Eygalières Exhibition Ashley Tinker

May 18, 2026 by ashleyt 1 Comment

Ashley Tinker, Provence-based artist working on a large sunflower painting.

The first exhibition of the summer is up as of this morning! This is one of two exhibitions this year.

Location

La Vallongue artist exhibition Ashley tinker

This exhibition of 10 paintings will run from May 17th to August 31st and is being held at La Vallongue vineyard in Eygalières. This stunning property is worth visiting just for the driveway of Parasol pines along the Alpilles mountains. It’s located on the Route de Destet, in the regional park.

You can see visit during opening hours :

Saturday	10 am–1 pm, 2–7 pm
Sunday	10 am–1 pm, 2–7 pm
Monday	10 am–1 pm, 2–7 pm
Tuesday	10 am–1 pm, 2–7 pm
Wednesday	10 am–1 pm, 2–7 pm
Thursday	10 am–1 pm, 2–7 pm
Friday	10 am–1 pm, 2–7 pm

Vernissage

The vernissage, or official opening night, will be June 18th at 7pm. Come have a gander, say hi and a glass of wine.

Process and Themes

(Thoughts on) Oil Painting and Gesture

Painting landscapes, especially with oil, is soaked in precedent and expectation. Especially painting the same scenes once painted by Cézanne, Van Gogh and the like, there’s a lot of predetermined ideas that people have when they see my work. I use an impasto style, lots of textured paint, no underdrawing, and I work alla prima, or wet on wet. For some reason people assume that oil painting takes a long time; but for me, it’s not the painting but the preparation that takes a long time. I spend hours looking at the blank canvas, mixing paints and stirring up the energy within myself to make the first mark.

I like my work to be closer to drawing rather than painting; I feel it’s more interesting to see the humanity in the brushstrokes, decisions, mistakes and gestures. I feel this energetic way of painting with tactile textures best evokes the limestone and gnarled bark of olives, in essence, the rugged landscapes of Provence.

Sunflowers

There’s something about sunflowers. The height of their bloom is filled with such vibrancy in comparison to their desiccated black seed heads. All flowers are symbols of our transient nature; but sunflowers showcase a contrasted vitality and decay that cannot be ignored. They are an embodiment of the South of France in the popular imagination; directly depicting the brilliant sunlight contrasted with often harsh weather conditions. Their devotion to the sun is touching. I grow them in the garden. All kinds of varieties. They grow like trees, their stalks a symbol of strength. The highlight of my summer days is seeing their transformation, sometimes opening petal by petal. There is an anthropomorphic element to sunflowers, they have such character. This is why I’ve named my sunflowers series “sunflower portraits.” Small versions of these are available for visitors to the studio.

Van Gogh claimed that sunflowers were “his”. It’s easy to see his influence on my work. I’ve decided that 2026 is the year of the sunflower for me, an homage to Vah Gogh, and an homage to Provence.

Fleeting Moments

My first creative outlet was black and white photography. I experimented with Holga cameras and then used a Hasselblad for my portraits, nudes and various artistic projects. I developed an affinity the square format. When depicting landscapes, there is something that feels complete or final when using a horizontal format. I’ve found that using a square or vertical format allows the viewer to feel like they’re in the landscape more, as if it’s a fleeting moment in front of them. I often take photos from moving cars for inspiration, or aim to give the sense that the landscape is enveloping you, as if you’re in the olive groves. You become part of the subject, part of nature.

Oil Paintings

All prices below are including the 5,5% TVA/VAT. If exported outside of the EU, 5,5% TVA will be deducted from the price. The paintings on linen are custom made 400g thick linen. There is a subtle watermark on the bottom right hand of these photos for copyright reasons. It is not on the painting.

Alpilles Landscapes

provence landscapes in oil by Ashley tinker

Sous le Ciel de Provence, Eygalières
80x80cm
Huile sur lin/Oil on linen
Sold*

Après le Mistral, Les Baux de Provence
80x80cm
Huile sur lin / Oil on linen
Sold*

alpilles landscape by oil painter Ashley tinker

Matin sur l’Olivier, Les Baux de Provence
80x80cm
Huile sur lin / Oil on linen
Sold*

This painting is a commission and is sold*

La Vallongue Alpilles vineyard provence by Ashley tinker

La Vallongue, Mai
80x100cm
Huile sur lin
2110€

Sunflowers

The below 2 paintings are ideally a diptych.

sunflower oil painting south of france Ashley tinker

Portrait de Tournesol; César
90x90cm
Huile sur lin / Oil on linen
Sold*

Portrait des Tournesols; Marius & Fanny
90x90cm
Huile sur lin / Oil in linen
2110€

Souvenir du Midi
100x120cm
Huile sur coton / Oil on canvas
2720€

Bouquet d’Été
80x80cm
Huile sur coton / Oil on canvas
Sold*

Portrait de Tournesol; Apolline
200x200cm
Huile sur coton
6330€

Payment & Shipping

If you’d like to buy a painting, it would be wonderful if you’d be willing to wait until the exhibition is over at the end of August. However, if you absolutely can’t wait, I understand and paintings can be taken off the walls from the beginning of July after the vernissage.

If you’re not in the area and need shipping, we ship the paintings rolled in a tube with the wooden stretchers. Any professional framer can re-stretch the canvas for you. If you are in the area, and the size necessitates, the painting can be delivered to you. If you’re passing through, they can also be taken on the plane rolled in a tube. Depending on the airline, they may or may not charge you for the additional luggage.

Payment can be made in person in the atelier with credit card, by wire transfer directly with the bank, or I can send you a payment link with Wise.

If you’d like to see more paintings, feel free to contact me to come see what I have available in the atelier. Commissions are also possible. They take about a month to paint, then three months to dry.

My email : curiousprovence@gmail.com

– Ashley

See more available oil paintings here : Larger Oil Paintings

In Her Studio Magazine Feature

May 16, 2026 by ashleyt Leave a Comment

In her studio magazine featuring Ashley Tinker

I have the pleasure of sharing with you that my studio and work has been featured in a lengthy article and the cover of the last In Her Studio Magazine. This magazine focuses on working female artists and the spaces in which they create.

If you’re interested in purchasing a copy, the magazine ships internationally and can be found here : https://stampington.com/products/in-her-studio-summer-2026

With the code FAV15 you’ll receive a 15% discount.

Visit an artist studio in Provence

November 4, 2025 by ashleyt 1 Comment

If you happen to be in the Alpilles area of Provence and are interested in acquiring some artwork and meeting a local artist, my studio (atelier) is open to the public via rendezvous. This is a fun way for me to meet people traveling or living in the area that have an appreciation for art. Hopefully you will also be enriched by meeting a local painter in Provence.

My muse is the landscapes of Provence. I focus specifically on the olive groves of the Alpilles regional park but am also inspired by the seasonal wildflowers and crops here such as almond blossom, sunflowers, grapevines and more.

In recent months I’ve been focusing on a sunflower series, potentially for an upcoming exhibition in 2026.

My work is comprised of oil paintings in a loose figurative impasto style often painted at dawn or dusk. For smaller works, I also create botanical series with ink and ochre from Roussillon in the Luberon, or cyanotypes with poppies.

Meet Ashley, a local painter in Provence

The Atelier / Artist Studio

Our 1770s property is in the middle of the village of Mollégès, located 5 minutes north of Eygalières and 10 minutes east of Saint Remy de Provence. On Instagram, our followers have showed a keen interest in accompanying us on our renovation journey. This is our second project in Provence; for the first in Maussane-les-Alpilles we were on Househunters International. This project will be a life project. My husband, Robin, is a professional tradesman and has completed almost all of the restoration himself. We have 2 barns and the main house (not yet touched!).

When we bought the property in 2019, our first task was to transform one of the barns into a weekly holiday rental. After that long process (actual blood and tears!) we focused on the studio. The building is 95 square meters, or just over 1000 square feet. It was mud and 4 walls when we started. We have replaced the roof, filled in the concrete wine cuves in the floor, cleared out a lot of the hunting gear, family photos, replaced the massive barn door with a glass opening and introduced another large glass opening. See some photos here. Although long from done, the space now has a proper floor and some insolation. It has perfect light for a studio.

Group visits to the Atelier

picnic in an artist studio provence frace

If you’re traveling with friends/family or are a tour guide, and believe your group would be interested in visiting an artist atelier, you’d be welcome to stop by. For tour guides, I can provide a picnic lunch, coffee or apéro for a small fee depending on the time of day you’d like to stop by. The light in the studio in the early evening is particularly beautiful. This can be a wonderful moment to share what life is like living in Provence as an artist or otherwise. I used to be a tour guide myself, so can provide extensive tips and history of the area. Depending on how many people you are, I may ask my husband, Robin, to join us.

Oil Painting Commissions

I’m often asked about the option of commissioning a provençal landscape. In the atelier gallery I have some examples of my work where you can commission something similar depending on size, if you’d like warmer or cooler tones etc. If I have time, I like to paint 2 works so that you can choose from one of them. I want my collectors to be as happy as possible so there is no pressure to buy if you’re not 100% in love !

If you’d like to commission a work you’ll have to be patient… Depending on how much demand I have, it will take me a month to do the painting and 4 months for the painting to dry to be able to send. All paintings are in oil paint, hence the wait. If you’re living in Provence, the painting can be handled after a few weeks and left to dry on your wall. Thankfully good things come to those who wait!

Sending a painting overseas

If you stop by the atelier in person, the easiest thing is to take an artwork with you. For smaller works we can of course bubble wrap etc. For paintings, we take them off the stretchers and roll them in a pvc pipe, including the wood. The painting can be easily retrenched by any professional framer back in your home country. Depending on your airline, you can put the painting in your suitcase, check it as another piece of luggage or even bring it on board as hand luggage. To send a painting directly, I use Chronopost and, just the same, send in a tube.

Ashley tinker cyanotypes — Detail of a cyanotype

Contact

If you’d like to drop by, send me an email ! It would be a pleasure.

Curiousprovence@gmail.com

To see paintings available for sale, you can also send me an email.

Our Wedding in Provence

February 11, 2025 by ashleyt 6 Comments

Forgive me this indulgence but when you have so many photos of such a special day, one cannot help but share them. This is for anyone curious about our wedding in Provence.

When Robin Proposed with a thyme sprig in December of 2023 while we were on a walk in the Alpilles, the first thing we thought about was that the perfect, dreamiest location would be to get married in an olive grove. These trees are such a large part of our lives, I paint them, we planted 7 in the garden last year (which is fitting because at Provençal weddings an olive tree is often planted), we hike between their rows on the weekend and dream about making our own oil. That night, we asked our friends William and Prune at Les Terres de Pierre if they would allow us to get married amongst their oliviers. Thankfully, they whole-heartedly agreed. It also helps that William is an excellent chef!

A DIY Wedding in Provence

In many ways this was a DIY wedding. This was obviously for budget reasons; also, we felt it was more meaningful to do things ourselves (despite the running around and stress this created on the day of).

A Garden Rose Dream

I used to work in a upmarket florist during my university years in Montréal. I absolutely loved the experience and daily creativity it offered. So, I could have made large floral arrangements if I wanted. However, we were going for a more country feel appropriate to our Provençal farmhouse venue. The original plan was to have masses of garden roses from a local producer in the region. The price was amazing, the roses spectacular (the same roses used by royal member of the Monaco family Charlotte Casiraghi) and quite frankly it was all too good to be true. A month before our wedding we experienced rainstorms that wiped out the roses.

When reality sets in

We ended up ordering the flowers directly through a contact of mine on the Saint Remy de Provence market (I worked there for a few years). That was another tricky hurdle as the flowers, though “wild” looking, are uncommonly sold on the market and considered “noble” flowers. They had to be ordered in specially. Despite my desire for David Austin roses (at such a price even if just for the bouquet) my friend on the market refused to get them and replaced them instead with local gorgeous varieties. I didn’t get the exact colours I ordered but alas, it didn’t matter. At the last minute we had to embrace the colour yellow. The macaroons we ordered were supposed to be peach but came out yellow, the peach roses were yellow, extra tablecloths came from the back of cupboards in the colour yellow, it just seemed like that colour was meant to be!

Flowers (in addition to some wild fennel we picked) : Camomile Matricaire, French garden roses, Thlaspi, Scabiosa, some Cosmos from our garden, and Ammi.

Making the Ceramic Vases

I lovingly made all the ceramic vases for the tables myself. We bought an iron arch and decorated it simply with olive branches with the intention of installing the arch in our garden on a permanent basis. All of the olive oil labels were hand-written and we bought all the drinks ourselves from our favourite local wineries (Deves, Domaine des Blaquières) and fruit juice producers.

provence wedding — Dried flowers for the aisle were perfect instead of rose petals in the August heat

The Rehearsal Dinner

We had a dinner the evening before the wedding where we invited only the people from out of town. Which, was just about everyone! My bachelorette was two nights before the wedding with people coming to the party straight from the airport. There were so many nationalities. It was blissful chaos.

Bonsaï olive trees from the market and Poterie Not ceramics were (we thought) a perfect rustic table setting under the fig trees for the night before. I wore a daisy crown that I made with dried daisies (a surprise for Robin, he likes daisies) and he wore a Souleiado shirt (of course!).

private vows — Private sunrise vows in the olive grove

diy wedding provence olive grove — Private sunrise vows in the olive grove

Community

provence countryside wedding — Robin and all the ladies !

We were so grateful for our friends that crossed oceans to be with us on our special day. We tried to keep the wedding as small as possible, with only 45 people. It felt meaningful that everyone chipped in to help decorate, move chairs, etc. Each person had a different role. My oldest friend officiated, my childhood hairdresser from Canada did my hair, my friend Loretta did my makeup, our witnesses were different from the best man and woman, my stepfather walked me down the aisle and my mom tied the knot for our hand fasting.

Creating Meaning with details

In France, in order for your marriage to be legally binding you have to get married at your local town hall. This disappointed me a little. In France, people often go to the town hall first and then the church. I would have preferred a secular ceremony to be both legally binding and in the outdoors.

Our families are small and don’t have strong wedding traditions. Robin and I both like to make decisions based on what we really want rather than just going with a precedent. This can be exhausting, constantly evaluation your intentions, but it’s worth it. We made a conscious decision to create meaning through details, and even create potential family heirlooms.

A Feather Boutonnière

Robin’s boutonnière was made by Prune, owner of the property with William but also an artist plumassière. This is the trade of feather worker, of which there are only 7 left in France. She has worked for the big fashion houses in Paris as well as the army (high-ranking officers have feathers details on their uniforms) but she now works for herself from her home atelier (studio) and boutique in Maussane les Alpilles. This is a boutonnière to keep.

A Nod to French History & a Vintage Tiara

Another detail was the crown I wore. This is something I hope to pass down eventually. It was made by Lizeron in Paris. The detailed ceramic designs are based on vintage French wedding tiaras that were originally made of wax.

A Sense of Place & Terroir

The wedding favours were peppery olive oil made on the property as well as native wildflower seeds. We were so grateful to be married in the regional Park of the Alpilles. Our hearts and lives are here. This was also reflected in the food, all local ingredients and organic wine made by small producers.

Imperfect Rings

We searched all over for wedding rings that had an organic form. We wanted them reflect nature, the imperfection of a life tied to someone else, how things ebb and flow. Something that reminded us of roots, growing together and knobbly olive tree bark. We found them in England (Cumbrian Designs).
The vintage (1910) daisy Marguerite engagement ring was found after a lot of research and a subsequent mission in Paris where we spent a weekend visiting antique jewellery shops.

A Bespoke Suit

My late father spent his career designing the patterns of suits. All throughout my childhood I would flick through the swatches he carefully pinned together on large sheets of paper. In addition to this, Robin’s complexion and my pickiness of colour meant that finding a suit was tricky. I went to 2 stores for my wedding dress, but we went to several for his suit! In the end, he had it custom made in Paris (by Chris von Martial). If you’re only going to have one bespoke suit made, it might as well be for your wedding!

*Apparently in France the men go suit shopping together. We didn’t know this and Robin was teased by his French friends for going with me instead. Ha!

Ashley Tinker wedding — Ice from La Glacière in Saint Remy- a must for any Provençal party

Une Cérémonie Entre les Oliviers

How do you create new traditions? How do you bring meaning without precedent? How do you make something unique to you? How do you honour people that couldn’t make it? Neither of us are religious but we are absolute romantics…

Here’s how we added meaning :

Private vows just for each other at sunrise on the morning of the wedding (Robin’s idea)
Songs that nodded to my late father and Robin’s late mother horribly passed away 5 months before the wedding (we didn’t tell anyone- made a couple people cry- it was a if you know you know kind of situation)
A ring warming ceremony where everyone present passes the rings from person to person, each silently offering a wish, hope or blessing for our couple.
We had quite a few vows, the more traditional ones were said separately, the second, more personal set were said together, at the same time, which somehow felt magical
Handfasting as a symbol of our union ; “as the hands are joined, they form an infinity symbol, representing eternal union—a continuous circle of love, trust, and respect.”
Group declaration of support. We wanted to include everyone there as a witness : “As part of this esteemed group, I invite everyone to join me in expressing your support for the couple. So, if you are able, please answer the following question with “we will.” As Ashley and Robin’s blood and chosen family, will you share their joys, help them to bear their burdens, and do everything in your power to uphold them in their life together?”

“Olive trees are a symbol of peace and resilience—qualities deeply embodied in this
relationship. Just as the olive tree thrives in all seasons, Ashley and Robin’s union has
and will continue to be nourished by their mutual respect and enduring commitment to
one another.” – our celebrant & my childhood friend

provence wedding food — Pétanque – of course !

We asked Leonard to play for us during the apéritif. Our French friends laughed that our menu was more Provençal than any they’ve ever seen!

Vows

In addition to the usual “to have and to hold…” we added these :

I promise to respect and appreciate you for who you are and who you wish to become.
I promise to seek a deep understanding of your wishes, your desires, your fears, and
your dreams.
I promise to be your safe haven when you need me, whenever you need me.
I promise to nurture your goals and ambitions; to support you through misfortune and
celebrate your victories.
I promise to keep our lives exciting, adventurous, and full of passion.
I promise to treat you with compassion over fairness, because we are a team.
I promise to persevere when times get tough, knowing that no matter how many
challenges we might face, we will always overcome them together.
I promise to show you, every day, that I know exactly how lucky I am to have you in my
life.

A Cake for England, A Cake for France

We had 2 takes to acknowledge both Britain and France (sadly had not many ideas for Canada).

We actually decided to go very old fashioned for both cakes. Traditional British fruit cake (there’s an excellent boozy one made by a lady in Saint Remy- all proceeds go to charity- contact me if you want her number) and a traditional Pièce Montée (choux buns with nougatine). Delicious!

diy wedding provence — Robin’s amazing speech where he apologised for waiting 16 years to ask me…ha!

the second wedding dress — Our photos were taken by Nicolas Elsen.

And Afterwards…

After dinner we danced until 4am..
*tip : one way to get absolutely everyone to dance is to get everyone to stand around you during the first dance then throw on some upbeat tunes right afterwards.

After a wedding week of celebrations, trying to make the most of our time with everyone, dealing with other people’s emotions, we collapsed in content exhaustion. It took months to process everything.

Robin declared last week on our honeymoon in Sri Lanka (5 months later) “Let’s do it all again” !

With pleasure love. xo

“I give you this ring as a symbol of my love,
my trust in our strength together,
and my promise to learn and grow with you.”

Renting an Electric Car in Provence

January 11, 2023 by ashleyt 2 Comments

A personal account of renting an electric car in rural Provence

Having access to a car is essential in Provence as some of the best sights you’ll see are the stunning countryside between hilltop towns.

cucuron village Luberon — Exploring small villages, and the countryside around them, is the best thing about visiting Provence (other than eating of course).

I’ve had quite a few people ask me recently if renting an electric car in Provence would be a good idea. As I have no personal experience with this, I asked someone that I knew had just completed an extensive trip to Provence focusing on small villages in the Luberon.

For anyone that might find this useful, here is her personal account:

Renting an Electric Car in Provence

“These are the opinions of one 50 year old, reasonably intelligent American woman who drives an automatic at home and is comfortable in all driving settings in the U.S. – inner city (e.g., NYC) and rural. Take the below advice with a grain of salt.

I do not recommend renting an electric car for a vacation through Provence, especially if you don’t have extensive experience at home driving electric cars.. I discovered that electric cars are better for keeping at home to toot around town, short distances, doing errands, where you have a charger at home. EVs are not good for extensive travel in a foreign country, for a condensed period of time where every hour and even minute is precious.

Absolutely, positively do not rent an EV in Provence for vacation unless your French is excellent. My French is superb and I still had a massively difficult time. You will want to speak French for reading the charging station instructions and most importantly, asking for help from fellow car chargers that you might see at the charging stations.

Rental car company may leave you with the impression that it will be super easy to deal with your EV. Do not believe them.

Charging Station Map Apps

In my experience, none of the many charging station map apps available (and I tried them all) were helpful in Provence. Problems included lack of signal, slow/stalled response, map can’t find your location, map is difficult to read and inaccuracies as to location of the charging station (e.g. map says there’s a charging station at such and such place but there’s actually none anywhere in the vicinity). I was counting on charging my car at a charging station supposedly walking distance from Les Baux de Provence. In fact, when I got there, I learned that the charging station did not exist. The parking attendant told me that he had met others who had encountered the same mystery. The charging apps make it seem like there are more charging stations than there actually are.

Forget trying to “plan a trip” using the charging apps.

You cannot count on being able to charge your car from where you’re staying, e.g., an airbnb house or apartment. This is a major disadvantage to using an EV while traveling/sightseeing.

I found that charging stations in Provence were not numerous and always out of the way. If you are going to go ahead and rent an EV anyway, large grocery stores like Aldi or the French version of Costco are good places to try.

Wasting Precious Vacation Time

I wasted too much of my vacation time figuring out how to charge my car at each charging station I encountered (they’re all slightly different.) Instructions are not user-friendly, intuitive or comprehensive. They assume you know a lot more than you will (unless you’re an experienced EV driver). For some stations it may seem like you need to have a special charging card for that particular vendor but you probably don’t. Usually you can use your credit card, if you can figure out how.

I wasted too much time sitting around waiting for my car to charge once I had already wasted excessive time figuring out how to use the charging station.

It was stressful having to plan how far you could drive (distance or time) before you had to charge again. The first half of a full charge seems to drip down slowly, but the second seems to rapidly vanish.

Some charging stations don’t accept certain credit cards; you should have multiple cards available to try.

Getting Used to Electric Cars & Navigating

It is tricky getting used to driving an electric car; there are many differences from driving an automatic or manual transmission. Once you get used to it, it’s ok, but it took me a week to get used to it. There are lots of beeps for which you don’t know the cause, it’s not easy to figure out how to turn them off, and they’re super annoying when you’re trying to concentrate on navigating.

Speaking of navigating, the GPS map in my EV was not always, but frequently wrong.. Very wrong. For instance, the map would say exit right on the fourth exit of the roundabout but there are only three exits. Or the map will tell you to drive right when you were really supposed to make a left. You must have your phone GPS on as well so that you can compare the two. Sometimes they’re both wrong, sometimes one is wrong and the other is right. If the map contradicts a road sign, follow the road sign (e.g., a sign pointing to town center)..

I would highly recommend that whatever car you decide to rent in France, have a travel partner who can help you look for signs and generally help you navigate so that you can concentrate on the road and the INSANE (read: reckless).French drivers that will be threatening your existence at every turn (especially on those Provençale mountain roads).”

My Experience Driving in Provence

In response to this personal account I have to just comment on how the French drive. I personally do not find the French drive more wildly than others (though I did live in Italy for a time so my perspective is probably skewed- growing up in Montréal may not have helped either…ha!). However, I do find that on small roads where visitors are less common locals can understandably become impatient if you’re going much slower than the speed limit or seem to be dawdling. I have a lot of experience with this as the Austin Mini pictured above was my car for seven years. I got used to veering to the side of the road when I was aware the car was going too slow (sometimes hills were tricky) or even stopping completely to let others pass if I wanted to take in some scenery.

Some Tips

Don’t rent a manual car if you haven’t driven one in many years. Provence is hilly! You’re supposed to make your life more easy on vacation, not more difficult.

Rent the smallest car possible.

Have another credit card other than American Express if you’re going on the motorway (for tolls). Or, even better, have some euros on you. Cash is still king in France.

Pay for a good phone plan that allows you to use Maps on your phone. GPS in cars, I’ve noticed, is often not updated.

If you’re not used to roundabouts the joy is that you can keep going around them until you’ve made your decision of which direction to take. Take your time. (Your numberplate will usually indicate that you’re driving a rental car; locals know to be more patient).

Familiarise yourself with a few village/town names to get your bearings. Road signs often indicate these towns rather than direction of North etc. I actually find this easier once you have a general idea that Avignon is north, Aix is South East from where you are etc.

I would recommend against driving on back country roads at night here in Provence if you’re unfamiliar with the area. There are few road lights and locals sometimes take these roads too quickly (especially after a glass of wine).

Also, avoid driving around Avignon- quite tricky. Oh, and don’t put in your GPS the town hall of somewhere like Aix or Provence or Avignon. Put in a parking lot. I’ve heard of people that have done this and they’ve ended up in medieval city centres that are often tricky to navigate or pedestrianised. These were of course people not familiar with Europe. Keep in mind most old towns have winding small streets.

Rent that car!

Do not let this deter you! I have had countless clients (for my photoshoots and itineraries) that have encountered no problems at all (with non-electric cars).

If budget allows, you could also hire a chauffeur for your time in Provence. If this is something that interests you, send me an email and I can recommend a couple.

–Ashley

curiousprovence@gmail.com

Engagement Photoshoots in Provence

October 13, 2022 by ashleyt 2 Comments

Tips and locations for proposals from a professional photographer in Provence

Proposal Photoshoots in Provence

Provence is a romantic and beautiful place. Over the past few years I’ve noticed more and more demand for engagement photoshoots with stunning backdrops. To be honest, romantic photoshoots are my absolute favourite so I’m more than happy to oblige! It’s become a little bit of a niche of mine.

Engagement Photography

An engagement photoshoot can be the same as any romantic or anniversary photoshoot. The only difference is that if you like we can include a bottle of bubbly to celebrate as well as pictures of the ring. There are lots of fun cheesy poses we can play with as well, though from my work you can hopefully see that I prefer natural photos. Photoshoots are from 60 minutes to an entire morning or afternoon. The length of the photoshoot depends on the amount of locations you’d like to explore. The longer the shoot, the more people tend to relax into the process, and the better the photos.

Photographing the Real Proposal

Photographing the real proposal is possible! There are a few things to keep in mind.

How private would you like your proposal to be?

If I’m photographing your proposal I can do it from some distance where I don’t hear what you’re saying and you feel like you’re really in the moment. However, what about other people? Are you really private and would prefer an olive grove or to take a small hike to a secluded location? (The fact that I’m the only other person there may be conspicuous). Or are you happy to go to the top of the village at sunset and risk a couple other people being there? It’s possible to have many beautiful locations, like Gordes village, all to yourself if you go for sunrise. The only tricky thing is being inconspicuous about getting your partner to wake up at the crack of dawn!

Making them Comfortable

If your partner is being photographed would they prefer to be dressed up? If so, it’s often a good idea to say that you’re going to a nice restaurant. Then, on your way to the restaurant, I can suggest a beautiful spot for you to stop for the excuse of a sunset selfie. If the spot is a bit touristy that’s actually an easy option for me as I can pretend to be a tourist. If you really want to make sure your partner is comfortable with being photographed, there is also the option of telling them that you’ve booked me for a photoshoot. Then, I can meet them, make them feel comfortable, and place you in a gorgeous spot for you to surprise them. You can always say you were gifted the photoshoot by a friend or family to make it a little less suspicious.

Tips for having your proposal photographed: (there’s a lot to think about here but try to keep these in mind)

Once you get to the agreed location, don’t hesitate too much or they’ll start to be suspicious. At the same time, if there are other people there feel free to wait until they leave. At most viewpoints people take a quick photo and move on.
Take your time with the actual proposal (contradictory I know!) What I mean by this is say a few words to build up to the big question. I’ve noticed that this is really appreciated and makes the special moment a little longer. It’s also great for reactions. I won’t hear anything as I’ll be a bit further away.
Stand in such a way that I can see both of you from the side. Ideally, the person who is standing should be in the sun/light.
If you’re proposing to a lady and she has her hair down, tuck it behind her ear before you go down on one knee. Or, suggest she put her hair half-up or up. This is because if you’re on your knee and she’s looking down, her hair may block her face!
Stay on your knee until the ring is on her finger so I can get the shot!
I will be at the location 15 minutes early just in case. If you’re running late, let me know only if it’ll be longer than 15 minutes from the agreed time.

Photoshoot Options

I am very flexible in making your proposal as bespoke to you as possible. I can bring a bottle of chilled local bubbly and some vintage glasses. As a foodie, I’m passionate about food so can bring a picnic which is fun for photos. I can bring some flowers that your partner particularly loves. If you’d like to coordinate that your family arrives during the photoshoot, I can coordinate that with them.

Combined Photoshoot & Market Tour

It’s possible to have a combined photoshoot, market tour and picnic. This is possible in Saint Remy de Provence, Eygalières or Gordes every month except July & August.

Proposal Locations

I generally cover the Alpilles and Luberon regional park areas. These areas are full of stunning hiking locations, hilltop villages and viewpoints. Depending on where you’re staying, I can suggest a spot. You can also let me know if there’s something specific that you have in mind. I’ve included a couple “how to make a day of it” options but feel free to ask me about more options.

Here are some provence proposal location suggestions :

Gordes Viewpoint

This is iconic provence. An absolutely stunning location, the viewpoint over Gordes is convenient for many reasons:

Parking on the side of the road, so easy excuse for a stop before dinner or on your way to the village.
Ideal sunrise location
Close to many other locations for combined photoshoots of village, olive groves and lavender.
A tourist spot, so inconspicuous that I would be there with a camera

Cons :

Can be busy during the summer season so you’d have to wait until you have the lookout to yourselves

Gordes in the evening :

Make a day of it:

Visit other hilltop towns nearby such as Roussillon, Goult, Bonnieux and Menerbes.

Gordes Engagement photoshoot ideas:

60 Minutes : Lookout & village / Lookout & olive groves or lavender
90 Minutes: Lookout, village and olive groves/lavender
2 hours : Lookout, village, olives and lavender
Full morning (on Tuesdays) : Lookout, lavender, olives, village & market
Full morning or evening: lookout, village, olives, nearby village of Roussillon (for more colourful backdrop)

Gordes in the morning:

proposal photographer provence — It actually rained during this photoshoot but this couple embraced it and made it fun!

Lavender Fields in Provence (limited season)

Lavender fields are perfect for photos. I do not offer photoshoots in the expansive fields of Valensole as there are too many people; I prefer the smaller fields in the Luberon (near Oppède, Goult, Bonnieux) where there are less people. Depending on the week, I can suggest a field in full bloom. The light is really important for lavender fields as they are generally flat so photoshoots need to be at the very beginning or end of the day. As the days are long in June/July this would mean start time of 6:15am or 8pm depending on the location and length of the photoshoot.

Pros :

I can suggest a field that is easy to park next to, so it would make sense to stop to take a few photos or admire the scenery
You can easily feel like the moment is all yours as you can distance yourself from anyone else that may be around
Stunning light and lots of fun poses to try
Sunflowers bloom at the same time, so it’s possible to combine the two if we can find a sunflower field nearby

Cons :

Lavender has a very short season! It lasts from the last week of June to through the first 2 weeks of July
If it’s a particularly hot season, it’s possible the flowers will be cut early. I will have to make sure they’re still there before the photoshoot.
There are lots of honey bees in the lavender. I’ve never had an issue as they tend to be busy doing their thing but something to keep in mind if someone has an issue with bees.
You’ll most likely get your shoes a little dirty! But it’s absolutely worth it…

Make a day of it

Visit local hilltop towns in the Luberon during the afternoon or after a morning photoshoot go to a morning market such as Gordes (Tuesday) or Isle sur la Sorgue (Sunday).

Lavender Engagement Photoshoot ideas:

60 minutes : lavender field
90 minutes: lavender field & hilltop town or Gordes lookout
2 hours: lavender, sunflowers, hilltop town (Oppède-le-Vieux is an off-the-beaten track option)
Full morning/evening: lavender, hilltop town(s), olive groves

Eygalières Village

engagement photographer provence — Eygalières in the evening

For the authentic. This chic town isn’t touristy compared to the other hilltop towns I’m suggesting here. It’s perfect for a combined countryside and architecture photoshoot. The market on Friday mornings is also particularly beautiful and a fun backdrop for photos.

Pros :

Lesser known village, most likely will have the location to yourselves, especially in the morning
Many local restaurant options in town or nearby Saint Remy de Provence
Beautiful!
possibility to drive to nearby Chapelle Sainte Sixte

Cons :

There may be people watching the sunset from the viewpoint (usually only during the summer)
You have a 10 minute uphill walk to the viewpoint

Make a day of it

Go wine tasting in the stunning area between this town and Maussane-les-Alpilles. Go to Les Baux or Saint Remy de Provence for shopping and Van Gogh sites.

Eygalières engagement photoshoot ideas:

60 minutes : village ruins & café
90 minutes: village ruins, olive grove
2 hours: village ruins, café, olive groves, vineyard
Full morning: village ruins, café, olive groves, vineyard & market

Market day: Friday morning

Les Baux de Provence Castle Ruins

From the top of Les Baux you have a view over the Alpilles regional park. You can make a day of it by going to the Carrières des Lumiéres light show in the quarry at the bottom of the hill.

Pros :

Stunning view with lots of interesting architecture and nearby olive groves for different backdrops
A tourist site, so unsuspecting
Close to many restaurant options

Cons :

You can to walk to the top of the village; it’s best to wear sturdy shoes as the ground is uneven at the castle (she may want to wear heels but you can bring them or change after the castle).
The castle ruins site is open to only certain hours depending on the month. This means the proposal itself may not be in the ideal light but we can make use of the light later on in the olive groves.
Parking can be a bit of a pain during the high season
Touristy during the summer months (unless at the beginning of the day)

Les Baux engagement photoshoot ideas:

60 minutes: castle ruins
90 minutes: castle ruins & village
2 hours: castle ruins, village & olive grove
Full morning/evening: castle ruins, village, olive groves, market or nearby hotel Baumaniere

Market day (in Maussane) : Thursday morning

Les Baux de Provence hike & viewpoint

Ideal for nature-lovers and a morning hike, this viewpoint is stunning. It overlooks both the Les Baux castle and valley.

Pros :

Secluded location
A bit of an adventure!
Beautiful sunrise location

Cons :

15 minute uphill hike (I can leave ribbons on the trees for you to follow)
Not for people afraid of heights (cliff drop)
Not advisable on days with wind

Make a day of it

Visit Les Baux village, castle ruins and Carrières des Lumiéres light show. Visit saint Rémy de Provence (15 minutes away) for the market and/or great boutique shopping and Van Gogh sites.

Les Baux hike engagement photoshoot ideas:

60 minutes: Viewpoint & nearby forest paths
90 minutes: viewpoint, paths & olive groves
2 hours: Viewpoint, paths, olive groves & Les Baux village
Morning : viewpoint, paths, olive groves, Les Baux village & castle ruins

Montagne Sainte Victoire

Use this mountain, so beloved by Cézanne, as a backdrop for your proposal. Best for sunset.

Pros :

Beautiful location close to Aix en Provence

Cons :

Winding road from Aix, drive slowly!
Less options for combined architecture and landscape options nearby

Make a day of it

Spend the day wandering Aix en Provence then head out to the mountain for a picnic. Or, spend the day wine tasting at some of the local wineries here such as Château Gassier.

60 minutes: mountain backdrop

How to Book

Send me, Ashley, an email !

curiousprovence@gmail.com

Even if you have a last minute request I will do my best to pick a beautiful location and make your moment as special as possible. Provence is beautiful year-round so I’m available year-round.

Let me know :

The name of your partner
Where you’ll be staying
If any of the above options interest you or if you have another idea
If you prefer sunrise or sunset
How long of a photoshoot you’d like
If you’ll be actually proposing or if they’ve already said yes

I will then send you my availabilities and pricing information. If you like we can also share a phone call to go over details. I will send you a gps location via text if we’re meeting in a field a few days before the photoshoot.

If you’d like to see more of my professional work, my photography website is: photographerinprovence.com

If you’d like to see more location ideas, check out the CuriousProvence Instagram.

You can see more reviews for my work on Google or TripAdvisor.

provence engagement photography Gordes — Gordes Village

Reviews from TripAdvisor for CuriousProvence / Photographer in Provence Engagement Photoshoots :

Surprise proposal photoshoot in Lea Baux en Provence

“I connected with Ashley a few months prior to my trip to Provence to help plan my surprise engagement and photoshoot. I had a excellent experience working with Ashley. She was able to provide me with plenty of information to help me choose the perfect spot to pop the question remotely from Canada. On the big day, after asking the famous four words and my fiancé saying yes, we had a wonderful two-hour photoshoot across various picturesque sites in Les Baux en Provence. It was a truly a special occasion and we’re so glad to have booked with Ashley to be there to take our engagement photos! The pictures truly captured the moment and the natural beauty of the Provence countryside. I highly recommend working with Ashley and would certainly book with her again!“

Memorable market tour in Eygalieres & spectacular engagement photos

“Ashley helped me plan and execute a fairy tale day in Provence. Ashley led my girlfriend and I on a beautiful market tour in Eygalieres, which included a delicious “picnic” of foods she made and bought for us during the market. She helped us buy some beautiful products from great vendors. Later that day, Ashley led us to a beautiful location in Les Baux and captured our engagement at sunset. Ashley was a pleasure to work with, has a wonderful personality, and was very responsive to all my questions & requests. I can’t recommend her enough!”

Surprise Proposal/Engagement Photoshoot in Eygalières

“Ashley was the easiest person to work with!

All I knew was that I wanted to propose in Provence, but I had no idea where to begin. That’s where Ashley came in. She found an amazing overlook a short walk from where we were staying. All I had to do was bring my future fiancé there for a sunset. After she said yes, she had a bottle of champagne for us to open and set up a picnic for us!

Not only did Ashley create my ideal proposal, but the impromptu engagement photoshoot that followed was amazing. The photos came out better than we could have ever imagined!

I am very grateful for Ashley, especially because she made me look so good!”

Provence Surprise Proposal Photoshoot

“I worked with Ashley to capture our proposal and she did an unbelievable job. She is very kind and was extremely helpful throughout the process — from selecting the right location to helping arrange champagne. It was a pleasure to work with her and we would highly recommend her for any of the services she offers!”

Perfect proposal surprise and photo shooting in Gordes!

“Ashley helped me with my wedding proposal and we also had a wonderful photo shooting! The photos were amazing, the proposal was unbelievable! She brought us also some amazing local products to taste and a bottle of champagne to enjoy after the photo shooting with an amazing Gordes view! We definitely recommend her 200%!!! Thank you Ashley!”

The Most Memorable Experience of our Lives (I don’t think I can live up to this one!!…blushing…)

“This is NOT an exaggeration.

I booked a couple of tickets from the United States to propose in southern France six months ago at a specific place in Marseille – the plans fell through 3 days before the proposal!! I scoured the internet for anyone who could help and Ashley, from Curious Provence, went above and beyond. Working with her should have been the original plan – she set up a proposal, in action, photo shoot in the beautiful village at Gordes.

– Professional – Ashley answered right away and knew right questions to ask so that we can have the perfect proposal. Also offered tips that would get us the best photos of the moment.
– Knowledgeable: She knew just what we were looking for based on the information she gathered. In less than 24 hours we had a plan laid out. She knew the perfect time to meet, sent directions and it all worked perfectly.
– Outstanding Work – Ashley arrived early and was there to capture the moment and brought a bottle of outstanding Rose for us to share. The photos we received were jaw dropping (attached)….

I hope she reads this to know that her customer service alone put me at ease in a very stressful situation and her quality of work and attention to detail is what has made this the best moment of our lives. Thank you.”

Best Photographer in Provence

“I hired Ashley as a photographer for my proposal. She captured the actual moment while posing as a tourist and subsequently took pictures of us for another hour. First of all, the photos she took are amazing! She also did an amazing job editing them. But she also spent time in advance communicating with me and finding the perfect lavender field to propose in. I would definitely hire her again!”

Absolutely Fantastic

“Ashley helped me plan my surprise proposal in the lavender fields and took absolutely wonderful photos of the morning! The tour and photos of Gordes and the market was very personal and authentic and she even prepared a lovely morning brunch for us to celebrate the occasion. Could not recommend enough 11/10!”

Photographer in Provence – proposal shoot

“Imagine you’re planning a proposal for which you’d like high quality pictures to be taken – this is already a stressful endeavor. Add into consideration that you live 6000 miles away (thats 9650 km) and somehow have to coordinate logistics and details with someone that you can trust to ensure that the event goes down without any issues. Good luck finding someone who can handle all of this and speak the same language that you do.

Enter Ashley, photographer and tour guide at Curious Provence/Photographer in Provence. Ashley gets it – not only does she understand the complications of logistics planning across continents, she demonstrated from the very beginning that she understands the magnitude of the event I was planning. Ashley requested that we do a preliminary meeting over zoom to hammer out the details so that we can be on the same page. She was patient, thorough, and extremely helpful in planning the details of our photo shoot in Oppede and Gordes.

On the day of the shoot, we went out to meet Ashley in the lavender fields and had communicated using WhatsApp to make sure all was set. Ashley was even kind enough to pick up some champagne and fruit for the shoot.

The shoot itself was great. Ashely took amazing pictures and was able to capture the surprise of the proposal and then used the remaining time of the photo shoot to create some incredible memories. Ashley will do everything she can to make sure that the pictures turn out great so as long as you listen to her instructions, you can’t go wrong.

If you’re looking for someone who will make your life easier and provide a very high quality product, you’ll be hard pressed to find someone better than Ashley.”

Seven Years in Provence

January 19, 2021 by ashleyt 10 Comments

Curious provence Alpilles — An old soul searching for the slow life in Provence.

*2024 update : we’ve now been here for 10 years!

This past autumn, we passed our anniversary of living seven years in Provence. Seven years ago, on a morning with a pastel pink sky, we boarded the ferry from Dover to Calais. It had to be by ferry. It felt more symbolic.

We drove to Burgundy where we stayed in a little Bnb that we found in a tiny village. The architecture was already so different. Dinner was fresh goat cheese that we bought directly from the farm next door and baguette.

The next morning we drove south, south south until we saw the sign on the motorway “Route de Soleil” (the sunshine route). We exited the motorway and followed the map to our destination, which had no address. Of course, we couldn’t find it. We were looking for a château in the middle of seemingly nowhere that would be our new home. The owners were the only people to have answered to our ad on Gumtree looking for work in Southern France. It was a job as guardians. Or, glorified house housesitters. We drove to the nearest winery, bought some rosé to calm our nerves and asked directions. “Ah” they said. “That place?”. The vineyard owner didn’t bother to hide his concerned face.

We found the appriopriate large rusty gates and were greeted by our new employers that looked like something out of a Charles Dickens novel. We had been sent photos of the property that were 30 years old. And, well, the place certainly didn’t look the same…

Our move was a leap of faith. A trust in the world that everything would be alright. With little money, little French, and no contacts we started to build a life here. To be honest, for the first couple years we didn’t know what we wanted. Dreams of running a BnB? Not anymore.

For some odd reason we like to do things the hard way; moving to Provence wasn’t easy. It wasn’t all sweet-smelling lavender. But now we have a home that we’re renovating, friends, our businesses and a sense of belonging. We live in a stunning part of the world. This is not the story of the last seven years. I might have to save that for a book. But, I thought I would use this opportunity to answer a few questions that I’m often asked via email or Instagram.

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The Bells of Bonnieux

September 22, 2020 by ashleyt 8 Comments

Our Experience with the Church Bells of Bonnieux

Vincent gils bonnieux carillonneur. Church bells of bonnieux. — Vincent Gils, Carillonneur (bell-ringer) of the Èglise Haute de Bonnieux.

Recently, we stayed in the hilltop village of Bonnieux in the Luberon valley of Provence where we were treated to a singular sensory experience. We reached out to Vincent Gils, the only carillonneur (bell-ringer) left in the Vaucluse area and one of few left in France.

Vincent’s father, Bernard, taught him to ring the bells. Before him, his father was the custodian of this church, at the summit of Bonnieux, with 900 years of history. His father says that “Pour moi, mon clocher, c’est un piano volant” (for me, my bell, is like a flying piano). Nowadays, churches in France have automated bells. However, in Bonnieux, bells are rung by hand for mariages, baptisms, funerals and religious festivals. Vincent has been doing it for the last thirty years. He agreed to allow us to witness the ringing of the bells as he was on that day going to pay homage to a villager, a good friend, that passed away that week.

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48 Hours in Menton, Côte d’Azur

September 17, 2020 by ashleyt Leave a Comment

Menton is a colourful town on the French Riviera, very close to the Italian border. This town has been under the rule of Genoa, Sardinia, Monaco and finally France since 1861 (except the blip that was the Italian occupation of the area during WWII). Menton enjoys a special microclimate compared to the rest of the Côte d’Azur that is particularly favourable to citrus fruits. The lemon is the symbol of Menton and it’s said that the lemons here are so delicious that they can be eaten raw!

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72 Hours in Sanary sur Mer

September 10, 2020 by ashleyt 5 Comments

Sanary sur Mer is a colourful town on the mediterranean coast, 35 minutes east of it’s more famous neighbour Cassis. We recently visited this region and here’s some tips for visiting Sanary sur Mer in 72 hours, or whatever time frame you like! We also explored the smaller villages inland, as well as an island just off the coast.

Sanary sur Mer

Originally a fishing village, Sanary sur Mer is full of charm. Colourful traditional fishing boats line the harbour and boutiques populate the winding streets. This town has a less-touristy feel than Cassis. It can brag that it’s one of the sunniest places in France though the Mistral wind is often here was well.

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