Ultimate Camargue

Tour Leader: Serge Krouglikoff

The Camargue region in France is a captivating destination for wildlife photography and is bucket-list for photographers worldwide.

Witness the magnificent wild white horses running freely through the shallow waters of the marshland and capture the strength and energy of the Black Camargue Bulls who thunder through the marshy shallows, their horns held high.

With an unbelievably wide range of habitats, the Camargue attracts migrating birds and provides great opportunities for bird photography including the iconic Pink Flamingos.

Beyond wildlife, you’ll find opportunities for classic portraits, capturing the essence of this unique region.

Day 1

Arrivals Montpellier airport by early-afternoon and transfer to your hotel in the centre of the medieval town of Aigues-Mortes.

Late afternoon we will gather for a welcome/briefing meeting.

Day 2

We leave before dawn for the Parc Ornithologique to photograph Camargue birdlife and the iconic Great Flamingos. This shoot will be led by a specialist bird photographer, who is an expert on how, where and when to photograph the birds at their very best. With privileged access to the park before sunrise he will help you capture exclusive images before the park opens to the public.

Late afternoon we go to the beach for a shoot with a beautiful trained white Camargue stallion. We photograph him running and rearing on the top of the sand dunes, along the golden sand and in the sea, making for striking action shots.

Day 3

After breakfast, we spend the morning shooting portraits of the Gardians (Camargue Cowboys) with their ‘weathered’ faces – they are perfect subjects for stunning black and white photography. Serge demonstrates how to obtain a classic portrait, along with helpful tips for working with subjects who may not be comfortable in front of the lens. You will learn about composition, lighting techniques, using daylight and portable flash, lens choice and how to deal with the elements around you.

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

Day 4

In the morning, we photograph a beautiful trained black Andalusian stallion who loves the beach! We capture him running along the beach and frolicking in and out of the sea and surf, making for a wide range of dramatic images.

In the afternoon, we have the first shoot with the Wild White Horses running through the marsh. We shoot several drives with the horses running across and towards your field of view, offering a wide variety of action shots, up until sunset. We will also capture the ‘Gardians’, dressed in their traditional Camargue shirts & hats, trident in hand, surrounded by the herd as well as close-up portraits.

Day 5

At sunrise, we have another session with the horses in the marsh but with a different composition. After the action, we will take portraits of the horses on their own or in small groups.

Late afternoon, we photograph the sparring stallions– this is a unique opportunity to see the Wild White Horses entwined at full height, in feisty temperament with their manes flying!

Day 6

At sunrise, we capture the ultimate scene of the Wild White Horses running through the surf along the beach with sea spray flying. We will also photograph them at a peaceful lagoon, with beautiful reflections. After the action, we will take portraits of the horses on their own and with the Gardians.

Departure back to Montpellier airport for your flight home from mid-afternoon.

Please note that itineraries are subject to change, due to unforeseen circumstances

Create Away is the number one specialist for Camargue Wildlife photography. We are based in the Camargue and run workshops all year round so have privileged and exclusive long-established relationships with the local people.

Privileged access to private land in the Camargue

3 galloping Wild Horses shoots with several drives per shoot, in different locations
A shoot with 2 Wild Sparring Stallions
A shoot with a beautiful, trained Camargue White Stallion on the beach
A shoot with a beautiful, trained Andalusian Black Stallion on the beach
A birdlife/Flamingos sunrise shoot with birdlife specialist
A shoot with the Camargue Black Bulls running in the marsh
A portraits shoot with weathered Gardians (Camargue cowboys)

Single occupant (en-suite): £3320 per person
2 people sharing room: 5% oﬀ the workshop price
Discounts available for group bookings. Please enquire to ﬁnd out more
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.

FLIGHTS IMPORTANT NOTICE

There is a minimum number of people required on this workshop, so please do not book your flights until you have checked with us.

Pre-workshop course (subject to availability)

Cost including hotel £390 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:

5 nights B&B in a family-run 3-star hotel (upgrade to superior room, available on request, for a supplement)
Airport transfers to and from Montpellier airport – arrivals day between 09h00 and early afternoon/departures day between 09h00 and 18h00 (other transfers are not included but can be arranged by us)
All transportation during your course
Expert guidance throughout, from a global career-professional photographer, with over 4 decades of experience

What’s excluded:

Flights
Insurance
Meals (except breakfast)
Snacks & drinks

Before you book your flights, you might like to consider arriving a day or two earlier or staying a day or two after the workshop to make the most of the beautiful region and sunshine – we can recommend excursions so please ask Ros for further details.