The Dolomites in Summer - I

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.