A week-long working workshop for photographers moving toward fine art practice, and artists wanting to integrate photography into their work. Hosted by Martin and Samantha Lee Osner — a father-daughter collaboration. Samantha is known for her minimalistic approach and feminine touch to art, while Martin brings an expressionist approach with bold, strong colours, lines, and texture. Both styles have earned recognition in their respective art galleries.
This workshop is a creative working week, not a photo tour. You'll spend time in medieval villages, riverside landscapes, and historic châteaux — places shaped by centuries of use and royal patronage, not designed for display. The light changes everything by the hour, and we work with that rhythm rather than against it.
Martin and Samantha will guide you through both capture and creation, teaching you how to shoot with intention and how to turn those photographs into finished artwork using traditional methods like brush, ink, and printmaking.
There are no image quotas, no daily critique sessions where everyone has to present, and no pressure to produce on command. You work at the speed that makes good work, which means some people finish one strong piece while others finish several. What matters is that it's considered rather than rushed.
By the end of the week, you'll have original artwork rather than a folder of JPEGs. This could be a finished print worked over with pigment ink wash or chromatic oil wash, pieces incorporating ink-to-fibre transfers and selected luxe interlays, or a small series combining your photography with brush, paint, and ink techniques. It will be something you made with your hands rather than just software, something that could only have come from this week, this place, and this process.
Photographers who want to make art rather than just good photos will benefit from this week — you're done collecting images and ready to interpret what you see, to express rather than simply document. This workshop is for those ready to move beyond recording into something more personal and intentional.
Artists working in painting, printmaking, or mixed media who want photography as source material that actually works — composition, texture, and tone you can build from — and who want to experience new in-camera art techniques and work with brush, paint, and ink are welcome. If you're after real craft rather than digital presets, this is for you. This workshop tends to attract people who think before they shoot, who value craft over speed, and who want to make work that lasts. Friendships form naturally when people are working on real things together, which has been true every time we've run this workshop.
The itinerary changes daily based on weather and light conditions, which creates better opportunities to explore different lighting scenarios. There's a fundamental difference between photographing for a photograph and photographing for a painting, and light conditions can alter the mood entirely. Soft morning mist brings out subtlety and quietness, hard midday sun creates contrast and bold shadow, and evening warmth shifts everything toward gold and nostalgia.
If morning light is exceptional for riverside landscapes, that's where we'll be, and if evening conditions look promising, we shift our schedule accordingly. We also work through village architecture, market scenes, château grounds, and street documentary photography when the moment suits. This isn't about sticking to a printed schedule but responding to what the Loire Valley gives us each day.
You won't stampede as a group or line up with tripods to all capture the same shot. You're taught, briefed on the day's focus, then given personal creative time to work independently. Self-drives or walks are encouraged because this is about individual focus and creativity — connecting with the artist within through quiet reflection, without pressure.
Mornings often begin early when the light is soft, working with old stone, medieval architecture, riverside scenes, and forest edges. The focus is on shooting with purpose rather than volume.
Midday is spent working in the studio, where Martin covers composition, visual communication, design principles, and selected art techniques he has adopted in his workflow. In contrast, Samantha works on translating your images into physical artwork using techniques such as pigment ink wash, chromatic oil wash, ink-to-fibre transfers, and selected luxe interlays.
Afternoons move into village architecture, markets, château grounds, and street scenes, or we stay in the studio when the weather changes or when your creative process needs that interior time.
Evenings shift to late light along the river and in the fields when conditions are right, or otherwise continue with studio time and group discussion.
Dinner brings fantastic food celebrating local cuisine from the region known for classic French dishes, paired with noble wines from the Loire and Sancerre regions. Conversation happens naturally, without forced critiques or structured presentations.
PRICE
€4990 + €600 SINGLE SUPPLEMENT