Photo Workshop in Provence June 2024 with Catherine Karnow

National Geographic photographer Catherine Karnow’s fabulous photo workshop in Provence from June 2 to 12, 2024, is fully booked. Inquire about registration for 2025. These workshops have space for eight (8) guests.

Picture Perfect Provence

Catherine Karnow is a talented photographer who organizes photo workshops in her hometown of San Francisco, Vietnam and Cambodia, Puglia in Italy, Transylvania and other scenic locales. Her “Provence Photo Workshop” takes place in the Var, the wilder part of Provence, with ancient stone walls, olive trees, cypress trees reminiscent of nearby Italy, and the roses of May, grown for Dior and Chanel. Life can feel unchanged from decades ago in the quiet, perched hill villages. From high, you get glimpses of the turquoise Mediterranean, which inspired Picasso and Matisse. This workshop is a truly off-the-beaten-path Provence experience.

Workshop Program Details

Unpack once at La Bastide, the “home” base for the Provence Photo Workshop. This magnificent luxury villa has a heated pool, all en-suite rooms, and numerous terraces for dining while enjoying stunning views of the perched village of Callian.

No one needs to worry about meals as a private chef, the extraordinarily talented Louise Robertson, prepares scrumptious and super-healthy food.

The workshop occurs in early June when the weather is usually perfect in the South of France.

Catherine’s workshops run seamlessly. These are highly professional trips with great attention to detail.
She ensures the tour provides learning opportunities with on-location guidance, educational classes, group projections, and private critiques.

All levels of photographers are welcome. Spouses/partners who have a limited interest in photography are also welcome!

Provence Photo Workshop is a small workshop with a maximum of eight (8) guests.

“The Provence workshop went way beyond expectations and I loved that it felt so local and not touristy – a special “peek” into real life in France! Real places. Real people.”

Workshop experiences include:

Riding in and photographing vintage ‘2CV’ Citroens, then gathering with the drivers for a fun picnic lunch under the plane trees.

Learning about the famous artists of the region, such as Picasso, Matisse, Renoir, and others, from a dynamic English-speaking art expert

Photographing inside Matisse’s Chapel, where his famous stained glass windows will take your breath away – permission to shoot here is rare.

Tasting the famous rosés of Provence, shooting, and having lunch at a super-photogenic winery that has the
most extensive private collection of modern art in Europe.

Sailing on the Riviera along the rocky red coast of the Estérel.

2025 cost tbd

Click Here for Full Tour Details

Talented Photographer Bio

Based in San Francisco and Provence, National Geographic photographer Catherine Karnow has enjoyed a 35-year career shooting for various international publications.

Catherine’s history with France goes back to her parents. Her father, renowned journalist Stanley Karnow, lived in Paris for a decade, writing for Life magazine. His book, Paris in the Fifties, was published in 1999. Her mother, Annette Karnow, modelled for Dior in the 50s.

Catherine has worked in France for over three decades. For her first assignment as a professional photographer, in 1984, she spent three months photographing France. Her photo book on Provence was published in 1991.

A notable life project for Karnow has been her 30 years of photographing Vietnam. Her profoundly personal photo book, Vietnam 25 Years Documenting a Changing Country, is available in bookstores worldwide.

Soulmates Catherine Karnow (National Geographic photographer) and Gilles Portaz (geography and history professor) spent a year apart due to Covid-19 travel restrictions. Finally, they were reunited in Provence in November 2020. They got reacquainted while touring the Pays de Fayence, the Alpes de Haute Provence’s foothills, and capturing the hilltop villages in text and images. The result is a stunning 185-page book filled with 127 photographs – Un Automne en Pays de Fayence, a love letter to this unspoilt region.

Catherine’s passion for photography carries into her love for teaching. She gives private workshops and seminars all over the world. Her own highly acclaimed photo workshops in Italy, Vietnam-Cambodia and South India are unique in the roster of workshops.

Image credits: ©Catherine Karnow

Carolyne Kauser-Abbott

With her camera and laptop close at hand, Carolyne has traded in her business suits for the world of freelance writing and blogging. Her first airplane ride at six months of age was her introduction to the exciting world of travel.

While in Provence, Carolyne can be found hiking with friends, riding the hills around the Alpilles or tackling Mont Ventoux. Her attachment to the region resonates in Perfectly Provence this digital magazine that she launched in 2014. This website is an opportunity to explore the best of the Mediterranean lifestyle (food & wine, places to stay, expat stories, books on the region, travel tips, real estate tips and more), through our contributors' articles.

Carolyne writes a food and travel blog Ginger and Nutmeg. Carolyne’s freelance articles can be found in Global Living Magazine, Avenue Magazine and City Palate (Published Travel Articles).