• Home
  • About
    • France
  • Published
  • Contact
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Privacy Policy
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

So Much Better With Age

  • Seasonal
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Easter
    • Spring
    • Mother’s Day
    • Outdoor
    • Summer
    • Fall
    • Halloween
    • Christmas
    • Winter
    • Parties
  • Organization
    • Organization
    • Printables
  • DIY
    • Crafts/DIY
    • Home Repair
    • Paint/Wax/Stain
    • Sewing
  • Decorating 101
    • Color
    • Decorating
  • Baking Recipes
  • House Tours
    • My House Source List
    • My Current House
    • My Previous House
    • The Old, Old House
  • Shop
    • Instagram Friends
    • My House Source List

August 9, 2016 · 26 Comments

The Academy – A Creative Styling and Photography Workshop in France

Travel· Workshop

29shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Learning the art of creative styling and photography in a workshop in France.

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / workshop in France - So Much Better With Age

Today I’m finally sharing with you my time at Heather Bullard’s The Academy, a Creative Styling and Photography workshop, the whole reason I went to France this year, the thing I was most excited about ALL YEAR and now I cannot wait to share this all with you today.

It is really overwhelming to come back from the ‘trip of a lifetime’ and sort through 2500 photos. That’s right, 2459 photos I took during my two week stay in France and I’ve been to France twice before! But to be fair, this was a photography/creative styling course so taking photographs was mandatory.

Heather Bullard has been like a celebrity blogger to me (you bloggers know what I mean!) so I’ve always admired her. I’ve been trying to improve my photoprahy, you know how much I love everything French…I’m guessing you can see a theme here on how my mind was pretty much blown away when she announced this workshop.

So let’s begin in sharing all about The Academy!

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / creative styling with cutting board - So Much Better With Age

Creative Styling and Photography – Day 1

When we arrived at the 13th century Chateau, we had beautiful gifts on our beds. This kit is what Heather uses for carrying around her props for her photo shoots and she gave each of us one along with some styling props of course.

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / styling bag - So Much Better With Age

Our class was in THE best location. On the grounds of the chateau was a farmhouse where Heather and Jill (assistant/chef) and Jill’s daughter Jaci (her photographer) all stayed. I did not get any full shot photos of it. But you can see here Stacie is knocking on the door of the farmhouse and I thought I’d snap a few shots.

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / French farmhouse - So Much Better With Age

To the right, it expands into huge barn doors. When the barn doors are open, we can enter the classroom.

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / French farmhouse door - So Much Better With Age

Here are the barn doors to enter the barn. Keep going through the barn and you’ll go passed some glass doors into the exterior classroom.

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / French farmhouse table setting - So Much Better With Age

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / learning to style in farmhouse in France - So Much Better With Age

Here was my table. Jill is not only an assistant and a chef but also a calligrapher so she penned all our notebooks.

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / notebook on table in France - So Much Better With Age

Another gift was awaiting for us!

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / notebook and coffee - So Much Better With Age

The first day Heather showed Powerpoint slides of what creative styling is all about, how to gather inspiration, and technical aspects of photography such as:

rule of thirds / composition / use of light / negative space / angles / depth of field / mood / flow & movement / triangle / tangents / unrealistic attributes / props and textures.

Heather’s styling table alone was a feast for the eyes.

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / table styling for photography - So Much Better With AgeThe Academy in France with Heather Bullard, a creative styling & photography workshop

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / table styling in French farmhouse - So Much Better With Age

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / learning to style food - So Much Better With AgeThe Academy in France with Heather Bullard / dishes and bowls styling - So Much Better With Age

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / utensils in French photography - So Much Better With Age

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / pretty French country china - So Much Better With Age

After we had our instruction, we were then paired up with partners and were to grab a table and some props and begin styling.

We also had our own props as our VERY first day in France we went brocante shopping but I’ll be sharing more of that trip in another post.The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / styling table in France - So Much Better With Age

We had lots of space to choose from like these stone walls inside the covered shed area.

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / covered area for styling - So Much Better With AgeThe Academy in France with Heather Bullard / French farmhouse styling table - So Much Better With Age

I used the props I purchased brocante shopping along with two of Heather’s little cups.

This was my first attempt.

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / French linen and flowers - So Much Better With Age

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / pretty green glass for photography - So Much Better With Age

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / flowers and bowls - So Much Better With Age

It was a bit dark and moody but I wanted to lighten it up so I moved my table outside to the other side of the farmhouse.

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / French linen and book for styling - So Much Better With Age

Heather came by to each of our ‘stations’ and helped critique it and checked our photos on our cameras.

I had too many tangents.

In about two seconds she moved things around to this:

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / string and flowers - So Much Better With Age

Of course it was perfect!

My partner Genevieve from Australia was a blast to be partnered up with.

She just wanted to style one framed art piece that she purchased brocante shopping so Heather propped it up on this old wagon.

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / old wagon in France - So Much Better With Age

I pointed out that she had to be in the photo since her top was nearly identical to the piece!

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / old wagon and painting - So Much Better With AgeHere were some of the other girls’ creative styling shots.

(I was super jealous of the folding mirror Teresa found at the brocante!)

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / styling with mirrors - So Much Better With Age

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / flowers on a cabinet - So Much Better With Age

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / picnic basket - So Much Better With Age

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / food on table styling - So Much Better With Age

Each time we had a meal, it was just amazing. Even this simple sandwich lunch was incredible.

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / food styling in France - So Much Better With Age

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / styling in France food items - So Much Better With Age

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / sandwich styling in France - So Much Better With Age

The Academy in France with Heather Bullard / styling and eating - So Much Better With Age

So tomorrow I’m sharing with you Day 2 of our Creative Styling & Photography class so hope you can stick around!

Click to See All My France Posts:

My Trip to France – Heather Bullard’s The Academy – A Creative Styling Workshop

My Trip to France - Heather Bullard's The Academy - So Much Better With Age

Heather Bullard's The Academy in France / So Much Better With Age

More from my site

  • Home Style SaturdaysHome Style Saturdays
  • Safari Treat Bags and Birthday Banner
  • Honest Review of Pottery Barn Slipcovers in Premium Performance BasketweaveHonest Review of Pottery Barn Slipcovers in Premium Performance Basketweave
  • Farmhouse Christmas DecoratingFarmhouse Christmas Decorating
  • Faux Zinc Paint Technique

Subscribe to get the latest

free goodies straight to your inbox

Previous Post: « Floral Styling Workshop
Next Post: The Academy – A Creative Styling & Photography Workshop Part II »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle Meyer says

    August 11, 2016 at 4:12 am

    Great opportunity! Love the amazing photos!

    Reply
    • Jamie says

      August 31, 2016 at 9:02 pm

      Thanks Michelle.
      Hugs, Jamie

      Reply
  2. Shawnna says

    August 11, 2016 at 4:18 am

    Hey girl the place looks amazing! So pretty! great pics!

    Reply
    • Jamie says

      August 31, 2016 at 9:01 pm

      Thanks so much, Shawnna 😉
      hugs, Jamie

      Reply
  3. [email protected] Designs says

    August 11, 2016 at 6:06 am

    What a most INCREDIBLE place!….A few years ago, I went on a wonderful trip with fellow bloggers to Normandie…the hostess was Cat of Sunday Brocantes. I cannot imagine how wonderful your trip was with Heather Bullard….Your photographs are exquisite!!! The chateau is beyond amazing! Thanks for taking us along on your trip…looking forward to seeing more of it!

    Reply
    • Jamie says

      August 31, 2016 at 9:14 pm

      Thanks so much for your sweet comment, Shirley. It really was a trip of a lifetime. I’m glad you’re enjoying these post.
      Hugs, Jamie

      Reply
  4. Aaron says

    August 11, 2016 at 11:32 am

    This makes we want to go back SOOOOO bad. Beautiful photography Jamie! You just keep getting better and better.

    Reply
    • Jamie says

      August 31, 2016 at 9:11 pm

      I know!!!! I miss it so much. Thanks Aaron 😉
      Hugs, Jamie

      Reply
  5. April Hoff says

    August 11, 2016 at 6:55 pm

    Oooooh my goodness! This is absolutely incredible! I can’t wait to read more tomorrow!

    Reply
    • Jamie says

      August 31, 2016 at 9:18 pm

      Thanks April! It was such a wonderful trip.
      Hugs, Jamie

      Reply
  6. Kristen says

    August 11, 2016 at 7:53 pm

    So beautiful Jamie! What an amazing experience!

    Reply
    • Jamie says

      August 31, 2016 at 9:23 pm

      Thank you so much, Kristen!
      Hugs, Jamie

      Reply
  7. Linda says

    August 12, 2016 at 3:20 am

    Inspiring Jamie!

    Reply
    • Jamie says

      August 31, 2016 at 9:25 pm

      Thank you so much, Linda! I was so wonderful meeting you at Haven this year!
      Hugs, Jamie

      Reply
  8. kristin salazar says

    August 12, 2016 at 11:37 am

    Wow, everything is just beautiful, what an incredible opportunity!

    Reply
    • Jamie says

      August 31, 2016 at 9:25 pm

      Thanks so much, Kristin!
      Hugs, Jamie

      Reply
  9. heather haynes says

    August 12, 2016 at 7:18 pm

    OH MY WORD! What a dream!!!!! It’s all completely gorgeous. Can only imagine what an incredible trip that was Jamie!

    Reply
    • Jamie says

      August 31, 2016 at 9:26 pm

      Thank you so much, Heather! It was so great to meet you at Haven this year!!
      Hugs, Jamie

      Reply
  10. Emily says

    August 15, 2016 at 3:06 pm

    How is the lighting in all of your photos SO perfect!? Not to mention all of the gorgeous rustic details of the chateau!? I can’t wait to ready more about your incredible trip!

    Reply
    • Jamie says

      August 31, 2016 at 9:27 pm

      Awww, thanks Emily. It’s not but I’ve been trying to improve my photography.
      Big hugs, Jamie

      Reply
  11. Marie says

    August 7, 2017 at 6:03 am

    What an amazing class! The face that it’s in France is just a wonderful bonus. It looks like you are all learning a lot and your photography is gorgeous! Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us at Merry Monday this week!

    Reply
    • Jamie says

      September 24, 2017 at 10:31 pm

      It was a truly amazing experience, thanks Marie!
      Hugs, Jamie

      Reply
  12. Sandra L Garth says

    August 8, 2017 at 2:07 pm

    This is the opportunity of a lifetime and thanks for sharing it with us!

    Reply
    • Jamie says

      September 24, 2017 at 10:32 pm

      Thanks Sandra, it definitely was!
      Hugs, Jamie

      Reply
  13. Carol ("Mimi") says

    August 8, 2017 at 2:15 pm

    Wow! What an incredible opportunity. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos and giving some information about the composition and styling tips behind them.
    Carol (“Mimi”) from Home with Mimi

    Reply
    • Jamie says

      September 24, 2017 at 10:32 pm

      Thanks so much, Mimi. It was an amazing trip.
      Hugs, Jamie

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




 

Primary Sidebar

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search

Categories

My YouTube Videos

“somuchbetterwithage”

My Book, French Vintage Decor

“somuchbetterwithage”

Footer

Copyright

All images and text on this site are property of So Much Better With Age. Please contact [email protected] to ask for all photo requests. Please do not take my images without first obtaining written permission from me. All free printables offered are for personal use only. Pinning is always welcome and appreciated.

Copyright 2010-2018

Categories

Archives

Let’s Connect

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Looking for something?

House is clean, sun is shining, life is good. Hope House is clean, sun is shining, life is good. Hope you’re having a good Saturday💚 
.
.
.
.
#somuchbetterwithage #idcoathome #greigestyle #interiordesign #neutralhome #neutraldecor #lonnyliving #sodomino #whitekitchen #kitcheninspo #kitchengoals #mydecorlove #vancouverinfluencer #yvrinfluencer #canadiandesigner
Do you know what all these beautiful rooms have in Do you know what all these beautiful rooms have in common! They are all painted in the same paint color - White Dove OC-17 by @benjaminmoore. 💚 White is one of the hardest colors to pick for your home. It can pick up different surrounding colors which is why you can’t just Google a paint color and paint it on your walls. 💚 For my home, Simply White has worked the best. And White Dove is very similar. Swipe to see  some of these gorgeous rooms. 💚➡️ Check my blog post for tips on the best way to pick any paint colors for your home. Link is in stories and in highlights. 
.
.
.
.
#somuchbetterwithage #whitepaint #whitewallcolor #howidwell #howwedwell #idcoathome #greigestyle #homewithrue #howtopickpaintcolors #whitedovepaint #benjaminmoore #designblogger #diyblogger
Last year I totally organized my kitchen pantry an Last year I totally organized my kitchen pantry and tea/coffee/vitamin station and I’m happy to say it still looks the same! Having a spot for each item that you use regularly is so important. Start by checking out my blog post and reading all the tips I have on how to easily measure your cupboards and buy only the organization items that you need. Happy organizing! 💚➡️ Check stories or my highlights for the direct blog post link. .
.
.
.
#somuchbetterwithage #imsomartha #homeorganizer #homeorganization #homeorganizationtips #konmari #konmarimethod #kitchendesign #kitchenorganization #pantryorganization  #organizedhome #organizationhacks #organizingideas #designblogger #diyblogger #yvrinfluencer #vancouverblogger
I love green! The color and greenery. Although I k I love green! The color and greenery. Although I kill most plants so they don’t last long here. I know spring is far far away but this year is really dragging on so far 😂💚🌿🌱
.
.
.
.
#somuchbetterwithage #jungalowstyle #mydomaine #apartmenttherapy #ruedaily #myplantaesthetic #greigestyle #idcoathome #howidwell #howeedwell #simplystyleyourspace #neutraldecor #instahomedecor #homewithrue #designblogger #diyblogger #vancouverinfluencer #yvrinfluencer
Making your own pillow covers is easier than you t Making your own pillow covers is easier than you think! I love changing out my throw cushions on my couch and just being able to store pillow covers is far easier than the whole pillow. 💚 I can only sew straight lines so if I can sew these, you can! It’s an envelope pillow pattern so no zippers or buttons involved. Swipe to see the back of the pillow (chair photo) ➡️ Check stories for the direct blog link and I’ll save it in highlights in my profile. 
.
.
.
.
#somuchbetterwithage #pillowtutorial #sewingpattern #diyhomeproject #diyhomeprojects #diyhome #showemyourdiy #diysewing #diysewingpattern #diysewingproject #diysewing #envelopepillow #livingroominspo #yvrinfluencer #vancouverinfluencer #diyblogger #designblogger
Did you know how much of a difference trim, basebo Did you know how much of a difference trim, baseboards, doors, doorknobs and stair railings make? Like a huge difference! I’m talking all about it on my blog today. Lots of before and photos and details! 💚➡️ Check stories for the direct blog link and in a highlight in my profile. .
.
.
.
#somuchbetterwithage #baseboards #doortrim #doors #stairrailing #stairrailings #homerenovations #neutraldecor #neutralstyle #neutraldecorating #idcoathome #greigestyle #howidwell #howwedwell #ruedaily #interiordesign #interiordecorating #vancouverdesigner #yvrinfluencer #designblogger
Our basement is the perfect place to store seasona Our basement is the perfect place to store seasonal / holiday / decor items. I’ve had plenty of it over the years (too much!) as I’ve been blogging for 10 years! I went through all my Christmas decor this year before I packed it all away and got rid of so much! It felt so good. 💚 Next, I’ll do the same for the other holidays coming up (like Easter, I have 2 bins just for Easter!). Decluttering is easier when it’s done in stages. I’m also really into minimal seasonal decor lately so I think it will be much easier to say goodbye to the extra ‘stuff’. 💚➡️ What about you? Do you have lots of seasonal / holiday / decor items in your home? ➡️ Check out my blog posts on how to organize these items in IG stories. .
.
.
.
#somuchbetterwithage #organization #homeorganization #homedecluttering #imsomartha #idcoathome #homeorganizer #organizingtips #organizingideas #konmari #knomarimethod #yvrinfluencer #vancouverinfluencer
Sometimes it helps to look at your home in terms o Sometimes it helps to look at your home in terms of square footage not how the builder or the previous owner used it. My dining room was once a family room but with our small main floor already having a living room and a very small dining room, we thought this room would be better suited for a bigger dining room (swipe to see the before with the cabinet, the before before when we first bought it and the reno) 💚 It pays to look at your home differently especially during this pandemic. I think we’re all going to look at how we use our homes differently going forward. 💚➡️ What about you? Do you use a room for a different purpose than what it was intended for? .
.
.
.
#somuchbetterwithage #diningroomdecor #diningroomdesign #diningroomgoals #gooduseofspace #idcoathome #currentdesignsituation #simplystyleyourspace #neutraldecorstyles #neutraldecorating #mydecorlove #fromhousetohaven #vancouverinfluencer #yvrunfluencer #designblogger #diyblogger
Oh man, I am so sentimental. It really makes it ha Oh man, I am so sentimental. It really makes it hard to also be a person that is organized and hates clutter! I’m a sentimental purger! 😂 I feel most happy when everything has its place and I’ve kept a few meaningful things, but not too many. Just the right amount. It’s a very fine balance, isn’t it? Do you have a hard time with letting go of sentimental items? I have lots of tips of in my blog post ➡️ Check stories for the link and I’ll keep it in my organization highlight in my profile. Also, I share how to organize and store kids school memories and artwork with free printables!
.
.
.
.
#somuchbetterwithage #sentimental #declutteryourlife #decluttering #declutteringtips #konmari #konmarimethod #mariekondo #imsomartha #homeorganization #homeorganizationtips #organizationhacks #howtodeclutter
The mini transformation in our dining room is now The mini transformation in our dining room is now complete! I took some black frames from IKEA and using Rub n Buff made them look vintage gold. 💪🏻 I’ve used Rub n Buff many times before but never over black! (Thanks for the tip @jennasuedesign 💚) ➡️ Check stories or my profile for a link to my blog post. 
.
.
.
.
#somuchbetterwithage #diycrafts #howwehaven #howihaven #homewithrue #howwedwell #idcoathome #ssmakelifebeautiful #vintagedecor #showmeyourdiy #showemyourdiy #frenchvintage #cornerofmyhome #cottagehomedecor #frenchvintagestyle #yvrinfluencer #vancouverblogger #diyblogger #canadiandesigner

Copyright © 2021 · captivating theme by Restored 316
· Privacy Policy

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkRead more