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The Dolomites in Summer - I

Join us exploring one of the most magnificent mountain sceneries in the world.

18 Sep - 24 Sep 2023

Price: 4150 EUR

General Information

We visit the Dolomites by basing ourselves at two locations. While the dates that we’ll be in the bases are fixed, our time within those dates is flexible so we can decide which locations to visit while we’re there depending on the local weather and conditions. We will however ensure that we visit all of the locations in each area.


Over the years we’ve been running workshops in the Dolomites we’ve refined our daily itinerary to give plenty of recovery time. We understand that over the course of a workshop fatigue can accumulate leaving people with less energy at the end of the trip, so we ensure that after each morning session people have at least 3 hours downtime during which they can either rest, upload their images to their computers or have a walk around the local area (our hotels are located in some beautiful spots).


At this time of year the sunrise is around 7h and sunset around 19h.

Guides

Jonas Paurell

Creative Guide & Expedition Leader

Jonas is the founder of Terra Photography Expeditions. He has been a photographer for well over 20 years. He is a certified International Mountain Leader (UIMLA) that has spent a lifetime exploring the world's wild areas. Jonas will be leading the expedition.


Jonas loves working with developing photographers to strengthen their technical foundation and support them to unleach their inner creativity. Jonas achieves this through engaging lectures, educative assignments and hands-on teaching in the field.


More info here.

Andy Mumford

Creative Guide

Andy is a Lisbon based professional landscape and travel photographer. He is also a passionate teacher of photography and has been leading groups and one-to-one workshops for over five years, while his images and photography writing have featured in magazines and publications worldwide. As well as workshops and travelling he also produce regular videos about photography and film-making on his Youtube channel.


Andy's YouTube & Website

Itinerary

Day 1 - 4 | Eastern Dolomites / Cortina D'Ampezzo Area


Our time here is flexible and can vary depending on weather and light, but we’ll make sure we shoot all of the locations in the area:

  • Tre Cime di Lavarado

  • Cadina di Misurina

  • Lago Federa and the Croda da Lago

  • Lago di Braies

  • Passo Giau

  • Passo Falzarego and Lago di Limedes


We’ll pick you up from Venice Marco Polo Airport at 12h30 and transfer you to our first base next to the beautiful Lago Misurina, near Cortina d’Ampezzo, and after settling into our rooms we’ll head out for our first sunset shoot on the first evening.


This are is one of the most beautiful parts in all the Dolomites, with the jagged spires of the Tre Cime national park a short drive away, and the high passes of Passo Giau and Falzarego also close by. We’ll certainly be spending lots of time in the Tre Cime area, where we’ll hike around the famous three peaks to get to different points from where we can unlock the almost unlimited potential of this incredible place. There are the trails south of Rifugio Auronzo, which give uninterrupted views of the stunning peaks of Cadina di Misurina as well as views of the Tre Cime towers themselves, lit from the side as the sun sets. We’ll also hike around the southern side of the peaks and up the saddle to the Forcella ridge, which gives the iconic view facing west towards the Tre Cime peaks with the setting sun behind. We’ll head deeper into the park to Rifugio Locatelli, which gives views of both the Tre Cime peaks but also the spires of Monte Paterno alongside. There really is so much to see in the Tre Cime natural park that we can make multiple trips there, at both sunrise and sunset, and each time shoot a completely different view from another location.


However, during our time here we’ll also make sure we visit other stunning locations in the area. We’ll head up to Passo Giau for a sunset shoot, which gives us the wide angel panorama of Ra Gusela or more telephoto images of the western Dolomite peaks or towards Cinque Torri. We’ll also head up to the neighbouring Passo Falzarego, from where we make the short hike to Lago Limedes whose waters perfectly reflects Mount Tofana as the sun comes up.


From this base we’ll also head up to Lago Federa where the waters are deep and sheltered by trees and the towering cliffs of Croda da Lago, and so are almost always perfectly still. Access here is limited, so we’ll head up with an 4x4 alpine taxi to give us plenty of time to be in the best position for the first light of the day rising above the trees.

Another nearby location is the iconic Lago di Braies where floating row boats contrast with the torquoise waters. It’s an easy location where we can focus on composing shots with the peaks reflected in the perfectly still waters, or work on abstracts of the boats.


During our stay here we’ll make use of the hotel’s conference room to do a couple of post-processing sessions. These will be tailored to suit the differing levels and requirements of our clients and can range from Lightroom basics through to Photoshop Luminosity Masks and more advanced techniques. Because we have such small groups most of the post-processing sessions can be carried out on a one-to-one basis or in pairs, and the sessions will be recorded to give everyone access to them later.


Our stay here will be in 4 star hotel overlooking Lago Misurina, and we’ll eat our main meals will be at a local pizzaria, one of the best in the Dolomites, where the owner, Angelo, has become a good friend over the years we’ve been doing workshops and going there to eat.



Day 5 - 7 | Alpe Di Siusi


Once again, our time here is flexible and can vary depending on weather and light, but we’ll make sure we shoot all of the locations in the area:

  • Alpe di Siusi sunrise and sunset

  • Sciliar mountain

  • Chiesa di San Valentino

After breakfast on the Day 5 we’ll pack our stuff, check out of the hotel and make the journey to the Western Dolomites and arrive at our next base in Alpe di Siusi, a large alpine meadow covered with wooden huts and pine trees that overlooks the almost vertical peaks of Sassalungo and Sassopiato.


The plain itself feels almost like it comes from a picture book with the wooden huts scattered across the rolling hills beneath the two jagged peaks. At this time of year the plain is covered in flowers, and if we’re lucky we may get a layer of mist in the morning which makes for wonderful telephoto abstracts of the huts and trees. The location works wonderfully at both sunrise and sunset, and there are so many different possible compositions, so we’ll ensure we have plenty of time exploring this incredible area.


Our stay here will be in a 4 star hotel located on the Alpe di Siusi, and we’ll eat our meals at the hotel, which serves really spectacular food. Finally, during our time here we’ll have a critique session looking at the images we’ve captured on the trip.



Day 7 | Departure Day - Venice Airport


8h We’ll have breakfast first thing then check out of the hotel and take you back to Venice where we say our goodbyes.

Curriculum

All Terra Photography Expeditions follow a proven curriculum that aims to teach the theory behind photography in a dynamic way that directly translates into easily actionable processes in the field. As we move through nature we also go through an introduction to the skills and knowledge required to be safe in the great outdoors.

Photography Techniques Covered on the Expedition


  • Storytelling - Telling stories and evoking emotions within the context of landscape photography

  • Composition - A comprehensive introduction to the theory of composition, including the elements of art and principles of design

  • Process - Learning and implementing a process to achieve consistent quality in landscape photography

  • Focusing - A science-based method for focusing to make your images sharp

  • Long exposure and filters - Long exposure and the use of Neutral Density (ND) filters, especially related to moving water and clouds

  • Astro photography - Explore the nighttime skies and landscapes to show the world at a different time

  • Panorama photography - exposing and merging multiple images

  • Multiple exposures and graduate filters - Achieving correctly exposed images in challenging conditions using graduated filters and multiple exposures (exposure bracketing)

  • Finding locations - Using maps, weather services and other tools to identify potential photography locations and times.

Processing Techniques:


  • Using Lightroom to apply contrast

  • Using local adjustments to shape and sculpt the light

  • Using Photoshop layers to build up image adjustments

  • Using luminosity masks in Photoshop

  • Different techniques for blending multiple exposures of the same image

  • Using Nik Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex, Adobe Camera RAW on

  • Photoshop layers

  • Using CaptureOne for RAW conversion

  • Stitching multiple panoramas together

  • Sharpening images

Additional Information

What We Do (and what we want you to to get from our workshops)

Our aim is to take you to beautiful locations and give you every opportunity to get great images while improving your technique over the course of the workshop.  We limit the number of participants on our workshop to just six which gives us plenty of time with everyone in the field and from the beginning of your time with us we can  identify your photographic level and what you’d like to focus on.   We can then tailor the sessions to your precise needs and provide each participant with plenty of one-to-one tuition both in the field, and having two shooting sessions a day means that participants get into a shooting rhythm and can quickly put into practice new skills as they are learned.


We carefully select the dates of our workshops to try and make sure we are in each location at the best time of year.  In the Dolomites for example the weather is still quite dependable in autumn with sunny days and crisp nights but the height of the tourist season is over with fewer people on the trails leaving the locations much quieter.  Everywhere you look in the forests you’ll see that some of the trees are starting to turn a beautiful gold which really enhances their potential in images, but there’s still a feeling of life and lushness in the countryside.


This adaptability also extends to the post processing sessions.  We believe that editing is an integral part of getting the absolute best out of an image but we understand that the range of participant’s skill levels and familiarity with post processing techniques varies greatly.  Because of this we make the most of having small groups to provide 1-to-1 editing sessions in the morning that are tailored to each participant's skill levels, and which can potentially range from the basics of editing a RAW file in programs like Lightroom to more complex techniques like using layers and luminosity masks in Photoshop.  We also do screen recordings of our editing sessions, which are then shared with all the group so you go home with a record of  all the post processing techniques we used.  Not only this but you’ll also have access via a webpage to all the post processing screen recordings we’ve done from our other workshops, which we believe gives participants the ability to continue to apply the techniques we discussed long after the workshop has finished.


Finally, we want to share with you our passion for nature and landscape photography in this incredible  place. Travelling in such small groups means we can quickly build a great learning environment where people feel comfortable together and at ease with asking questions and making the absolute most of the trip.  We aim to make your experience here in the beautiful landscape of the Dolomites a memorable one and a trip from which, as well as getting some great images from amazing locations, you’ll also go home having had a true adventure with great company in a very special place.


Getting There and Back Out Again

The tour starts at Venice Marco Polo Airport. Flights to Venice Marco Polo Airport is not included.


Food

All breakfasts and dinners are included. Kindly be in touch with any dietary restrictions.


Leave No Trace Policy

Terra Photography Expeditions has a strict leave no trace policy. This policy is also applied to how we share information about fragile ecosystems that we gently and respectfully visit. This means that we have withheld exact locations from the itinerary. This is because we do not want to contribute to large scale tourism. You are welcome to get in touch if you'd like to discuss the itinerary before applying to join. Thank you for your understanding.

How Challenging?

Orange Level.png

This tour has a Medium Effort Rating. This is a trekking tour where we can expect to be actiuve all day. The longest hike is approx. 40 min with 150 metres of elevation gain (one-way). More info about effort levels here.

Price & Details

Included:

  • Landscape photography and shooting in unforgettable mountain locations

  • Two professional photographers & guides who know the area

  • Guided treks by qualified International Mountain Leader

  • Local transportation to and from the locations

  • Alpine taxis to reach lesser known and harder to access locations

  • All park entrance fees

  • Post-processing workshops in Lightroom and Photoshop, with screen recordings which the participants can keep.

  • All accommodation in 4 star hotels

  • All breakfast and dinners

  • Airport transfer to/from Venice Marco Polo

Excluded:

  • Photo equipment

  • Outdoor clothing and equipment

  • Lunches, snacks or alcoholic drinks

  • Flights to and from Italy

  • Insurance. All participants are required to have their own insurance appropriate for hiking in the mountains, such as health, accident, mountain rescue, repatriation, cancellation, personal liability, etc.

Price: 4150 EUR

30% deposit due to secure your reservation, remaining 70% due 60 days before the start of the tour. Price includes single occupancy.


Status

Pending 


Participants: Minimum 4 - Maximum 6


Start: Venice Marco Polo, 18 Sep 2023

End: Venice Marco Polo, 24 Sep 2023


We reserve the right to change the itinerary without previous notice due to weather conditions, and unforeseeable circumstances.


This tour is governed by the Terms and Conditions

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