Storyteller
October 9-13 2023, in the village of Goult, Provence.
with
Lean Timms | Yago Bruna | Doreen Kilfeather
Hosted by Ruth Ribeaucourt
Food & Styling by Jeni Glasgow
& Special Guests Ale Vidal, Aimee Twigger & Louise Pascal
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The story of Denis Brihat captured and written by Andres Espinosa during the Storyteller 2023 Retreat
*To learn more about each photographer click on the photos
“This is what snippets of a week with @ruthribeaucourt looks like on her @faire.press Storytelling retreat in Provence. Add in sounds of chiming bell towers, delicious French words flying about over candlelit dinners, hand-dyed silks swishing about in the afternoon sun; tastes of @glasgow_diaz’s food creations inc. anchovies, tomatoes, herb-smothered potatoes and puffer fish made from puff pastry (I’ll never get over that Jeni); smells of crushed wild marjoram underfoot, a dry forest hugging a lush vineyard, the unique and intimate smells of stepping into someone’s home, exposing decades-old prints on old ilford paper stock, and freshly picked cepes still covered with dirt at the market; and feels of curiosity, inspiration and warmth from a group of creatives so wildly talented and open to sharing and learning (photographers, videographers, textile artists, cooks, silversmiths, wine makers, writers, sculptors etc etc) and you’ll begin to start to feel the nourishing overwhelm (oxymoron?) of this retreat. I’m not sure I’ve ever been a part of anything more beautiful. Thank you Ruth for sharing your Provençal world with us and for the invitation to be a photography teacher/mentor for this week. It was like nothing else. I’m full, in all the beautiful ways. Time to digest.”
Lean Timms @leantimms
“Huge thank you to all of the mentors and creatives who brought their passion, wisdom, generosity, hearts, and stories to this enchanting week in the Luberon ✨I am forever changed having known you all.”
Kelsey Glennon @kelsey_glennon
“As a comparatively less experienced photographer, I was so impressed with the mentors’ focus on meeting participants where they were, no matter what their level. Their wisdom and keen insights, not to mention their technical expertise, helped each of us to elevate our work.
I learned so much — most importantly how to look for the light, to be open to every instance in which its presence or absence has the power to create magic.
This was my first creative retreat of any kind, and I attended on my own. How fortunate I was to find Ruth’s workshop and to share an unforgettable five days in Provence with the most engaging and talented group of fellow participants, mentors, and special guests. This experience exceeded all expectations and continues to inspire my creative pursuits.
The accommodations at the bastide were lovely. Every detail, from the farm-fresh flowers, to the exquisitely set tables, to the delicious and imaginatively presented meals, contributed to an indelible experience, thanks to Ruth’s passionate eye for beauty and her superlative team.”
Susi Wunsch @velojoy
“Storyteller is a photographic retreat where I am discovering incredible stories. Each day is a new adventure, giving me the opportunity to explore the life and work of great artists in photography, sculpture, painting, and gastronomy in the amazing region of Provence, France.
I am sharing this adventure with a group of 20 photographers from around the world. Each one has a different perspective, and each tells the story in their own unique way. It's not a competition, but it's fascinating to see how there are so many ways to tell the same story.”
Yago Bruna @yagobruna
Key Masterclasses and our Mentors
In October ‘23 we hosted a 5-day all-inclusive retreat with a focus on storytelling through photography…
Transportive Visual Storytelling
Lean Timms led a very special class focussed on transportive storytelling, guiding and empowering our guests with the tools to build their very personal framework so they could go on to tell their own stories through their very unique and beautiful lenses.
It was a glorious celebration of ‘faces, places, and spaces’.
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Lean Timms is an Australian travel and lifestyle photographer who works across editorial, commercial and publishing fields.
Lean is ‘forever exploring and full of curiosity for this world’. Her greatest love is to discover and document inspiring places and stories. Lean’s approach to photography is driven by natural light, in situ spontaneity, storytelling, sharing and capturing a genuine sense of place.
Lean is currently based in Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country, Canberra Australia, however, her work takes her worldwide.
Softening the edges of comfort
Yago Bruna hosted an equal parts playful and challenging workshop encouraging everyone to step outside their visual storytelling comfort zone.
Yago was a joy to collaborate with and encouraged everyone to play with light, movement, angles, subjects, film-making… and technology.
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Yago Bruna is a versatile, multidisciplinary, passionate self-taught photographer who lives in Barcelona, Spain.
After a successful and long career working as a creative director for various advertising agencies, Yago decided to turn his focus full-time to photography. In the years since, he has gone on to work with national and international brands and his talent has been recognised in many publications such as VOGUE, Vanitatis, Elle, CN Traveller, and Hola magazine.
He describes his signature style as characterised by, ‘thoughtful composition, simplicity, a unique colour treatment, a love of natural light, and a quest for emotion with every shot’. His versatility is apparent in the diversity of his portfolio which encompasses many different areas of photography including travel, fashion, weddings, lifestyle, portraiture, and still life.
In addition to his photographic work, Yago is an experienced and much-loved photography teacher and he openly and generously teaches his secrets and self-taught tricks to mastering natural light and storytelling through photography.
Finding the light
Doreen Kilfeather led a workshop aimed at opening up and guiding guests to look for the light and learn how to use it in their photography. Doreen took us behind her very personal process for preparing for a shoot, talking about her choice of equipment, light, composition and connecting with her subject(s).
The heart of Doreen’s workshop was about emotionally connected storytelling and self-expression through photography. Together you will explore what it means to create a meaningful piece of work.
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Doreen Kilfeather is a photographer based in Dublin, specialising in portrait and documentary photography.
“Elements I am drawn to are youth, humour, melancholy, vulnerability, beauty and simplicity. My portraits often feature children and young adults and I strive to portray not necessarily a picture of what the subject looks like at a certain point in time, but rather a sense of who they are. The depiction of character may be plain and clear or elusive and puzzling. But it must be there. That evanescent element that reveals the subject as well as the moment.” Doreen Kilfeather
Remerciements
We are so grateful for the immense support from all our sponsors and collaborators.
Click on the images below to find out more information about these exceptional companies
