To visit the world famous lavender fields in Provence, France is the dream of many. What better way to capture these precious memories than with a beautiful photoshoot in the fields, either as a solo traveler, couple or family? A fantastic photo session ensures you’ll never forget this magical time in Provence.
But how to plan? Where to go? Read on to see my very best tips for photo sessions in Provence!
Where is Provence?
Provence is a large region in south eastern France, and is much bigger than most people realize. It encompasses 12,000 square miles, or 31,000 square kilometers. The capital of the region is Marseille, France’s third largest, and oldest city.
Provence extends all the way past Nice, to the border with Italy, and also points north, including the cities of Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, Arles, and two other regions called the Camargue and the Luberon. The Camargue is a marshy area starting in the old Roman town of Arles, and running to the sea. Here you will find lots of wildlife, horses, and sea life.
The Luberon is a hilly and mountainous area east of Avignon, which is home to lavender fields and really cute hilltop villages, which retain their charm. An example of a hilltop village in the Luberon is Gordes, one of the most beautiful villages in France.
For getting around the region, the main thing to know is that Provence is large, and while there is good bus and train service to the main cities, a rental car or private tour is a great way to go. Lavender fields are found in two main locations.
Provence is famous for its Roman history, art, culture, food and beautiful climate. It’s also a nature lovers paradise, because you can hike, and also partake in water activities on the Mediterranean Sea. It reminds me a lot of the Tuscany region of Italy.
When to Visit the Lavender Fields
This is a really important one, because the lavender fields only bloom during a specific time of year. They do not bloom all year long. There are two elevations where lavender fields are planted, a lower elevation and an upper elevation closer to the mountains.
In the lower elevations, namely the Valensole plateau, the lavender starts blooming, in a typical year, at the end of June and is harvested in mid-July. Valensole is the most famous place to see the lavender and is a major tourist attraction.
In the higher elevations, the lavender blooms later, and doesn’t begin blooming until mid-July and extends to the end of July, before it is harvested. One of the main places to see lavender in the later part of July is near the town of Sault.
If you’re looking to see lavender in May or June, you won’t find any. It won’t bloom at the earliest until the end of June. If you’re coming in August, there may be some left unharvested but it’s not a for sure.
Of course, the lavender blooms depend on the weather from the previous winter, how much sun, how much rain and other factors, so this is just a guide, and not a guarantee.
Your best bet is to plan for around the first week of July until mid-July.
FAQ: Planning Your Professional Photoshoot in the Lavender Fields
A lavender field photo session with a professional photographer is tons of fun. Here some answers to some frequently asked questions (FAQ).
We just want an hour or so in the lavender fields, then we’re done, can you do that?
I can understand that the thought of a long photo session may not be ideal, however, we do need to plan for several hours of time, ideally a half day at least. Why? Because getting to any of the lavender fields from the two main starting points, Avignon, Marseille or Aix-en-Provence, requires up to an hour and a half drive time just to reach the fields (plus, of course, and hour and a half to get back). Then, once we’re there, we’ll be driving to many fields to find the ones we love best and then of course, the time it takes to photograph.
Okay, but that’s just too much time taking photos, are we really going to do 4 hours of photos?
No, the drive there is around 1 hour, 30 minutes, the drive back is around 1 hour, 30 minutes. You will not be photographed while enroute to the lavender fields or coming back. Once in the lavender fields, the actual time you’ll be photographed is just an hour to an hour and a half, and some of that time will also be traveling around to various lavender fields.
We would really love to be photographed in the late morning or afternoon, say maybe 1:00 pm, when can we go?
For the very best experience, photo sessions in the lavender fields are either conducted in the morning before the light becomes too harsh and it gets very hot, or in the very late afternoon, ending at sunset.
If you go during the middle of the day, not only is it very hot in the sun (90F), but the sun is in your face, causing squinting and deep shadows, which is not flattering at all.
Therefore, most photo sessions begin at 8:00 or 9:00 am or later in the day around 5:00 pm. These times are customized for each client.
We would like professional makeup services, do you provide those? They don’t work early in the morning?
Most professional makeup artists also work with professional photographers, and they understand the light. They also don’t want their hard work melting on the client’s face in the middle of the day in the hot sun. Most makeup artists are available in the early morning, you just need to verify it with them. Also, I’ll recommend a makeup artist after booking. Professionally applied makeup really is key to having beautiful photos, the skin is left natural, but fresh and creates a wonderful palette for beautiful photos.
We’d like to visit a hilltop village like Gordes too, is this possible?
Yes, if you like! We would then extend to a half-day trip. Some of the most beautiful villages in France are located in proximity to lavender fields, like Gordes, and are so picturesque.
What will we eat, will we go to a restaurant? What if we get hungry?
You can bring food–snacks, etc along with you and in some cases there’s a possibility a picnic lunch can be prepared. We typically do not go to restaurants during the lavender photo sessions, because the time to sit down, order, eat takes a long time in France (sometimes hours), and that means we could be missing the best part of the day. We can always stop in a café for a quick sandwich or takeaway.
What should we wear for our lavender field photo session?
This is a great question, and after you book with me I’ll send you a guide. In general, because it’s hot, light fabrics, solids over patterns. Linens and cottons (but make sure to iron ahead of time!). Also, a hat is a fun and great accessory. Cute and functional at the same time!
What about transportation, do you drive us to the lavender fields, how do we get there?
I do not provide transportation, and do not drive you there. There are two options. You can rent a car and drive yourself, we will then go together. I will meet you and that way no one gets lost and we are all together. Or, if you prefer, we can enlist the service of a private tour company that will do all the driving for the day. It’s less stress and you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the time in air-conditioned comfort.
What city should we plan to stay in?
The best base for lavender photo sessions are either Avignon or Aix-en-Provence. Marseille is also an option, but it is a bit farther.
Which lavender fields do you use for your professional photo sessions?
While I love the Valensole plateau, I don’t love that it’s so popular that it’s crowded all the time with tourists. It makes perfect sense, the fields are beautiful, but it makes it incredibly challenging to do the high quality work I want to do and that my clients deserve. Plus, many visitors are coming a bit later in July, so the Valensole fields have been harvested already. Therefore, many of my sessions take place near the lavender fields of Sault. There are so many fields to choose from, and they are also quite beautiful. However, I also love Valensole, despite the crowds, so I do both, it just depends on the time of year and where my clients are staying. Also, if you’re coming earlier in the season, we’ll focus on the lavender fields in the Luberon, closer to the towns of Bonnieux and Gordes.
What is a typical photo session?
A typical photo session in the lavender fields would start around 8:00 am for a 9:30 am arrival to the fields. Then, several hours of photos in the fields, traveling around to different fields, and a return, or if you wish, some photos also in a hilltop village, followed by a return to your accommodation.
Karina Leigh Photography
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