Daniel Moreau

Daniel grew up in Lyon and started out as a newspaper photographer, covering local news and the occasional football match. Over twenty years he moved into documentary work for magazines in France and the UK, and began writing the essays that became his two published collections. He started teaching in 2012, when an adult education college asked him to run a single evening class, and found he enjoyed it more than most assignments.

His workshops are hands-on and kind. He keeps the talking short, gives a clear prompt and then leaves plenty of time to write or shoot. Feedback happens in small groups with simple ground rules: say what works first, be specific, and leave the final decision with the person who made the work.

Daniel leads Words by the Sea on the Costa Vicentina and co-leads Light & Land in the Dolomites with Sofia Brandt. On Words by the Sea a typical day starts with a morning workshop on one idea, such as writing from the senses or finding your voice, followed by free writing time, a coast walk with notebooks and small-group feedback in the evening. Everyone has a one-to-one session with him during the week. On Light & Land the rhythm follows the light: sunrise and golden hour walks, workshops on composition and editing, and a small printed exhibition of your images on the final evening.

Both retreats suit complete beginners. You can write in any language you like, and a phone camera is enough for Light & Land. Nobody has to read aloud or share work they are not ready to show, and experienced writers and photographers are just as welcome, because the prompts work at any level.

The rest of the year Daniel writes, takes on documentary commissions and teaches evening courses in writing and photography at an adult education college in Lyon. He is working on a third book, about the coastline he walks on Words by the Sea.