A 5-DAY WORKSHOP WITH JULIE STAUFFER
iPhone Photography Workshop in Gascony
Morning instructional sessions, afternoon cultural excursions and photography opportunities, evening discussions and evaluation of the day's work — a curated program in the rolling hills of southwest France.
“I used to think my phone had a camera in it. Now I think I have a camera that can make calls and send texts.”
- Scott Kelby, Professional Photographer
THE WORKSHOP
Scott Kelby’s quote says it all. With each new generation of iPhone, the quality of the iPhone camera performance gets easier and better. During this workshop, we will get you up to date with the latest Apple iPhone camera improvements and post processing, and introduce a number of other editing and stylistic apps to consider in your final editing of images.
05 DAY SCHEDULE
Day
Theme
Afternoon/Evening
SUN
Day 1
Bienvenu
Arrival
We will arrange to meet you in Toulouse to begin the journey through rolling hills and lovely countryside to the Gers. You will then check into your accommodations, and have an option to take a walk around the lake and also a guided wine tasting at the domaine. The welcome dinner will be a traditional Gascogne meal. Together, we will make a round of toasts and feel aligned to the legendary spirit of d'Artagnan and his loyal musketeers.
MON
Day 2
Controls, Settings
Medieval Village
In the morning after breakfast we will begin our first session. You will learn to use the capabilities of your iPhone camera. You will learn the built in settings and adjustments of the camera as well as the post processing capabilities. We will set up your camera settings to give you the best images in camera so there is less editing once you snap the shutter. Practicing with your camera in this first session begins to increase your technological muscle memory. We will begin to master the editing features built into the iPhone camera software. You will have the opportunity to photograph on your own and practice your new skills.
In the afternoon we will visit the bastide village of Bassoues for lunch with Claude and a guided discovery of historical sites to inspire your assignment. Apéros and Dinner Chez Jay.
TUES
Day 3
Photograhping, Composition, Begin Editing
Wine Journey
In the morning, after breakfast there is an early morning photo excursion around the vineyard with Julie. It’s late fall, and the grapes will be very ripened and ready for the harvest. This will then lead into our session which will allow you to become more comfortable with your individual cameras and discover how to fine tune your images. Today, we will begin to explore the wonderful editing app SNAPSEED. The theme of this class will be Landscape Photography, and you will have a chance to practice this in the afternoon excursion.
Directly after class we will visit the heart of the wine country for lunch at a restored 9th century abby. The chef is innovative and whimsical with traditional cuisine and his menu is based on the seasons. During lunch, we can discuss what is working/what isn’t with your cameras and beginning editing. It will set us up for continued shooting during the afternoon.
Afterwards, we journey through the Madiran wine region to visit a certified AOC biologique winery run and operated by female producers. Here we will experience a tour of the vineyard and the French style of wine tasting, which usually includes conversations about the harvest, gardening tips and some local news. You will notice relationships are very important in the countryside. Beyond being a customer, it is very natural to become both friends and close neighbors with local winemakers.
Dinner will be in place, at the domaine and we will continue to share our reflections on the photography over the meal..
WED
Day 4
Refining Our Vision, Editing, Snapseed
Mini-Pilgrimage
The class is less structured than the first two sessions with students editing their own work, asking questions, experimenting with some of the apps recommended. Students will be able to send Julie images that they would like to share for ideas on how to edit differently or share ideas on what they did that worked well. One of the goals of this workshop is to encourage you to “see” the world and its beauty differently so that your images reflect your newly discovered vision of subjects/objects. INSERT immediately before.
Lunch is at a favorite nearby restaurant on top of a valley with magnificent views and cattle grazing on the property. The restaurant is literally farm to table, and the owner’s family are both the farmers and the chef. You will have a chance to ask questions and to share your experiences about taking photos and using the iPhone camera. We will be joined by Claude to provide guidance on the experience to come in the afternoon.
Our discovery today will take us on the early pilgrim trail of the Santiago de Compostela. We will visit the church of Saint-Christaud and the fortress village of Montesquiou. Additionally, we will explore relics from the early 10th century where miracles have been said to have taken place. It is a magical day, and a great way to use your newly learned iPhone photography skills to capture the beauty of these ancient spiritual places. Dinner will be at a nearby inn that serves classic regional dishes with an innovative twist.
THURS
Day 5
Presenting the Best of the Best
Market in Éauze
After breakfast we head out to the magnificent capital city of the Bas Armagnac region, Eauze. Here you will experience a lively market, the biggest in the Gers and for those more historically inclined you may choose to deviate to the Archaeological Museum with an exceptional treasure dating from the third-century Gallo-Roman era. Lunch will be at a Gascogne family run restaurant on the town square that specializes in the wonderful regional food of Southwest France. Over lunch, we will have an Informal discussion and feedback sessions on the work produced and a conversation about the assignment to complete in the afternoon.
Afternoon Presenting: This will be our final session and will give an opportunity to cull through your photographs and see which are the best of the best to share at cocktails in the evening. It will give you the time to organize the story you might like to share back home about your experience the past few days. it will also give you some free time to explore the area and reflect on your experience, fill in some spaces where you might like to photograph more locally. Most important, Julie can address individual questions about the progress of the week.
Evening A Celebration of the Week: Cocktails and charcuterie, some jazz music and a closing ceremony event with a slideshow of the Best of the Best. If the group decides, we could invite some of the friends we made along the way to join us and admire the photographs exhibited that were created in the workshop.
Dinner (weather permitting) will be barbeque style outdoors at the domaine. We will also enjoy a fine selection of local wines both from the Côtes-de-Gascogne (IGP) as well as the nearby region of Madiran (AOC). You will leave with the confidence of using your iPhone for photography, a knowledge of medieval bastide history and a strong familiarity of the region’s viticulture well prepared to seek out the wines from Gascony on the next wine list you encounter at your favorite restaurant back home.
FRI
Day 5
Fin du Semaine
The closing morning of the tour starts in a leisurely way for a final walk around the lake or to enjoy a browse around the little market at the Domaine de Bilé. Following breakfast, there will be transportation back the starting point at the Social Hub in Toulouse, with an option to make a stop at the Toulouse-Blagnac airport.
Please reach out directly if you would like help or recommendations for itinerary planing in the area. The Gers department is at the base of Pyrenees mountain range and nearly equidistant from Toulouse, Bordeaux and San Sebastian, Spain.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Domaine de Bilé is a small family owned vineyard directly outside of Bassoues. The domaine has a professional kitchen for cooking workshops and dining room. Upstairs there are three separate bedrooms, each with a private bathroom. Two bedrooms have a queen bed, one bedroom has two single beds, which could be shared and priced accordingly.
The domaine also has a gitte, or small apartment house that is fully equipped with a kitchen and a swimming pool, This unit has a private bedroom, and a pull out couch for sleeping and can hold two people, separately. The space was recently renovated and is designed to modern, contemporary standards.
All rooms come with:
-Queen sized beds
-Extra linens
-Private bathrooms
-Beautiful views
-Shared common space
-Strong Wifi
A quiet private bedroom with a queen sized bed, full bath and sweeping views of the entire valley.
Chambre Madrian Vin has a private bathroom with towels attached.
A quiet private bedroom with a queen sized bed, full bath and sweeping views of the entire valley.
This is a corner room with a full bath and sweeping views of the entire valley in both directions.
Chambre Armagnac has a private bathroom with towels attached.
This is a corner room with a full bath and sweeping views of the entire valley in both directions.
This room is located across the hallway and has a queen sized bed, full bath and views of the winery.
Chambre Rose Pétillante Bath has a private bathroom with towels attached.
This room is located across the hallway and has a queen sized bed, full bath and views of the winery.
Workshop Leader
MEET JULIE.
Julie has been teaching iPhone photography for over ten years. With each new generation of iPhone there is more to learn to make better photographs. That said, the photographer must “see” the photograph, compose and frame, edit a final copy…start over.
Julie hopes that this workshop gives you the skills to make amazing photographs that you are excited to share, print, make a book, and continue with your exploration of this wonderful way to record you impressions of the world.
See more about Julie in her ABOUT section of her website.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
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Transportation to and from Toulouse
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Five nights accommodations
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Meals, beverages and snacks
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Guided tours
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Local tax and admission fees
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Daily field workshops and editing lab
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An Immersion into the Gastronomy of Gascony
OCT 25 - OCT 30, 2026
Join Us in Gascony
Deposit secures your place. Limited to ten guests.