Itinerary and Booking
Typical itinerary for ‘Man in His Landscape’
Course title ‘Man in His Landscape’ - his imprint, shadow and passage - allows for reportage, direction to develop or ‘Just Landscape’
Saturday - Day 1 - pick-ups from airport. Welcome to La Guiraude and an introduction to the week ahead by Christian Schwetz, the course instructor. All the course members will get to know each other during pre-dinner drinks and look forward to their first ‘La Guiraude Gourmet Evening’.
Sunday - Day 2 - Every course member will be given a 30 minute private, personal one-to-one session during the early part of the week with a progress follow-up on Friday. Today we learn about digital techniques and objective setting which will continue throughout a buffet lunch on the terrace. This will leave the afternoon free so that course members can practice taking breathtaking shots in St-Felix-Lauragais, a sleepy mediaeval hillside village with far reaching views.
Monday - Day 3 - we start off with an early morning dawn trip to Lake Ganguise, to enjoy the quiet solitude of the lake and shoot some great lake-side scenes. Lunch will be a lake-side beach picnic followed by an attractive drive to the Canal du Midi and its environs for landscape and sunset scenes.
Tuesday - Day 4 - a trip to the mediaeval city of Carcassonne to discover how the magic of yesteryear sits with today’s modern environment.
Wednesday - Day 5 - this is a free day to do as you wish - laze around La Guiraude and the swimming pool and garden or take yourself off to do some shopping in Toulouse or perhaps a lazy boat trip along the Canal du Midi?
Thursday - Day 6 - this is a full day of landscapes - ‘dawn to dusk’ guided off-road trips with a picnic lunch.
Friday - Day 7 - this is ‘crunch-day’ - a day when all the course members have short, individual assessments and a critique of their work following on from the one-to-one sessions completed earlier in the week. The best shots will be printed and be the basis of ‘The Course Exhibition’ which will be displayed and viewed over a buffet lunch. The last evening meal will be at a local restaurant, which will give everyone the opportunity to get some night-time shots of St-Felix-Lauragais.
This is also the day you get to choose your ‘free gift’ photograph. We will print your best shot on high grade 12 x 8 photographic card and frame as an everlasting memory of your successful transition to a much improved photographer.
Saturday - Day 8 - open forum after breakfast before transfers to the airport.
Rainy days - in the unlikely event that there is a rainy day, we will arrange portraiture, still life and interiors master-classes and lighting master-classes featuring the latest techniques.
Throughout each practice session Christian will be on call for problem-shooting and individual tuition.
Equipment - Essential
A digital SLR would be best, or a high specification non-DSLR, e.g. Panasonic DMC-LX2. Basically a good camera with manual shutter and aperture controls.
Circular, polariser filter.
ND Grad 1 stop filter.
ND Grad 2 stop filter.
Cable release
The Holiday Includes:
Transfers to and from Carcassonne airport
Some of our guests will prefer to hire a car and should this be the case please let us know and we will send you a comprehensive holiday pack that includes maps and directions to La Guiraude
Welcome drinks and familiarisation
Most ‘Gourmet’ evening meals will be enjoyed in the dining room or on the terrace. All meals, picnics and barbecues are included for each day apart from the evening meal on the ‘free day’ when guests may wish to explore one of the many restaurants in the surrounding area
High quality local wine and soft drinks are served with your choice from the delicious menus
On the last evening (Friday) we will all visit a restaurant in the attractive hillside bastide village of St-Felix-Lauragais and celebrate in our new-found skills as a photographer
Transportation to and from the various trips to shooting locations
Full en-suite double or twin rooms in in either La Grande Maison or La Toscana
Free ‘Holiday Memento Gift’ of a framed 12 x 8 colour print of your best photograph.
The holiday does not include:
Flights are not included as guests will choose a variety of transport options. However, we are happy to assist in the planning of individual journeys
Transport or meals - other than breakfast - on the free day
Holiday insurance
Fees are 1375 Euros for course members and a discounted price of 875 Euros for a non-participating partner sharing a room.
For reservations please contact Bob Atkins - the course director:
Bob will be available 7 days a week at any reasonable time should you wish to discuss any aspect of the venue, course content or holiday.
Email: bob.atkins@santacristina.co.uk
Direct line: 44 (0)1892 871596
Mobile: 44 0771 287 5323
Address: Photo & Painting Holidays in Europe
48 London Road
Sevenoaks
Kent
TN13 1AS
