Photography Workshop in Cognac, France
Two years ago, I attended a Storytelling Workshop at a beautiful cottage in Istria, Croatia, hosted by Eva Kosmas Flores and Bea Lubas. Nine other female photographers from around the world joined us. It was the best trip and I still use so many of the images that I shot during that week. Fast forward to April of this year and I received a newsletter from Eva about her last European workshop, taking place in Cognac, France. Specially, La Cannonerie, a lovingly restored 16th century estate nestled between Cognac and Bordeaux, surrounded by a private estate of 30 acres of rolling hillsides. Given I was going to be so close, in Northern Italy, I reached out to see if Eva and her cohost, Elise Dumas of The Pineapple Chef needed an assistant. She immediately accepted my offer.
What exactly happens at a workshop like this? Firstly, it's a women-only event, with many participants sharing rooms. Secondly, it caters to experienced photographers, most of whom are professionals. This setting is perfect for immersing oneself among fellow artists, as different perspectives can be incredibly enriching. The workshop is led by two top photographers with extensive teaching experience. Every meal is prepared on-site by a local chef, and the itinerary includes excursions such as shopping at a traditional French "brocante" (antiques market) for photo props and a Cognac tasting at a distillery. La Cannonerie offers a stunning backdrop at every turn, with a prop room filled with food, florals, linens, and exquisite ceramics by Paris-based artist Nolwenn Baillet.
Mornings began with coffee, followed by demonstrations, business discussions, and opportunities for attendees to style their own scenes around the chateau and its grounds. My role was to prepare everything for the week: shopping, curating cheese, charcuterie, and wine displays for aperitif, preparing and cleaning up breakfasts, and ensuring that attendees had all the props they needed to explore new styling ideas (see the fruit arrangements below).
It's always exciting to be surrounded by people with similar interests, especially in such a niche field like travel, food, documentary, still-life, and a hint of fashion photography. While this was Eva’s last European workshop, I found a great new friend in Elise, and we hope to host a workshop together in the future.
