Day 1 — Sunday May 26

Workshop attendees are responsible for arranging their own transportation to Rodez.  There, at the airport or train station or other location of their choosing, they will be met by someone from the program who will drive them to the Chateau.

UPON ARRIVAL

Settle into your room
Relax in the Chateau park
Light supper in the Chateau dining room
Welcome and Introductions (brief)

Day 2 — Monday May 27

MORNING        

Breakfast at the Chateau

Meet and get acquainted with your fellow participants, workshop leader Susan, and your hosts, Roland and Malana. 

What has brought you here for a week of photography? What are your personal goals for the workshop? We will go over the itinerary and answer any questions. Susan will show examples of the photography themes we will cover and will talk about the photo review process and using Google Drive.

Photography walk to the Prieuré du Sauvage, a monastery established by an ancient religious order that thrived for six centuries. Susan will introduce photo themes to keep in mind as you shoot. We’ll walk a trail and have a chance to photograph the valley landscape and the ancient priory.

Van ride back to Balsac village

Lunch at village restaurant Al Cantou

AFTERNOON

Free time for exploring, and photographing, including walking around the village.  Allow time to review and edit your photos. Choose your favorite 3 photos from the day and upload to your folder on Google.

EVENING          

Explore the Chateau de Balsac. Get to know it’s architectural elements and history. See how the building evolved over hundreds of years. This is an opportunity to photograph interior and exterior details, textures, patterns, still life and reflections. 

Dinner at the Chateau

After dinner photo walk around the Chateau and park at sunset.

Day 3 — Tuesday May 28

MORNING        

Breakfast at the Chateau

Drive to Belcastel, a well-preserved medieval village with a stunning chateau dominating its skyline, designated one of “the most beautiful villages” in France.

Visit the Chateau de Belcastel and village (tours possible). Susan will introduce photo themes to keep in mind as you shoot. Stone archways and cobblestone streets offer a myriad of photo closeups. The vistas from the chateau offer wide angle landscapes.

AFTERNOON

Lunch 

Visit the Chateau de Bournazel and its park (guided tours available). The formal garden offers many photo opportunities with its intriguing pathways and patterns offering stark contrasts of light and shadow.  

Return to Balsac

EVENING          

Photo review session: Review and edit photos from the day. Upload 3 favorites to the Google folder. These sessions will be a supportive space to share what you’re working on and get feedback from the group and Susan. It’s meant to be informal and fun. We will all learn from each other.

Dinner at the Chateau

Day 4 — Wednesday May 29

MORNING        

Breakfast at the Chateau

Drive to Rodez

Visit the outdoor market in Rodez. Street photography, delicious food and produce is the focus. Susan will introduce photo themes for the day and will go over guidelines for taking pictures of people.

AFTERNOON

Lunch in Rodez

Visit the Soulages Museum; guided tour (45 min)

Visit Rodez sites (possibly visits to cathedral, other museums, tours, etc.) Susan will lead a photo walk around Rodez. We’ll explore the old town of Rodez and the cathedral. Keeping in mind the photo theme of the day, we will take photos of the architecture, people, reflections, and textures of the city.

Return to the Chateau

EVENING          

Review and edit photos from the day. Upload 3 favorites to google folder. We’ll have a group review session on Friday.                       

Dinner at the Chateau

NIGHT              

Sunset and night sky photography around the Chateau and village. There is very little light pollution here and the stars are bright. If you are planning on doing night sky photography, a tripod will be needed. Susan will review exposures and ISO settings.

Day 5 — Thursday May 30

MORNING        

Breakfast at the Chateau

Drive to Estaing, another of the most beautiful villages in France, whose architecture and history span more than nine centuries.

The village, chateau and surrounding countryside offer many photo opportunities from wide angle vistas, reflections of the stone bridge, to details of an ancient door. Susan will introduce a new theme for the day, and we’ll explore.

AFTERNOON

Lunch

The drive to Conques offers opportunities to stop and take photos along the way. For centuries, Conques has been an important way station for pilgrims along the Chemin de St. Jacques or Saint James Way.

Keeping in mind the photo theme, we’ll explore and take advantage of the afternoon light, walking through the village, cathedral, and surrounding countryside in and around Conques. We’ll take a guided tour of the stained-glass windows created by Pierre Soulages, and of abbey church.

EVENING

Dinner in Conques

Return to the Chateau

​Day 6 — Friday May 31

MORNING        

Breakfast at the Chateau

If you haven’t had the time to review and edit photos from Thursday, today before we go to Clairvaux is a good time. Upload your 3 favorites to the Google folder.

Morning hike to villages in the valley below Balsac. Keeping in mind the photo themes, we’ll stop and take photos along the way through the countryside. The landscape surrounding the villages is dramatic. The red stone of Bruejouls and Clairvaux contrasting with the green of hanging vines and mature trees offer many photo opportunities.

AFTERNOON

Lunch at La Grange

Review and edit photos from the day. Upload 3 favorites to google folder. We’ll have a group review session and share images from Wednesday and Thursday as well as a workshop wrap up.

Depart

*Includes breakfast, lunch, 5-course evening meals, all restaurant dining, elegant accommodation, excursions and transportation during the workshop.