Vive Loire Valley rally

An unexpected change in the weather forces a race against the sun to shoot Chambord

Travel photography is so demanding on your shooting time, yet the unexpected can happen at the most unlikely of moments. This was exactly what happened in the summer of 2015 in the picturesque Loire Valley, in central France.

After arriving in Blois, a historical town in the heart of the Loire, I begin my photographic warm-up. Travel photography is a mix of all the subjects you may have mastered at home, which in my case is landscapes, seascapes and architecture, with a bit of portraiture thrown in. The weather is consistent, but not today. After a non-event of a sunrise, Rachel and I are on the road to visit another remarkable château…

The Loire châteaux hit list in this middle section of the Loire Valley comprises Chambord, Azay-Le-Rideau and Chenonceau. We find out that morning that Azay-Le-Rideau is covered in scaffolding and wrapped in plastic so we decide to take a trip over to a smaller and delightful château at Sully Sur Loire, as it's fairly close.