Book a Studio Portrait Session
in Sarlat & the Dordogne

Professional photoshoots in Sarlat start from €279. Packages vary by duration and the number of edited photos — an hour covers the old town on foot, from the Place de la Liberté up the Rue des Consuls. Two hours or more is the sensible choice if you want the Dordogne valley too, since Beynac, La Roque-Gageac and Marqueyssac are all a half-hour drive out.

In town, the Place de la Liberté, the Rue des Consuls and the lane past the Maison de La Boétie, all in the same ochre limestone under grey lauze roofs. In the valley, Beynac castle on its rock, La Roque-Gageac pressed between the cliff and the river, the clipped boxwood belvedere at Marqueyssac and the wide view from Domme at the top of its bastide.

Early morning in the old town: the stone is warm at first light and the lanes are empty, while the Saturday market fills the main square with people and awnings from about eight. In the valley the last hour before sunset is the one, with the river flat and the castles catching side light. September and early October are the softest months; January is cold and many sites close.

Yes — Beynac, Castelnaud, Marqueyssac and the Domme belvedere are all ticketed, and most close for part of January and February, so check opening times before you plan a route. Parking is the real constraint: the valley villages have small lots that fill by mid-morning in July and August. Going early solves both problems, and the light is better anyway.

It depends on the photographer, and their Photo France profile states it explicitly — read the package description before booking. Photographers with their own studios include the space in the session price; those who rent third-party studios either build the cost in or list it as a separate line so you can choose the space tier. When comparing prices, compare the whole package: a session that looks €50 cheaper but adds studio rental on top isn't cheaper. If a quote is ambiguous, ask directly in the booking chat — 'is the studio included, and which studio is it?' — and you'll get a concrete answer with photos of the space. Address and access details arrive with your booking confirmation.

The practical limit is time, not a rule: in a 60-minute studio session, two to three outfits is the sweet spot — each change costs five minutes plus a lighting adjustment, and more changes than that eat into actual shooting. For headshot sessions, bring three tops in different tones against the planned backdrop and change only from the waist up in seconds. Portfolio and branding sessions that genuinely need four or more looks should book 90 minutes or two hours; your photographer will say so honestly when you describe the goal. Studio tip: bring everything pressed and on hangers, arrive in the simplest look, and start with it — the first fifteen minutes are warm-up frames anyway, and your strongest outfit deserves your warmed-up confidence.