The sublime landscapes of Provence are achingly beautiful: warm sunlight floods the vineyards, lifting the fields of lavender and sunflowers, and highlights the cobbled streets in the many historic towns. It is said that one visit will stay with you forever, but imagine being able to capture the essence of this breath-taking region and take it home with you…
Week-long art retreat Provence
This September, you can join a week-long art retreat with two award-winning photographers who will show you how Provence can be the perfect backdrop for portrait photography. During the week, you’ll be taken to locations that you’d expect to see in glossy magazines and you’ll learn all the technical tricks you need to create unique, professional-standard portraits. This goes way beyond a holiday: it’s like a guided tour of hidden spots whilst learning a new skill that you can continue to develop long after you return home. And it’s all run in English!
One of the two professionals running the course is American-born Raina Stinson, who moved to Provence in 2018 having been seduced by its incomparable light and endless beauty. Winner of several awards, Raina specialises in fine art portraiture and conceptual photography, finding boundless inspiration in her surroundings, which she continues to explore and discover with every passing year, saying that moving to the region was one of her best life decisions.
“I’m incredibly lucky to have fulfilled a lifelong dream by moving to Provence,” says Raina. “I love teaching about photography and how it has changed my life. When I’m running a course, I can share everything from the exquisite colour and light you find here to the equally exquisite gourmet food and fresh croissants, and all those secret corners where you can get amazing shots.”
Portrait photography course
From 7th to 14th September, Raina is teaming up with fellow professional, Fritz Liedtke, to run a week-long creative retreat dedicated to portrait photography. Join a handful of other like-minded artists near the pretty rural village of Velleron, in a private residence with its own pool, surrounded by acres of gardens and fabulous views. From this base, you’ll be led to the region’s most beautiful backdrops, finding locations that will truly enhance your work, not only the natural landscapes but Roman ruins and secluded. Raina and Fritz will teach you how to hone your photography skills through technical tricks and fresh perspectives, heightening your creativity and inspiration.
Through group discussions, on-location demonstrations, and time to experiment by taking photographs of local models, you’ll learn about planning projects, wardrobe considerations and how to select your location and models. As well as the practical, technical elements of modern photography, Raina and Fritz will also teach you how to see light, textures, colours and reflections so you can create portraits with immediate impact.
One on one photography workshops
Any holiday in this region is a great experience, but this particular package takes it to another level. Thanks to one-on-one coaching and knowledge of locations that are otherwise inaccessible, you’ll have the chance to fine-tune your skills to create powerful portraits, framed by dreamlike lavender fields, elegant châteaux and quaint Provençal villages.
“Whatever your starting level,” says Raina, “you’ll finish the week feeling confident in fine art portraiture, returning home with a whole new portfolio of work, a new set of skills, and unforgettable memories.”
If you can’t make the portraiture event in September, Raina also offers a range of opportunities throughout the year, from day tours to week-long tours with a specific theme. One common theme through her work is meditation and mindfulness, which Raina believes can truly help to bring forth your creative potential and help it to flourish.
“For many people who join my workshops, learning about mindfulness is as important as all the technical tips and tricks,” she adds. “What differentiates this experience from a more conventional photography course is its holistic approach. Any creative person will tell you that there’s more to a piece of art than simply getting the right composition or equipment, you need to tune in to that intangible inspiration. Mindfulness helps you to slow down so that you can be fully present to your experience and fully aware of even the smallest details. It opens up your innate creativity, and I believe that it enables you to see and capture the world around you in a completely different way.”
Combining mindfulness with the settings of Provence is a heady internal-external combination, bringing the very best from your inner spirit and using that creativity in some of France’s most stunning external locations. As well as secret chapels and ancient sites, Raina can take you to elysian fields of rolling lavender, vast vineyards and the running waters of L’isle sur la Sorgue that you can explore in the languid southern sunshine. If you’re an architecture or history buff, let yourself be guided to the majestic châteaux, the terracotta rooftops of Gordes and Menerbes, Lacoste and the charming Luberon villages or the astonishing perched village of Oppède le Vieux.
Beyond the ordinary
Even through her shorter workshops, Raina encourages participants to engage in mindfulness, connecting your heart and your eye in order to see beauty beyond the ordinary and expand your innate creativity.
At the very least, taking a photography course will elevate your holiday photos to another level, sending you home with far more than just a suntan and a few French phrases, but learning alongside Raina will help you to see the world in a different way, and quite possibly develop your inner focus, too.
For more information on the September retreat and Raina’s other tours, visit rainastinsonphotography.com
