The Coast of France and the Loire Valley
April 4 - 13, 2024
Jim likes to build into his photo tours a wide variety of subject matter, and this one is no exception. Spectacular architecture, formal gardens, romantic harbors at twilight, ancient pre-Celtic stone tombs, rocky cliffs, castles, and stunning quaint villages will keep you fully engaged in making great pictures every day. Much of the itinerary is off the beaten track, and you'll see and photograph amazing things that few photographers visit because they don't know about them. Every evening we'll take advantage of the 'blue hour' to capture the artistic way in which the French cities and villages are illuminated, and Jim will help you previsualize what you can do in post-processing to enhance and embellish your images -- in other words, how to make your photographs perfect. Jim likes perfect!
What you will learn on the photo tour:
-- How to underscore symmetry in architecture photography
-- Enhancing twilight photography with HDR
-- Using neutral density filters for long exposures of moving water
-- Choosing the right white balance for mixed lighting
-- How to correct architectural keystoning in-camera
-- How to choose the number of frames for HDR
-- When to use focus stacking
-- How to shoot a vertical panorama in large interiors
-- How to eliminate people by stacking multiple frames
Itinerary
Day 1, Thursday, April 4
Arrive in Paris and take the free shuttle from the terminal to the airport Hotel. Meet Jim and the group in the lobby of the hotel at 6pm for a discussion of the upcoming tour. This is a good opportunity to ask Jim any photography or Photoshop questions you might have, and then enjoy a welcome dinner. Overnight Paris.
Day 2, Friday, April 5
After breakfast we depart Paris in our van, and en route to the French coast we stop in the beautiful city of Rouen. Almost completely destroyed in World War II, Rouen has been rebuilt and now flourishes. We have the rest of the day and evening to explore
the cobblestone streets, the 14th century astronomical clock, the remarkable cathedral, and the classic French architectural design that adorns Medieval homes and businesses. Twilight photography here is especially dramatic. Overnight Rouen.
Day 3, Saturday, April 6
After breakfast we continue driving west until we reach the French coast at Normandy. We visit a remarkable formal garden with the famous white chalk cliffs as a backdrop. The gardens are punctuated by intriguing sculptures, and this is a truly unique photographic experience. From here, we drive south to Honfleur where we have lunch and explore this beautiful port village. We stay until twilight to capture the beautiful mixed lighting of the cobalt blue sky with the artificial lights on the boats and the architecture.
We then drive about 25 minutes to our hotel in the beautiful village of Deauville. Overnight Deauville.
Day 4, Sunday, April 7
We rise early to photograph Deauville village without people in our shots, and then we return to the hotel for breakfast. We then drive west for an hour and arrive at the beautiful medieval town of Bayeux. Its cobbled streets, half-timbered houses, and stunning Notre Dame cathedral, you'll feel like you stepped back in time to the Middle Ages. We'll have lunch here, and then we head southwest to Hambye where we encounter the exquisite ruins of a 12th century abbey. The roof is missing so the ancient stone columns are open to the sky, and the floor consists of green grass. This is great photography!
We continue southwest and arrive at Mont St. Michel. Here lies the famous abbey that opened in 1523. It is positioned prominently on the top of a coastal island, and it's photogenic in every type of light. We will photograph it at sunrise, twilight, and night. Overnight Mont St. Michel.
Day 5, Monday, April 8
From our hotel we can photograph Le Mont St. Michel at sunrise, and then after breakfast we drive a short distance to Dinan, one of the prettiest villages you'll ever see. Arched stone bridges, medieval facades, and flowers lining cobblestone streets provide us with stunning photographic material. We then continue west and stop in Port-Launay to photograph a beautiful row of colorful houses reflecting in the water. A short distance away is the Petit Minou lighthouse with its S-curve walkway that makes a classic leading line.
We will photograph sunset over the Atlantic with the lighthouse as a perfect foreground. Overnight in the beautiful village of Quimper.
Day 6, Tuesday, April 9
We explore Quimper and find its best kept photographic secrets. Colorful facades, canals acting as leading lines, the incredible architectural detail in the St. Corentin cathedral with its two imposing spires, and more. After lunch, we drive about 50 minutes to Eckmuhl lighthouse to photograph the beautiful spiral staircase with a wide angle lens. We return to Quimper to shoot the blue hour as the lights of the town contrast nicely with the cobalt sky. Overnight Quimper.
Day 7, Wednesday, April 10
We drive south this morning a little more than an hour to the town of Carnac. Here lies one of the most impressive megalithic sites in the world. The alignment of the Carnac stones begun about 6500 years ago, and their origin is Celtic. There are ancient tombs, extraordinary lines of single-standing stones, and burial mounds. This has been called 'France's Stonehenge.' From here, we drive to Quiberon to photograph the beautiful Chateau Turpault, a manor built in 1904, that sits all alone on a rocky shoreline. We then drive to medieval, walled city of Vannes. The city was founded over 2000 years ago, and it's a treasure of great compositions. Overnight Vannes.
Day 8, Thursday, April 11
Today we explore some of the wonderful towns and villages in the Vannes neighborhood. First on the agenda is the stunning 14th century Chateau de la Bretesche reflecting in a small lake. Nearby is another picture-perfect French village, Rockefort-en-Terre, and here we focus on the exquisite architectural details, floral decorations, quaint alleyways, and wide angle perspectives. We'll have lunch here, and then drive to the coastal village of Saint-Nazaire where we'll photograph the beautiful harbor as well as the arched stone bridge with St. Nazaire Cathedral on a hill in the background. At sunset and twilight, this vantage point on the town is fantastic. Overnight Vannes.
Day 9, Friday, April 12
The town of Vannes looks great in the early morning before people and vehicles get in the way of good photography, so we'll rise early to take advantage of this quiet time of the day. After breakfast, we head east for two hours and stop in Angers to photograph the imposing castle, Chateau d'Angers, founded in the 9th century and expanded to its present size in the 13th century. Using the formal gardens as a foreground looks great. We have lunch here, and then continue driving east to Amboise where we visit the Royal Chateau. It is beautiful reflecting in the Loire River. We then continue east a short distance to the largest castle in the Loire Valley, Chambord. It is stunning at sunset, and at twilight it's illuminated artfully. Overnight in Blois.
Day 10, Saturday, April 13
We get up early to photograph sunrise on Chambord, and then return to our hotel for breakfast. We then drive north about 2 hours to Charles de Gaulle airport for our return flight home. We should reach the airport about noon, so plan on connecting to your international flight starting from 2pm onwards.
About two weeks after the conclusion of the tour, Jim will set up an online Zoom meeting where we can share our images, discuss Photoshop options to improve various pictures, and you can ask for Jim's feedback on your work.
Tour fee: $5695 Includes 9 nights lodging based on double occupancy, all breakfasts, all dinners, all ground transportation, all entrance fees, and photo instruction.
Single supplement: $950
Does not include: International airfare, all lunches, alcoholic drinks, and items of a personal nature.