Cassis and its surrounding areas

Photo tour in Provence

Today I’m learning about photography! It’s been a long time since I wanted to learn the techniques to finally take beautiful pictures, I ended up by finding what I was looking for, combining a walk and learning, what could be better than a picture workshop in Provence? Shall I tell you about my beautiful day?

Published on 31 March 2023

Presentation of our day

The appointment is made! For this experience, I go through the Tourist Office which offers this kind of activities, on demand, for a day or for a stay. For my part, I chose a day trip to Cassis and its surroundings.

The departure is set at 8am, but today the weather is capricious, it is bad luck! The organizer then suggests us to leave a little later. Indeed, 2 hours later the sky finally clears! We join our photographer and guide, Patrico, at the meeting point.

After a quick presentation, he explains the day’s progress, which promises to be rewarding. Here, no specific schedule, it is according to our feelings in the places we are going to discover.

Departure to Cassis and its surroundings

We left for the “Crêtes” road, which is located between Cassis and La Ciotat, I’am delighted, I haven’t been there for many years . We arrive at a parking lot which luckily is not very busy which is not the case in high season. We are almost alone ! We equip ourselves with our photography equipment or our smartphone and walk a few meters on the dirt road … and here, surprise, a breathtaking view is offered to us, it is magic! We overlook the city of Cassis and its entire bay. At this height ( beware of vertigo!) we can see the Calanques massif in the distance. Each participant is invited to walk around and take pictures as they wish. Patrico is there to advise us and explain the settings on our respective cameras.

After a long time admiring this incredible landscape, we leave and continue our journey. This time, it is towards the village of Castellet, a few kilometres away, a typical village of the region where colours and Provençal atmosphere are mixed. After strolling around the village for a while, we head back to Cassis where we stop for lunch in a restaurant located on the port. Patrico takes the opportunity to give us technical advice, framing, speed, light, colorimetry or depth of field, nothing is left to chance!

After lunch everyone is free to walk the streets of this pretty little town and we try to put into pratice all the precious tips given by our photographer. When we get back, he takes the time to look at our shots and tells us what goes well and what doesn’t. Each of us benefits from personalized advice during this debriefing.

Our return through Gineste

After having spent a few hours in Cassis, it’s already time to leave, I almost regret not having chosen a “stay” option! Our return to Marseille, this time takes place via Gineste path, the famous road that overlooks the Calanques between Marseille and Cassis.

This day was beyond my expectations, I am really delighted! And I’m not the only one, given the enthusiasm of the other people who took this trip with me. In addition to learning how to take beautiful pictures, I visited great places that I had never seen before and yet so close to home. This day was truly enriching, Patrico is warm, friendly and really attentive to everyone, whether you are a beginner or a confirmed photographer, he adapts to your level.

An activity that I 100% recommend to all lovers of photography and beautiful landscapes!