Come to Beaune, France - a sweet little village nestled in the Burgandy region - to tour the French Countryside while learning how to take the best photos. We will visit farms and vineyards, towns and countryside, and even spend some time at cafés and cooking school, all while learning how to hone your skills in telling your story in pictures.

Our trip is being coordinated by one of the best travel planners in the industry who called this region her home for 3 years. She knows all the secrets. She has all the contacts. She knows her way around. We are in the best hands.

Sound like fun? Join us! Your spot is waiting! Fill out the contact form here and we will keep you updated on the latest news and information.

PRELIMINARY ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrivals.

Workshop guests arrive throughout the day in Beaune via Paris by train. (It's approximately a 2.5 hour ride through the French countryside to Beaune.) We will gather this afternoon in the courtyard of our hotel for an orientation and meet & greet along with a traditional French aperitif: wines from Burgundy (of course!) accompanied by delicious hors d’ouevres from the region. We will have a brief time to refresh before we head off together on foot for the center of town and a welcome dinner at Caves Madeleine – a local convivial restaurant with farm-to-table cuisine and warm ambiance.
 

Day 2: The Villages & Wines of Burgandy. 

Breakfast this morning is served in the courtyard of our hotel. Assortment of the best from the boulangerie around the corner. Croissants, pain au chocolat, baguette with butter and fresh jam….and of course, café au lait.

After breakfast, we will head off to visit the small wine-making town of Pernand Vergellesses, a 15-minute drive through some of the most famous vineyards of Burgundy. We will visit with a vigneron family who have been making wine here for centuries. We will wander the tiny winding alleys of this ancient village built into a hillside. Here we can shoot freely with our cameras, enjoying the charming, quiet village. Pernand Vergellesses has a population of about 200 people. Most of the families here have roots dating to the Middle Ages in Burgundy or even in this specific village, and are absolutely proud of their culture and heritage. We will pass the Middle Age Cathedral, and walk up and down the tiny cobblestone roads taking in the stone and wood beam architecture, the impressive colorful doorways, and beautiful flowers draping down from windowsills.

After exploring town, it’s time for our first wine tasting. We will visit with the Rollin Family in the village. We finish our tour of Pernand-Vergellesses at the top of the hillside where we enjoy a picnic with views over the Hautes-Cote vineyards of Burgundy.

Continue on this afternoon to a winery in Savigny-les-Beaune, just a 10-minute drive from Beaune’s center. Here we will visit with a young couple of ex-pats (Canadian and American) who remodeled a 16th century farmhouse and created a small winery. They will tell us their story and show us their facility and remodel, after which we stroll through another fairy-tale village of Burgundy.

Return to the hotel at the end of the afternoon.

Dinner this evening is at leisure with plenty of suggestions for restaurants within walking distance in Beaune.

Day 3: FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD!

Our day begins this morning with an instructional class on the topic of the day - FOOD!  We will head off to Beaune’s Saturday market on foot and have an overview tour followed by time on our own to meander and take advantage of a photographer’s paradise: the traditional French market. The market is held on the main cobblestone square of Beaune’s center and stretches out onto the surrounding streets. It is bustling and filled with gorgeous produce and charming vendors who are happy to joke and cut you samples of cheese, charcuterie, baguette topped with Provencal tapenade, or pop you a few olives drenched in fragrant olive oil and herbs. We will visit with the fish mongers, the butchers, the pastry specialists, the cheese mongers… not forgetting the gems of the brocante, or antique market.

At the market, we will meet with Marjorie and Kendall, a mother-daughter team of ex-pats who have made Beaune their home and teach cooking classes in their stunning Cook’s Atelier… another photographer’s dream. This duo is absolutely passionate about fresh local produce and traditional Burgundian recipes, made to be shared with friends and family at a communal table. We will pick up some items at the market and walk to their atelier, where you will first want to snap away at the gorgeous space – a centuries old home built in town with a soaring atrium where light pours through into their sweet shop.

We will put our aprons on and enjoy a cooking class with Marjorie after which we sit down to eat the lunch we’ve prepared in their airy dining room overlooking the larder. Libby will guide us through the intricacies, difficulties, and pleasure of shooting food!

After lunch, we will take some time this afternoon to relax, meander town, find yourself a charming sidewalk café to sit and people watch, or do a bit of shopping…

This evening, we will gather againfor a wine tasting in one of the village’s most ancient cellars, followed by dinner in the caves beneath Beaune. With practice shooting in light that isn't so optimal!

Day 4: Architecture, Landscape and the French Countryside.

After breakfast we drive 20 minutes Southeast this morning down through the vineyards and winemaking towns of Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Monthelie and Auxey Duresses to the town of La Rochepot where we will visit the Château de la Rochepot, a 13th century castle later turned into a chateau. The castle is a beautiful relic of the time of the Burgundian Ducs and here we will see the most classic style of roofing from this time – ceramic tiles of bright oranges, reds, blues and greens – topping a glorious stone structure. We will be toured around the property and have time to focus in on the meticulous details of the interiors, facades and gardens.

After our tour we drive 30 minutes North to visit a tucked away organic farm and hamlet restaurant in the hillsides over Beaune: La Ferme de la Ruchotte. We will visit with the animals, tour the farm, and then sit at a rustic community table where we are joined with locals from the village and other travelers, here to taste the delicious cooking of the Chef and Farmer. All of the food is organic and sourced from the farm.

For our final dinner together, we will gather at a friend’s beautiful renovated stone farmhouse that has been converted into a B+B with gorgeousgardens. A dinner at a long table with candles and glorious French food outside here overlooking the vineyards would be stunning.