Autumn in Dolomites | 7 Day Photo Workshop
Description
Summary
Description
Size isn’t everything in the world of photography, and although the Dolomites aren’t exactly small, this cluster of jagged peaks is more about form, about stature of a different kind. This autumn photography tour bears witness to a mountain range that’s a work of art in itself. The Dolomites are a unique piece of natural architecture, and are even thought to have been included in the background of one of the most famous paintings of all time – the Mona Lisa. If these majestic Italian peaks were good enough for Leonardo Da Vinci, then they’re good enough for us…
From a distance the Dolomites are dramatic and imposing, but as we travel around this scenic part of northeastern Italy, we will discover an area with an unexpected soft side. Under the aggressive peaks, peaceful rivers flow through valleys that are home to charming settlements. Cottages emerge from the mist and still, turquoise lakes lie in the shadows of the mountains.
Clearly, there’s an abundance of opportunities for fantastic photography here! In the autumn light we will venture out to capture the rugged peaks from plenty of angles, while always having an eye on the spectacular colours of the fall scenery all around us in this photogenic part of Italy.
Included
Activities
Daily itinerary
Day 1 - Arrival
On the first day of our Dolomites adventure, the group will meet at the airport in Venice at 12pm noon. Once we’ve all got together in the afternoon, the trip will begin. Please make sure to have your lunch beforehand, or to bring a packed lunch with you as there will be no time to stop for food along the way. From Venice, we will drive north towards the Dolomites, arriving in time for an incredible sunset photo shoot at the Passo Rolle and Baita Segantini. As the sun goes down, we will capture the mountainous landscapes, before driving onwards for another hour to our hotel perched near the Carezza lake. Overnight accommodation in Carezza.
Day 2 - Lake Carezza, Val di Funes
As morning views go, the lake of Carezza is pretty hard to beat. It takes the classic combination of jagged mountains and tranquil water to a whole new level, and we’ll be sure to capture it at sunrise. The Carezza sits at the base of the imperious Dolomites and is lined by graceful pine trees and spectacular, golden larches. After an early start, we’ll have breakfast at the hotel, before packing up and heading towards our next base: Val di Funes. The area looks like a scene straight out of “The Sound of Music” and, as alpine settlements go, takes some beating. We will spend the next two nights enjoying the sights of St Maddalena, and will have the afternoon and sunset session at St. Johan church and St Maddalena church. We will eat and stay in the village.
Day 3 - Val di Funes, La Valle Wengen
On day three the group will enjoy another memorable sunrise shoot, either in the valley of Val di Funes or in Passo delle Erb. After returning to the hotel for breakfast, we’ll take the time to rest, enjoy the views and go through a post-processing tutorial. After a delicious lunch, the plan is to drive to La valle Wengen, to capture a chapel that is in one of the finest photographic locations you will see. After enjoying the dying light of the day and another sunset, we will return to our hotel in Santa Maddalena.
Day 4 - Val di Funes, Alpe di Siusi
Once again, day four will begin with a sunrise shoot in Val di Funes or Passo delle Erbe. After lunch, we will head towards the Alpe di Siusi, Europe’s largest alpine meadow and a popular mountain resort with stunning scenery. In the autumn months the place is quiet and still - perfect for another sunset shoot to remember. Here, the rolling green hills meet the earthen hues of larches and pine, bathed in the warm autumn sun. We will stay here until sunset, before heading back to our accommodation for the night.
Day 5 - Alpe di Siusi, Tre Cime
On the fifth day of this Dolomites photography tour, the group will rise early to take in the sunrise over the Alpe di Siusi. We will capture the panoramic landscapes and imperious peaks as the sun touches them for the first time. If we’re lucky, the crisp autumn morning will leave the area covered in blanket of misty, so we can shoot the valley as it emerges for the day ahead. After breakfast, the plan is to pack up and head off the plain, onwards to the eastern part of the Dolomites. There we will find Tre Cime, the most famous three peaks in all of Italy, and the mountains that best express the Dolomites reputation as a place of unique natural architecture. Our sunset shoot will be at Passo Giau. For the following three nights, we will stay at Cortina D’Ampezzo.
Day 6 - Lago Antorno, Tre Cime
Our sunrise location on day six will be the stunning lake of Lago Antorno. This is one of the most recognisable locations within the Dolomites, presenting a multitude of stunning opportunities for landscape photography. After breakfast, we'll make our way back to Tre Cime di Lavaredo, where we'll hike beneath the peaks of the Three Sisters for an amazing sunset shoot. It will take us about 1.5 hours to get there by foot, though the scenery is stunning and we will take our time making our way up the slopes comfortably. After sunset, we will hike back to our cars and make our way back to the hotel for dinner.
Day 7 - Cinque Torri
This will be our final day in the Dolomites. We'll rise early and head to Rifugio Scoiattoli, for a sunrise shoot at the Cinque Torri - the five stone towers. In the vicinity is an open-air museum dedicated to Italian troops who fought in World War I. We'll spend our time capturing the area before heading back to the hotel for breakfast. We will then check out from the hotel at 11am, commencing the journey back to Venice airport and arriving after 14:00. There you can catch a plane home or stay for a few days in a city with architecture to match the incredible rock formations we have enjoyed over the past week. For those departing home on this day, please schedule your flights for after 17:00, in order to accommodate for any possible delays.
Disclaimer
We highly recommend that you get a travel and medical insurance. Your own domestic medical insurance and private health scheme will not cover you whilst you are overseas.
The tour will always dependent on weather, as the weather can be highly unpredictable.
Departure Schedule
18-24 Oct 2023 - Guided by Bruno Pisani and Luka Vunduk
18-24 Oct 2024 - Guided by Bruno Pisani and Luka Vunduk
Guides
Bruno Pisani
View profile pageBorn in 1997, Bruno Pisani is a Landscape Photographer and Timelapse Videomaker based in the North East of Italy.
He started taking pictures in the mountains since he was a child, and started developing a personal vision that became more personal and intimate over the years and turned into a full time job. Growing up in an Alpine region close to the Dolomites, this is his daily playground, but he's also starting to widen his portfolio with several trips around the world, such as Iceland, Faroe and Lofoten Islands.
His photographic style combines both wide and vast scenes as well as intimate tele-lens shots with foggy and misty conditions. Bruno believes that photography is a combinations of many factors: adventure, exploration, camping. That's why he's always looking for new and unspoiled locations to scout and bring to life with his images.
Luka Vunduk
View profile pagePhotography allows me to express my natural curiosity and to explore the interplay between the outer landscape and my inner landscape. Wild landscapes have always stirred complex and powerful emotions in me, and my photographs attempt to create a visual record of these emotions. Ultimately, it is my hope that my work evokes similar emotions in the viewer and expands his or her own appreciation of nature and art.
I was born in Slovenia and feel very fortunate to be able to call this beautiful country my home. My deep appreciation for nature and my passion for photography started to develop at a young age. Now, some thirty-five years later, I remain as curious as ever. My desire to explore the world’s beautiful places and to capture the profound experiences they evoke has taken me on photographic expeditions all over the globe. Some of the places I have trained my lens on include the remote mountain wilderness of Patagonia, Canadian Rockies, the desert coastlines of Saudi Arabia and Oman, the cloud forests of Sri Lanka, the Fjords of Norway, the Dolomites of Italy and the mesas and canyons of the American West. For me, a good photograph can take me back to those vast places and arouse the very same feelings and emotions I experienced in them. A good photograph can bring back the sights, the sounds, the smells and the feeling of actually being there. Apart from photography, my creative outlets also include music and design, and since the year 2000, I have been the owner of a design studio based in the capital city of Ljubljana. When I’m not out exploring Slovenia’s mountains and forests, camera in hand, you’ll find me in my studio, applying my design and post processing skills in order to best bring my experiences of nature to life in my photographs. More recently, I have become interested in sharing my knowledge and experience with others through photography workshops. See you on the sunny side of the Alps!
