Photography Workshop
Itinerary

May 26 – May 31

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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)

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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. 

 

Photography walk to the Prieuré du Sauvage, a monastery established by an ancient religious order that thrived for six centuries. We’ll walk a trail and have a chance to photograph the valley landscape and the ancient priory.

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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.

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Option 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.

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Van ride back to the Chateau

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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

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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). Stone archways and cobblestone streets offer a myriad of photo closeups. The vistas from the chateau offer wide angle landscapes.

 

AFTERNOON

Lunch at Le Flaconneur 

 

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

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EVENING          

Photo review session: Review and edit photos from the day. Upload 3 favorites to the Google folder. 

 

Dinner at the Chateau

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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. 

 

AFTERNOON

Lunch in Rodez Cafe Bras

 

Visit the Soulages Museum; guided tour (45 min)

 

Visit Rodez sites (cathedral, old town, other museums, etc.) We’ll explore the old town of Rodez and the cathedral.

 

Return to the Chateau

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EVENING          

Review and edit photos from the day.                        

 

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. 

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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. 

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Drive to Bozouls

 

AFTERNOON

Lunch at Le Belvedere in Bozouls

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After lunch, we will visit the Canyons of Bozouls. This unique geological site, known as "Trou de Bozouls", is a natural cirque, a horseshoe-shaped canyon dug into the limestone of the Causse Comtal. This steep-sided meander is the result of the erosive action of the waters and the steepening stages of the rivers.

 

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.

 

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.

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EVENING

Light dinner at the Chateau

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Day 6 — Friday May 31

 

MORNING        

Light breakfast at the Chateau

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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.

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Brunch at the Chateau

 

Depart

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