Hi John, such a lovely comment, I’m so glad you’ve found The Wandering Lens and I saw your order for the eBooks arrive, enjoy planning your trip to France!
The lavender fields of Provence have gained a lot of popularity in recent years thanks to social media (they were always popular, perhaps just more so now in terms of damage to the fields caused by people taking photos), which has seen several farmers put up fences, or restrict access to certain fields.
That said, if you’ve got a car and can drive around not only the Valensole region but also the Luberon, you’ll find many beautiful fields accessible, whether it’s taking photos from the roadside or entering a little. I’ve always been more on the respectful side in terms of entering fields, and never like to wander in, most of the images in this guide were taken on the edge, but you’ll see plenty of people roam through the fields.
We’ve actually got a community of photographers who may be able to offer some more insights from their recent experiences, The Travel Photography Club, and we’re always welcoming insights from fellow photographers. One of our members was photographing the tulips last year and it looked so beautiful, would love to get there one day!
Would love to see your lavender photos so will follow on Instagram 🙂
Warm regards,
Lisa

I’m heading to Provence soon to photograph lavender for the first time and your resources are incredibly helpful. Quick question: do photographers generally need permission to enter the lavender fields like we do here in the Netherlands with tulip fields? Also curious if you’ve found it easier to avoid crowds during evening hours or if there are certain areas that tend to be quieter.

I’ll be picking up your e-guide as well — I always enjoy supporting photographers who put so much effort into helping others have better experiences in the field.

If you ever find yourself photographing tulips or windmills in the Netherlands, or heading to Yosemite for mountains and waterfalls, feel free to reach out — I’d be happy to share some local insight.

Thanks again for all the great work you’re doing.
John

Hi Thomas, thanks for your comment and I appreciate the kind words about the guide. I completely understand that having the wording protected provides a barrier, however, as an independent publisher, I publish these guides for free and have had numerous articles and travel guides copied, pasted, then published or sold by other sites online. This was unfortunately, a necessary step in protecting my work and instead, I’ve created a club for travel photographers to access itineraries, location lists (there’s one for Tokyo), and connect with fellow travellers, share tips etc. It is a paid membership, but it’s private and a space where I can share everything unprotected without the risk of it being stolen online. Apologies again for the inconvenience, enjoy planning your trip to Tokyo.

September is such a beautiful time of year along the coast and 10hrs is plenty of time to see some gorgeous viewpoints and wander around Monte Carlo/Monaco. If you’re around the port, palace and casino, it’s quite easy to stroll around during the day as they’re not too far apart. The pathway beneath the Oceanographic Museum is actually from the carpark there, so as far as I know, and unless any events are happening during your visit, it should be open and there’s an escalator access at the end to venture up to the museum, and old town. You’ll find wandering around the old town, along the narrow streets, but also around the paths on the perimeter will lead to plenty of good photography opportunities. The old town ‘Rocher de Monaco’, where the palace is located, is up high, so there are a lot of great viewpoints here that are easily found. Have a wonderful trip!

Hi Lisa! Thank you so much for your reply, I only just now saw it! I didn’t upgrade yet, so this is very helpful! After doing a lot of research, I’m wondering if a 45-50mp camera might be a better choice for me, since I mainly shoot fine art and usually print very large (40×60 inches and up). I keep not upgrading because the technology is changing so fast. Every time I’ve researched enough to make a decision, a new version comes out! lol