July Lavender & Photography Tour 2021

“I have recently returned from the Provence Lavender Photography Tour with Emily Durand of Your Private Provence and Raina Stinson of Raina Stinson Photography.  I highly recommend this tour!  Simply put, Emily and Raina guided our small group on a remarkable journey of discovery.  We visited lavender fields, explored medieval villages, gazed at the moon and stars.  We feasted on fresh produce and French bread from the village markets as well as gourmet fare at restaurants with breathtaking views.

We drank in the perfume of the lavender and the Spanish broom.  We foraged for herbs and flowers on the steep hillsides of the stunning medieval village of Brantes to make a delectable lunch that we savored on a terrace built into the rocky slope overlooking spectacular Mont Ventoux.  We reveled in the stimulating conversation spurred by the incredible kinship we developed with fellow travelers–new-found friends.

And in every part of our amazing adventure, under Raina’s expert tutelage, we experimented with different ways to document in photographs the story of our journey.  On reflection, I am reminded of a quote from Marcel Proust:  ‘The real voyage of discovery consists of not seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.’

Merci beaucoup to Emily and Raina for giving me the opportunity to see with new eyes!”

Anne Newtown, Houston, Texas

“I just returned from a small-group tour organized and hosted by Emily Durand of Your Private Provence and Raina Stinson of Raina Stinson Photography.

I’ve traveled to France often and this is, by far, the best guided experience I have ever had there   The focus of this tour was lavender in bloom and photography,  but I’m very confident that touring with Emily in Provence would be EXCEPTIONAL no matter what the focus were. Here are some highlights of the experience:

• All logistics, accommodations and meals were handled by Emily, from arrival to departure. That’s a real treat!  Nothing to worry about!
• Beautiful, charming b&b that felt very private, had perfect owner/hosts, lovely breakfasts and great views.
• FANTASTIC choices by Emily of restaurants (and a chef’s private home) for our lunches and dinners, exposing us to the cuisine of different villages in the area, some restaurants with breathtaking mountain landscape views from our table!   Each meal was unique and highlighted local, in-season elements, and EVERY menu selection exceeded my expectations.
• Unique, local daily experiences, including a mountain-top astronomical Observatory trip, foraging in a quaint village for fresh herbs, veggies, fruits  and flowers for a private, Chef-prepared lunch in the chef’s home, a private tour of a lavender farm and distillery, and much more!
• Extraordinary photo-taking venues on our schedule every day, with continuous hands-on guidance from Raina about looking for great shots, framing shots, setting our cameras and iphones (yes, iphones!) for the best shots and then using editing apps to maximize the impact of our photos.  My confidence in my ability to take exceptional photos has grown exponentially!

Many thanks to Emily and Raina!  I wouldn’t dream of returning to Provence without first connecting with them.”

Carol Abbott, Atlanta