Photographing engagement sessions in the lavender fields of Provence is always an incredibly joy. So when I was contacted by this lovely couple, I was so excited!
The Magical Lavender Fields of Provence
The South of France is a stunning region of France, and one of the most well known regions is known as provence. It’s actually a large region in France, and has many wonderful cities and little villages to visit. One of the most popular times of year to visit Provence is during lavender season. Known around the world as some of the prettiest lavender fields anywhere, the fields start blooming generally at the end of June and bloom into mid-July or so, before the lavender is harvested for its essential oil. Timing of the blooms is dependent on the previous winter’s weather and spring weather, but this is a general guideline.
The lavender fields are a major tourist attraction, and there are several places to view the blooming fields. One of them is known as the Valensole plateau. I was contacted by Amelia, an American young lady living in Paris temporarily with her fiancé, Ethan. Ethan works in IT and is on a temporary work exchange from his home office in the United States and is working in their Paris office. Engaged a year ago, they’ve been making the most of their time in France and trying to see as much as they can.
Booking Private Transportation
Their lavender field visit was part of a longer trip they’d taken, and while its possible of course to rent a car and drive to the fields, it does take about an hour and a half or so to reach them from most cities, including Nice, Marseille, and Aix-en-Provence. As Amelia and Ethan were staying in Marseille for a few days, they elected to leave from there, and instead of renting a car, which can be a hassle, we used the amazing services of Patrick Gaudin, an experienced private guide and driver. Patrick and I developed an itinerary that would take Amelia to some beautiful lavender fields and also to a hilltop village.
We met on a Saturday morning, the first week of July, in Marseille. From there, we traveled to the Valensole plateau and it was nothing but mile after mile of gorgeous purple blooms. Not only were there beautiful lavender fields, but we found wheat fields, and another gorgeous flower/herb used for essential oils, clary sage, which was growing like crazy.
It does get very hot in southern France in July, by afternoon it was in the low 90sF, and bright sun. We arrived in the morning, when the light was softer, but by afternoon, unless you wear a hat, there’s no way to avoid shadows, so we just go with it. Amelia and Ethan were fantastic! Bright, full of energy, completely in love and in sync, they said they’d never been photographed professionally before, but you would have never known it.
We have a shared joy of travel, so we talked about the places we’d been and would still like to go. We, as Americans, also discussed some of the differences between American and French culture, and even the differences of living in Paris and life in Provence. We had so much fun, the time flew by.
Lavender and More
While we spent the day together, we of course did not do photography for the entire time. Drive time comes into play, and it was fun to jump in and out as we saw a new field we loved come into vision. Patrick was great about knowing exactly where to take us, and his Mercedes van was cool and comfortable.
We popped out of the van many times, grabbed some salads for lunch, and then finished our day with a visit to the hilltop village of Simiane-La-Rotonde, which just so happens to have a gorgeous lavender field beneath it. I’m a huge fan of hilltop villages, and while I’d never been to this village, I’ve been to a lot, and couldn’t wait to explore it with Amelia and Ethan. Before we arrived at Simiane, we passed by Banon, a town I was familiar with. I adore this entire area. It’s a wonderful place to feel relaxed, see beautiful nature scenes and smell the wonderful lavender.
Visiting a Medieval Perched Village
Perched villages, or hilltop villages, are very common in Provence, because people built their towns on hills so that they could be aware of incoming invaders. These days, the small villages have restaurants, bed and breakfasts, often a chateau, weekly market, and a pretty church. Charming beyond belief, we walked through the tiny streets of the old town together and admired the view of lavender. I so enjoyed photographing this special day with Amelia and Ethan, it has to be one of the most exciting and satisfying days of my photography career. Not because we saw so many beautiful things, because we did, but because they were such a lovely couple. Not once did they complain about the sun being too bright, about being too hot, too tired–anything.
Planning for Hot Weather
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind people who get hot in the sun, that’s normal, and it’s my goal to ensure that my clients are comfortable and happy. Having amazing photographs to remember your time in France or to commemorate a special event, like an engagement, is the key ingredient, of course. But just as important to me is the experience. With me, you are guided gently, and I am transparent and honest, I value the client experience so much that I do everything I can to ensure my clients are also having a great time.
You’ll notice that throughout the day, the light became much more harsh. If you don’t mind the high sun, it’s no problem, but in general photographs in the lavender fields in the morning or in the hours before sunset have the most flattering light.
On this amazing day, sadly, our time had come to an end, and it was time to drive back to Marseille. What a wonderful day and amazing memory that I will carry with me always. My special thanks to Amelia and Ethan for choosing me to capture their day in Provence, it means so much to me and I wish them so much happiness!
Karina Leigh Photography
I photograph joyful couples and engagements in Provence and the South of France. If the idea of being photographed with the love of your life in the Provence lavender fields makes you weak in the knees, make sure to get in touch!
