-Mortes
Airport transfers to and from Montpellier airport – arrivals day between 09h00 and mid-afternoon/departures day between 09h00 and 19h00 (other transfers are not included but can be arranged by us)
All transportation during your workshop
Guidance throughout by expert professional photographers

Before you book your ﬂights, you might like to consider extending your stay before or after the workshop to make the most of the beautiful region and sunshine– ask Ros for further details.