THE ARDECHE RETREAT
An exclusive in-person photographic retreat hosted by Alex Strohl.
Elevate your photographic vision and skills to new heights.
Six Days In France
Experience the true remote french countryside in the first ever retreat in Alex’s childhood region. You will get access to insider experiences, have the opportunity to meet and photograph local athletes, farmers, and craftsman in their natural environment.
In-Person Training
Alex will dive deep in his mindset to level-up your photography business. You’ll have the opportunity to sit down for a one-on-one mentorship session with Alex, to pick his brain and get answers to those burning questions.
Like Minded Connections
With the small group size you will not only have plenty of face to face time with Alex, but will also be learning alongside other like-minded photographers. The connections and friendships created will last a lifetime.
Retreat Dates
November 2024
Group Size
Max 8 people
Investment
From $5490
The 2023 retreat has been filled
Apply today to to join the 2024 waitlist
What is the Ardèche retreat?
The Ardèche retreat is a 5 day/6 night long adventure photography course hosted minutes from Alex’s family home. Alongside other like-minded photographers, Alex will personally take you to many of the scenic locations he spent his formative years discovering as a photographer. A series of unique shoot opportunities has also beed coordinated with local farmers and makers, providing you local access and instruction you could not receive otherwise.
Located in the southeast of France, the Ardèche region is home to a beautifully forested area, with rolling hills and cliffside that disappear into picturesque rivers that wind through the landscape. The retreat has been timed to coincide with the changing colors of the fall foliage, adding even more depth and vibrancy to the landscape. With its southern positioning, the Ardèche region will treat you with mild temperatures and long days to capture it all.
What will I learn?
This retreat is all about creating strong portfolio work that sets you apart. Thanks to our intimate knowledge of the area, we are able to go to best locations at the right time, and organizing talent to photograph that you would never be able to source on your own.
The retreat is designed to leave you feeling inspired and hungry about all the photography possibilities near your home. You will learn how to:
Direct non-professional talent for a successful outcome
Organize a full feature shoot from scratch: location, character, time
Increase your editing skills via Alex lead group editing sessions
Compose images that are striking and different, helping you stand out
Approach and embrace your photography future, thanks to a 1 on 1 session with Alex
Our Basecamp
Located in Les Vans, a small town in the Ardeché region of Southeastern France, Madame Les Vans is a unique chambre d'hôtes – or bed and breakfast – the perfect base for our intimate group. Each room is luxuriously appointed and individually styled, providing the perfect place to relax and decompress after an exciting day of instruction and photography. The beautifully landscaped grounds are thoughtfully built into the hillside, with terraced gardens that make way to the pool below, under the shade of cypress, fig, and olive trees.
Stepping out the front door of our basecamp you are transported from the serenity of the grounds and into the old world charm of a classic French village, quaint yet bustling with life in thought it’s winding and narrow streets.
All Inclusive Experience
Once arriving at The Madame Les Vans, the entire itinerary has been custom tailored to give you the best possible experience. All lodging, meals, and of course world class education from Alex is included. With all of the details taken care of you get to sit back and enjoy, taking time in a peaceful environment to digest all of the learnings from the retreat.
Private Chef Dining
We have partnered with Guido Nino Torres to bring you a one of a kind dining experience featuring locally sourced ingredients from the Ardeché region. Chef Guido has thoughtfully prepared the menu to encourage a family style experience around a shared farm table where the group can further get to know each other.
To top it off, a farewell dinner at Likoké has been arranged, a renowned Michelin Star awarded restaurant, for an unforgettable experience.
What’s on the itinerary?
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The group arrives to Madame Les Vans to settle into the accommodations and explore the grounds
Alex will host the group for a welcome dinner at his house, prepared by our exclusive chef for the week in what will be the first of many memorable culinary experiences
After getting to know the group, and enjoying post dinner drinks and conversation, the group will return to Madame Les Vans for the some much needed rest before the stoke continues on the first full day
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After a day of travel, we will have a later start time for the day (hello jet-lagged students!)
Alex will start the week with a retreat welcome intro - this is where you learn what to expect and how to best utilize your time in France
In person ‘Class’ will continue throughout the day, taking breaks to enjoy lunch, let the knowledge permeate, and of course enjoy cortados, a Strohl Retreat ritual
We will head into the field for the first of many shoots, to the Gorges Du Chassezac – an area with towering limestone cliffs that fall into the winding river below, popular for it’s superb rock climbing, hiking, and river rafting
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Continuing to ride the high from the previous nights sunset shoot, we will head out before first light to capture sunrise before returning to basecamp where an inviting breakfast has been prepared
After breakfast Alex will lead the group on the first editing session, working the room to discover each students perspective, offer his take on the composition, and offer suggestions within the editing process and shoot itself
After Cortados, discussions will resume along with the first of one-on-one sessions with Alex, allowing ample time with each student over the course of the following days
The group will depart for a unique shoot with a local beekeeper named Arne, a young man who moved back to the countryside to take over a longstanding project and transition it to a sustainable and organic operation. This shoot will challenge you to work with non-professional talent and capture a the candid perspective of a local maker and his craft
After the shoot, a late dinner has been prepared for the group where discussions from the day can continue well into the evening
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Taking a break from the hustle of day 1 and 2, a later start allows additional rest or time reflect and journal before breakfast
We will start the day with an editing session focused on the previous nights shoot with Arne, sharing selects with the group to offer each students take on the assignment, with a discussion to follow
Another memorable lunch has been scratch made by our chef Guido to fuel the afternoon shoot
Departing early afternoon, we will head to the Ferme Auberge La Bombine, an organic farmstead high on the plateau above the Drobie Valley to shoot with our next subjects through sunset
Following the shoot, we will allow Chef Guido a well deserved break to experience the flavors of a French farm-to-table restaurant before returning to Madame Les Vans for the evening
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Back to the hustle, the group will depart early morning to capture another epic sunrise over the Ardeché, before returning to basecamp for a delicious breakfast (and coffee, of course)
To ensure we stay ahead of the selects, archive, and edit process, its time to review what we have captured over the last two shoots
Class will continue throughout the day, while making space for the key components of any successful trip – good food, cortados, and group discussion
Back into the field, our next stop is Serre De Barre – a ridge line high about the countryside villages below – to shoot with talented French mountain bike athletes. Known for his work with extreme athletes, Alex will be providing real time instruction to ensure you capture the shot
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Continuing our pattern of day-on, day-off, we will forego the sunrise shoot to prepare for an exciting final day (though you are welcome to smash sunrise on your own!)
With the focus on the extreme sports from the day, another group edits and selects session will have a different tone from the previous days assignments
Following yet another epic lunch, and a bittersweet final cortado o’clock, the group will resume class for the afternoon with parting wisdom and direction for the path ahead from Alex
Staying closer afield, Alex has prepared another shoot with an exclusive local craftsman, his father. A true character, you will have the chance to capture Dundee in his natural element working the land on his acreage
After a quick refresh, the group will head to an exclusive reservation at the Michelin Star restaurant Likoké – prepared by the renowned Chef Gaylord – for a wrap dinner that will fuel your dreams for years to come
The conversations, stories, and solidifying of lifelong relationships will continue well into the night
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After a final breakfast with the group, everyone will departs from Madame Les Vans
A shuttle back to Avignon will be available for students, or you are of course welcome to extend your trip if you wish to explore the area further
Additional details
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There are two options for accommodation the workshop, base on a private or shared room. The investment for a shared room is $4990 and a private room is $5490.
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The workshop is limited to 8 individuals. Apply by filling out the form here. If you are selected to attend the retreat you will receive notification within one week of applying. You will then be given instructions to make your deposit to secure your spot in the workshop.
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We want to ensure that everyone at the workshop has the best experience possible. By asking a few simple questions we ensure all attendees have similar objectives, experience levels in their photography, and are ready to take the retreat seriously.
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You will experience the Ardeché region with Alex as your guide, walking the same paths and taking in the sights he grew up with and he has spent countless hours exploring. He can't wait to show it to you!
Alex will personally be mentoring and instructing your throughout the experience, and help you step up your photography.
You will learn exclusive information and industry secrets that Alex has spent years gathering and putting in to action.
You will share the week with awesome individuals who have the same passions and motivations as you. This one-of-a-kind opportunity that will create both long-lasting professional connections and personal friendships.
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To maximize your time with this workshop, please bring the following:
DSLR/Mirrorless Camera body with at least one lens
Laptop computer for editing and for note taking if desired (or a pen and notebook)
A selection of your five favorite images for review and critique
Appropriate clothing and gear for hiking long stretches over varied terrain, and spending time outside in varying weather during the field shoots. This includes good hiking shoes or boots, a waterproof jacket, a hat and gloves, and a warm layer if it gets cold late evening.
A more detailed packing list will be provided to you before the retreat
Good vibes and a willingness to learn
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Airfare or transportation to/from France
Lunch on arrival day or lunch and dinner on departure day
Alcoholic beverages, or snacks/drinks outside of meal times
Travel Insurance (highly recommended)
Any personal activities or adventures you choose to partake in outside of the itinerary
Special Considerations: If you have any dietary restrictions please let us know in advance and we will accomoadate to the best of our ability.
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To reserve your spot we do require a $1000 deposit. That deposit is only refundable for 48 hours after booking, less the fees incurred.
Once you pay for the rest of your trip you can receive the following refunds on the rest of the trip (deposits and fees not included):
More than 60 days before the trip = 100% refund.
Between 60 and 30 days before the trip = 50% refund.
Less than 30 days before trip departure = 0% refund.
We highly recommend trip insurance.
We may cancel a trip prior to the start date for reasons including (but not limited to) insufficient participation, weather conditions, or other instances that may impede trip operations. In this case, you will receive a refund for funds paid towards the trip cost. You will not receive any payment for any hotels, flights, or transportation booked before or after the trip.
A legal language version of our trip cancellation is this...
We reserve the right to cancel any trip, at any time, prior to the scheduled departure date for any reason whatsoever, including without limitation, insufficient participation, local weather conditions or logistical problems that, in our sole judgment, may impede trip operations. In the event we cancel your trip for any reason whatsoever other than a force majeure event, your sole and exclusive remedy shall be the refund of all payments we received from you as of the date of cancellation. Alex Strohl Studio payment of the refund shall release us from any and all other or further liability in any way related to such cancellation. We may make payments to our suppliers (permits, transportation companies, etc.) far in advance of the scheduled trip departure date. Accordingly, if a trip is cancelled due to a force majeure event (e.g. acts of God, war, labor strikes, earthquake, flooding or any other cause beyond our control), we will undertake commercially reasonable efforts to promptly refund the portion of any amounts paid by you that have, in turn, not already been advanced to suppliers. In addition, we will use commercially reasonable efforts to recover and refund to you the balance of your payment amounts that were advanced to suppliers, less our expenses, if any, of such recovery, as promptly as possible. However, we do not guarantee you recovery of any portion of advance payments made to our suppliers. We are not responsible for, and you hereby release and forever discharge us from, any expense or cost incurred by you in preparing for or arising or resulting from a cancelled trip. If you cancel your trip, we will refund your payment as follows: (a) cancellation 60 days or more prior to trip departure – 100% of your payment will be refunded, with the exception of the deposit amount and any transaction fees; (b) cancellation between 60 - 30 days prior to trip departure - 50% of your payment will be refunded, with the exception of the deposit amount and any transaction fees; or (c) cancellation less than 30 days prior to departure, or during trip – no refund will be made.
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We're here with answers. Reach out anytime to graham@alexstrohl.com
What do past students have to say?
We highly recommend you read testimonials of past workshop students below. While the instruction and mentorship from Alex will help you immensely on your photographic journey, being surrounded by such an incredible group of like minded individuals so eager to learn and advance is a huge plus. The environment that kind of group energy creates is unmatched.
The 2023 retreat has been filled
Apply today to to join the waitlist and be the first to know about upcoming retreats
Getting there
The retreat will be based in Les Vans, in the southeast of France. If traveling internationally, flying into Paris and then taking the TGV to Avignon (3 hours) would be the easiest route. From there, it is a 1.5 hour drive to Les Vans. A shuttle from the Avignon TGV station will be available on the arrival and departure day.
Airlines service nearby airports such as Montpellier so air travel is an option, however, you will then need to arrive in Les Vans by your own means, or meet in Avignon for the shuttle pickup. Depending on how the majority of the group arrives to the area, an additional pickup may be added to Montpellier.
You are also welcome to rent a car to arrive in Les Vans on your own, allowing you to explore the surrounding area more freely. With the winding backroads of the region, this may also be a good option if you are prone to getting car sick – or are known to backseat drive.
We are here to lend expertise on the best way to arrive, so please keep our team informed of your travel - we are here to help!
