Testimonials

I had a truly fabulous experience with Raina!! She is a very gifted photographer and instructor. Raina is very skilled at teaching the nuances that make a great photograph and has a calm, beautiful way of empowering her students.
There were many things that stood out about Raina's photography sessions. I  loved the fact that Raina uses mindfulness at the root of how she teaches.  By being mindful and noticing how you are seeing things creates an entirely new way to photograph.  Raina is an absolute pleasure to be with!  She is fun, warm, caring, and instructs in the most helpful of ways. Raina knows which environments create the best photos. To learn by walking in her footsteps was priceless. I would never have learned as much as I did or enjoyed myself as much as I did if it weren't for Raina.
My time with Raina was so inspiring and rewarding. I left transformed and uplifted and now have fabulous photos from our experience together. I can't wait for my next course with Raina!

Phyllis Brock, California, USA

I have recently returned from the Provence Lavender Photography Tour.  I highly recommend this tour!  We visited lavender fields, explored medieval villages, gazed at the moon and stars.  We feasted on fresh produce and French bread from the village markets as well as gourmet fare at restaurants with breathtaking views.  We drank in the perfume of the lavender and the Spanish broom.  We foraged for herbs and flowers on the steep hillsides of the stunning medieval village of Brantes to make a delectable lunch that we savored on a terrace built into the rocky slope overlooking spectacular Mont Ventoux.  We reveled in the stimulating conversation spurred by the incredible kinship we developed with fellow travelers--new-found friends.  And in every part of our amazing adventure, under Raina’s expert tutelage, we experimented with different ways to document in photographs the story of our journey.  On reflection, I am reminded of a quote from Marcel Proust:  "The real voyage of discovery consists of not seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."  Merci beaucoup to Raina for giving me the opportunity to see with new eyes!  

Anne Newtown, Houston, Texas

I just returned from a small-group tour lifestyle and photography tour in Provence. I’ve traveled to France often and this is, by far, the best-guided experience I have ever had there   The focus of this tour was lavender in bloom and photography,  but I’m very confident that touring with Raina in Provence would be EXCEPTIONAL no matter what the focus was. Here are some highlights of the experience:

- All logistics, accommodations, and meals were handled from arrival to departure. That’s a real treat!  Nothing to worry about!

- Beautiful, charming B&B that felt very private, had perfect owner/hosts, lovely breakfasts, and great views. 

- FANTASTIC choices of restaurants (and a chef’s private home) for our lunches and dinners, exposing us to the cuisine of different villages in the area, some restaurants with breathtaking mountain landscape views from our table!   Each meal was unique and highlighted local, in-season elements, and EVERY menu selection exceeded my expectations. 

- Unique, local daily experiences, foraging in a quaint village for fresh herbs, veggies, fruits  and flowers for a private, Chef-prepared lunch in the chef’s home, a private tour of a lavender farm and distillery, and much more!

- Extraordinary photo-taking venues on our schedule every day, with continuous hands-on guidance from Raina about looking for great shots, framing shots, setting our cameras and iphones (yes, iphones!) for the best shots, and then using editing apps to maximize the impact of our photos.  My confidence in my ability to take exceptional photos has grown exponentially!

Carol Abott, Colorado, USA

I was always interested in photography, but Raina's Mobile Phone Photography Workshop was the first one I ever took. I enjoyed learning from a confident teacher together with a small group where all our questions were addressed and answered. Raina is a generous and inspirational teacher and the photos I produced by the end of the workshop were much better than any of my photos  before. Strong recommendation! 

Mimi Pillsbury, Goult, France

Our family of 5 (Chris and me) and our 3 boys: Henry (26), JP (24) and Shane (17) spent 5 days in Provence. One day we chose to hire a guide to take us around a few hill towns.Raina is an ex-pat who has lived in France for 5 years.  We actually really appreciated this for communication! It was a very hot day (about 100 degrees).  Raina was tireless… hiking with us through mountain villages, to an ancient abbey, a natural spring (great to cool down during a hot day!) and to a terrific lunch.  Raina is a photographer and got some great shots of the family and gave us great instructions about photography as well.

 We love to use local guides to take us to the hidden gems and to give context around what we are seeing.   Raina’s combination of local knowledge, being a native born English speaker and natural curiosity made this day one of the highlights of our amazing trip to France!

Eric Fenmore, California, USA