Food photography course with
award winning mark Benham
WHAT MARKS CURRENTLY WORKING ON
"For a year now I’ve been working on ‘Rich Pickings’, documenting a year in the life of a market garden near Bath in Somerset, I’m currently collating the shots and beginning the writing. I’ve also been working with Bistrot Pierre, a chain of Anglo French restaurants throughout the UK, shooting images which reflect their brand.
I’m always looking for new subjects to photograph, most recently I’ve photographed chefs working in an authentic Indian restaurant, butchers at work in a traditional butchers shop and fishermen in Lybster on the north east of Scotland."
INTRO
During your stay you will have the opportunity to improve both your photographic and culinary skills but, above all, you will have the chance to relax and eat well in a magnificent house in the heart of the French countryside. The house offers fantastic bedrooms for all clients, a stunning heated pool, satellite TV and WiFi and a superb al fresco dining area complete with wood fired pizza oven. This is a holiday for the photography enthusiast or the sybarite…..great food, good wine and the chance to take pictures in a perfect environment.
BIOGRAPHY
Having spent 25 years as a designer and art director, Mark Benham moved over to photography in 2010. At this time he made the first of twelve visits to Portugal, each for months at a time, travelling extensively throughout the country taking pictures for his book Two Hundred Days, which is a personal portrait of a country he grew to love. This inspired him to pursue a documentary and storytelling approach to his work. He now travels to destinations, both in the UK and abroad, to work for clients and to cover subjects that interest him. His interest in food photography stems from his world travels in the mid 90’s when he discovered the rich diversity within the wider world of food. In 2015 he won the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year, Food for Celebration category, and in 2016 was crowned the overall winner and Food in Action category winner.
Food & Landscape - http://markbenham.zenfolio.com
General - http://www.markbenham.co.uk
EXPLORE A DELICIOUS WORLD OF FOOD THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY
WITH MARK BENHAM
DAY 1
PRE DINNER DRINKS WITH welcome TALK - MARK BENHAM’S APPROACH TO A WORLD OF FOOD PHOTOGRAPHy
DAY 2
07.00 - 09.00 BREAKFAST
09.30 - 10.30 PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT AND HOW TO APPROACH 'FOOD IN ACTION' PHOTOGRAPHY, OBJECTIVES/BRIEF FOR THE DAY
11.30 - 12.30 PHOTO SHOOT EXCURSION TO local MARKET in niort
12.30 - 14.30 LUNCH in local auberge
15.00 - 16.00 guests given free time to explore the town and follow their brief
17.00 - 18.00 CRITIQUE AND POST PRODUCTION OF PICTURES TAKEN
19.00 DINNER and opportunity to photo the food
DAY 3
07.00 - 9.00 BREAKFAST
9.30 - 11.00 SHORT REVIEW OF DAY 1, HELPFUL TECHNIQUES, Q&AS / OBJECTIVES/BRIEF FOR THE DAY
11.30 - 12.30 opportunity to visit a local Bee Keeper with a tasting
12.30 - 14.30 LUNCH in beautiful riverside auberge
15.00 - 16.30 PHOTO SHOOT EXCURSION TO VINEYARD with tasting
17.00 - 18.00 CRITIQUE AND POST PRODUCTION OF PICTURES TAKEN
19.00 DINNER and opportunity to photo the food
DAY 4
07.00 - 09.00 BREAKFAST
09.30 - 10.30 SHORT REVIEW OF DAY 2, brief for the day
10.30 - 12.00 visit to oyster/moules producer in Esnandes with a tasting
12.30 - 14..30 LUNCH in coastal restaurant
15.00 - 16.00 free time to take photos of oyster farm and beach
17.00 - 18.00 CRITIQUE AND POST PRODUCTION OF PICTURES TAKEN
19.00 Farewell DINNER and final photo opportunity
DAY 5
07.00 - 09.00 BREAKFAST
TRANSFER BACK TO THE UK
TYPICAL MENU (DEPENDING ON SEASONAL AVAILABILITY)
Hot smoked mackerel with fennel, peas and ricotta.
Sweet and smoky greek chicken with roasted vegetables and homemade pitta bread.
Roasted figs with pomegranate, honey and orange zest mascarpone.
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Cod, Prawn and chorizo salad with saffron mayonnaise.
Wood roasted rack of venison with butter beans and duck fat roasted potatoes.
Tarte tatin with vanilla creme fraise
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Spiced Roasted Ratatouille with Yogurt and flatbreads
Whole leg of lamb roasted over the fire, broad beans and mint sauce with gratin of vegetables
Chocolate tart with creme anglaise
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Butternut squash with ginger tomatoes and lime yoghurt
Moules with harissa and preserved lemon sauce.
Walnut torte with fresh raspberries and coulis.
DATES AND PRICES
DATES: 13TH-17TH JULY 2017
£599 (participants)
£999 (2 participants sharing)
£299 (non-participants)
£349 (participant) shared bathroom
£599 (2 participants) shared bathroom
£249 (non-participant) shared bathroom
£249 (small single) shared bathroom
INCLUSIVE OF ALL FOOD AND DRINK AT THE VILLA, EXCURSIONS AND TRANSFERS
ANY MEALS OUT ARE NOT INCLUDED, SMALL SUPPLEMENT OF £20
REQUIRED EQUIPMENT:
MANDATORY - DSLR
SUGGESTED - CAMERA KIT BAG
OPTIONAL - TRIPOD, REMOTE SWITCH, LAPTOP, PHOTO EDITING SOFTWARE