Magic in Provence Retreat

In the heart of a garden perfumed with lavender and rosemary and surrounded by olive trees and cypress, come travel with me to an old and beautiful Provencal village for four days of photography magic. We will visit medieval villages at sunset, capture cowboys and white horses running through the surf at sunrise, duck into old churches, and walk cobblestone lanes through creamy stone houses. With shared meals, styled models, flower arranging and wine tasting classes, as well as a private tour guide, and photo shoots both indoors and outside – and so much more – every detail has been carefully curated. Our home for these four magical days will be the quaint and charming Mas de l’Oulivieand, a beautiful Provencal boutique complete with a swimming pool and spa.

This will be a very small group, and opportunities to connect via Video calls and a private Facebook page will be provided so that we all feel like old friends before we even arrive.

Where: Les Baux de Provence, France

Who: All levels of photographers are welcome – shooting in manual mode is the only requirement

When: September 21st – September 25th, 2025

Includes:

4 days
Room with garden views
Your choice of rooming alone or with another photographer
Welcome Dinner
Delicious breakfasts daily
Limited spots for a small, intimate group
Various sessions from indoor fine art sessions, to photo shoots at sunset and sunrise
Photo session at a lavendar farm and abbey with monks
Styled models
Late afternoon photoshoot through a beautiful medieval hilltop town
Flower arranging class
Wine tasting
Photo session capturing white horses running through the surf and lunch in a manade afterwards
Private tour guide
Natural light and off-camera flash instruction
Editing videos of D’Ann’s favorite images from the retreat
Travel Insurance will be included

You will fly home from this adventure feeling inspired and filled up with so much magic and Provencal beauty. With four days to ask D’Ann anything and everything, to shoot alongside her and others, and the opportunity to be surrounded by the warm golden beauty of the south of France – this will be a trip of a lifetime.

Tentative itinerary:

Here is our tentative itinerary – things may shift and change a little, but this will give you an idea of some of the activities we will get to enjoy!

September 21st:

Marseille Airport: Meet and greet private transfer to hotel.

All colorful guest rooms of the Mas de l’Oulivié are beautifully decorated and offer views of the Alpilles or the landscaped garden. Breakfast is included everyday and can be enjoyed in the comfort of the guest room upon request.

In the olive grove that surrounds the Mas, there is a landscaped swimming pool with large rocks and a beach reaching into the water. The Mas de l’Oulivié also offers full range of beauty treatments and body care. We will enjoy a relaxing afternoon with an indoor fine art photography lesson and Welcome Dinner before an early bedtime to conquer the jet lag.

September 22nd:

After breakfast at our hotel, a motor coach with private guide and models will pick us up and be at our disposal for the day to go on photography adventures. We will depart in the early morning and head to the Abbey of Senanque for sunrise. One of the highlights of this region of Provence, the Abbey of Senanque, a twelfth-century Cistercian abbey that is operated by a group of monks who grow lavender and keep bees and sell their own and other local products in a lovely gift shop. We’ll visit the interior of the abbey, and will have time to photograph before the large tour groups arrive. Next, we’ll head to the charming village of Venasque. This medieval village features steep lanes, creamy stone houses, and a magnificent baptistery from the 11th century. For lunch we’ll stop at a local restaurant for some amazing French cuisine. Mid-afternoon we’ll travel back to the Senanque Abbey to capture some amazing images of this famous scene in the afternoon. For a magical little treat, we can duck into the old church for a little while and listen to the beautiful chanting of the monks. Dinner will be at a quaint Provencal restaurant with wine tasting.

September 23rd:

Leisurely breakfast and time to relax by the pool or get a spa treatment followed by a flower arranging class. Next, we’ll take our flowers to our fine art indoor photography lesson. Next we get to go on a 3-hour late afternoon photo walk in Les Baux de Provence village at sunset with a private guide and 2 models. At this beautiful Medieval hilltop town, we’ll see an amazing view from the castle that is bathed in gorgeous golden light at the end of the day. We’re close numerous stunning olive orchards and vineyards where we will be able to take lots of photos followed by dinner at a quaint Provencal restaurant.

September 24th:

Our private guide will pick us up early in the morning for a departure to Camargue to be there for sunrise. We’ll get to photograph an action-packed session with white horses running through the surf and marshes. Our photo session will be with the horse guardians and French cowboys! Next, we’ll have lunch in a manade where we get to discover an authentic Camargue bull farm, and end this moment with a meal. We have a private guide and models for the day so will stop at a few more charming Provencal destinations for ample photo opportunities. We’ll end our trip with a final farewell dinner poolside at our charming hotel.

September 25th:

Private transfer from hotel to Marseille airport

*Spa treatments and meals are not included in the price of the retreat except for daily breakfasts, the welcome dinner, wine tasting event, and lunch at the farm. Everything else listed is included!

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