CAMARGUE HORSES OF SOUTHERN FRANCE

Photograph the exquisite power of these native wild white stallions along the picturesque beaches and marshlands on the south coast of France.

MAY 4 - 9, 2025

In the far south of France, nestled between the Mediterranean Sea and the arms of the Rhone River lies Camargue, the largest river delta in Western Europe. Home to 400 species of birds including flamingos, the marshes and lagoons near the ocean provide a rich habitat for these animals to live and thrive. The most famous of which being the angelic white Camargue Horse. This ancient horse breed is indigenous to southern France and considered to be one of the oldest breeds in the world, it lives semi-feral here among the marshlands as they have for thousands of years. They are looked after by Guardians (cowboys) whose help we shall enlist to create classic and graceful images of these statuesque white horses galloping through the waterways that they call home. Just imagine the smell of salt water in the air as the orange sun is setting for the day, by all accounts that would be a pretty good way to spend an evening. Now picture a herd of ten beautiful white horses running towards you in a show of unity and strength with that golden light hitting their mane as you stand in position with your camera ready to freeze the action. This would be a nature photographer’s dream!

On this 5 day Photography Workshop we will have 7 sessions photographing these magnificent creatures during the best light of the day: sunrise and sunset. Our small group size will ensure that everyone will have plenty of space and get the help and attention they need as we watch the horses frolicking about while guided by their guardians to maximize our photo opportunities. All transportation and lodging (single occupancy) are included in this workshop. All throughout you will be provided with expert instruction on how best to capture all the action and interesting gestures and compositions. The goal of the workshop is to give you the ability to explore, learn, and fine tune those photography skills both in the field as well in post processing development to bring your images to life. Helping clients create a portfolio of images they are excited and proud of is priority number one on all of our workshops (along with having a good time).

INSTRUCTOR: CHRIS BYRNE              

GROUP SIZE: 7 PARTICIPANTS

COST: $5750

INCLUDED: All Transportation and Lodging (Single Person Occupancy Room)

NOT INCLUDED: Airfare, snacks, meals, alcohol, tips & gratuities

DEPOSIT: A 50% deposit is required to secure a spot, with the final balance due 90 days prior to the workshop.

Can’t make this workshop? 2024 Dates are currently available.

ITINERARY

The workshop will begin on Sunday May 4th and this day will be set aside for arrivals into the airport in Marseille, France (MRS). Guests will be received and transferred to our hotel for the duration in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, a beautiful fishing town on the Mediterranean full of so much charm that Vincent Van Gogh spent time there painting. We will spend that day getting acquainted with the city, have an afternoon discussion on how best to capture moving wildlife and the proper settings, and enjoy a good dinner. On Day 2 we will begin with our sunrise session photographing the horses in beautiful morning light. Each day thereafter we will be shooting in the early morning and late afternoons, capturing them in different environments around Camargue; beaches, marshes, ponds. All of which are a one of a kind setting for unique and powerful images. Mid-day will be for exploring the town, image reviews or critique, and relaxing. Our beautiful seaside hotel has a heated pool, spa services, and a beach just 100 meters away. The final photography session with the horses will be on May 8 and participants should plan to fly home out of Marseille or continue their trip in France on the following day, Friday May 9, 2024 (our travel day).

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

A photography workshop in the beautiful south of France with a gallant and wild subject matter that is found nowhere else: The White Horses of the Sea in Camargue. This tour will be equal parts adrenaline and tranquility with the rush of these powerful horses running in stride and their beauty and grace being what we are aiming to capture with our cameras.

This won’t be one of my typical workshops where we are running around to locations chasing the best weather and light. It will be more of a controlled wildlife portrait session where you will be able to come away with a portfolio of wild horses, a universally loved photographic subject, in the golden light of sunrise and sunset. In addition to our time in the field, we will work on post processing techniques for both color and black and white, which equally look stunning for these types of images.

If you have ever wanted to work on your wildlife photography techniques, then this is the perfect environment with lots of repetitions to learn your camera and what works and what doesn’t when shooting moving subjects and animals. You will be able to shoot during the morning, review photos during the day, and then get another opportunity that evening to try new things. I find this kind of immediate feedback, with chances to try again right away, to be one of the quickest ways to improve and increase that percentage of keeper photographs while in the field.

CANCELLATION POLICY & TRAVEL INSURANCE - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

We reserve the right to cancel the workshop if minimum participants are not met or in the event of an emergency. In the event of emergency where Chris cannot personally attend, then a replacement guide will be the first option. If a cancellation does occur, participants may either use the fee towards a future workshop or receive a full refund. We are not responsible for travel expenses incurred and therefore strongly recommend getting travel insurance to cover such costs. Two companies that we recommend are Ripcord and Squaremouth.

A $200 change fee will be charged for changes or cancellations. Participants who cancel prior to 90 days before the workshop will receive either a full refund or credit to a future workshop minus the change fee. Any cancellations within 90 days of the workshop cannot be refunded under any circumstances. Only if we are able to fill the vacancy, will the participant will receive a credit to a future workshop minus the change fee. Workshop credits are good for one calendar year from the date of the missed workshop. If a desired replacement workshop is sold out, we will work with you on the credit.

Any cancellations within 30 days of the workshop (for any reason) will forfeit their entire registration fee as it is extremely difficult to fill the space on that short of notice. If a true emergency arises last minute we will do our best to work with you granting a partial credit towards a future workshop, but this is not guaranteed. Again travel insurance is strongly recommended.