DOLOMITES
IN AUTUMN 2025
PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
8 DAY LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
21 SEPT - 28 SEPT 2025
Of all the different facets of landscape photography, mountains offer perhaps the most magnificent scenery to capture and the breathtaking towers and peaks of the Dolomites are among the most beautiful mountains in the world. Rising almost vertically from dense forests and reflected in mirror-like alpine lakes it’s impossible not to be both awed and inspired by the stunning vistas everywhere you look.
Our workshop has two bases which allow us to cover the huge variety of landscapes to shoot here in the Dolomites. We start off with five days in Cortina d’Ampezzo in the eastern part of the region from where we can explore the stunning Tre Cime di Lavaredo natural park at both sunrise and sunset. The park has almost infinite photographic potential, from the iconic towers of Tre Cime itself to the southern views of the jagged peaks of the Cadini di Misurina group, and the area around Rifugio Locatelli and Sasso di Sesto in the north.
We’ll spend multiple sessions exploring the trails and huge variety of views around this incredible place. From Cortina, we’ll also get an alpine taxi to the picturesque Lago Federa on the Croda da Lago trail where the sunrise illuminates the golden forests and surrounding lake, spend sunset at the towering peaks of Passo Giau, Lago di Limedes, and Cinque Torri, and visit the still waters of Lago di Braies with its perfect reflections and red boats.
Our second base takes us west where we’ll stay on the high alpine meadows of Alpe di Siusi to see a couple of the Dolomites’ most iconic scenes. We’ll shoot both sunrise and sunset on the Alpe di Siusi with its incredible views of gently rolling grass-covered hills spotted with log cabins and pine trees below the jagged, rocky peaks of Sassalungo and Sassopiatto.
Late September, early October is the best time to visit the Dolomites as many of the trees have started to turn a golden yellow. There’s often great autumnal light and the main tourist season has passed leaving many of the locations much quieter and more peaceful. We may also be lucky enough to witness cloud inversions from up on the peaks as we look down from above at the cloud-filled valleys below us.
All our workshops are designed to ensure that you can focus on photography while we take care of everything else. Small groups, airport transfers, ideally located and comfortable accommodation as well as all dinners and breakfasts are part of the package, and of course, the tour is structured to maximize your opportunities to get great images whilst improving your skills as a photographer.
During this time we’ve built partnerships and relationships with hotels, restaurants, local guides, and alpine taxi drivers to ensure we can provide the absolute best all-around workshop experience. We use all our photographic and location knowledge to get you to some of the Dolomite’s most beautiful locations in the best light, and in the field, we’re on hand to provide as much support, advice, or guidance as you need.
DATES
Sept 21 - Sept 28, 2025
INVESTMENT
€ 4850
GROUP SIZE
MIN. 4 - MAX. 6
DOLOMITES WORKSHOP - PHOTOGRAPHING THE DOLOMITES IN AUTUMN
Only 6 spots available - Join us and improve your photography and storytelling
INVESTMENT
€4850
GROUP SIZE
6 people
EXPERIENCE
Amateur, enthusiast and semi-pro photographers
PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY
Moderate (See the 'A Word About Hiking & Fitness' section below for more details.)
+ THE WORKSHOP INCLUDES
Landscape photography and shooting in unforgettable mountain locations
A professional photographer and local guide who knows the area
All accommodations in 4-star hotels
Photo editing session & Photo Review
Single occupancy in private room with bathroom
All breakfast and dinners
Alpine taxi to reach lesser-known and harder-to-access locations
All transportation & Airport Transfers
All entrance fees and photography permits
- NOT INCLUDED
Travel costs to and from Italy
Lunches, beverages, and snacks
Alcoholic beverage (available but not included in the price)
Tourist tax of €2 day/person (to be paid in cash at check out)
Travel insurance and equipment insurance (highly recommended)
Tips, extras, access to the hotel spa, and anything else not mentioned in “The Workshop Includes” section
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 of 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
ITINERARY
DAY 1 - 5 EASTERN DOLOMITES / CORTINA D’AMPEZZO AREA
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO AREA | 5 NIGHTS
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 Lavaredo
Cadini di Misurina
Lago Federa and the Croda da Lago
Lago di Braies
Passo Giau
Cinque Torri
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 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 Cadini di Misurina as well as views of the Tre Cime towers themselves, lit from the side as the sunsets.
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 and 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.
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 sunrise shoot, which gives us the wide-angle 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 reflect Mount Tofana as the sun comes up.
Our stay here will be in a 4-star hotel overlooking Lago Misurina, and we’ll eat our main meals at a local pizzeria, one of the best in the Dolomites, where the owner, Angelo, and his family have become good friends over the years we’ve been doing workshops and dining there.
Another nearby location is the iconic Lago di Braies where floating row boats contrast with the turquoise 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.
4x4 Alpine Lake Experience
From our base, we’ll also head up to Lago Federa, a hidden gem nestled amidst nature's grandeur where the waters are deep and sheltered by trees and the towering cliffs of Croda da Lago.
This natural spectacle not only evokes a profound sense of tranquility but also offers a photographer's paradise with its serene, almost perpetually still waters.
We’ll witness the first rays of light as they grace the landscape, filtering through the forested setting. The interplay of light and shadow during these early hours creates a mystical ambiance that seems to come out of a fairytale.
Access here is limited, so we’ll head up with a 4×4 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.
DAY 6 - 7 WESTERN DOLOMITES / ALPE DI SIUSI
ALPE DI SIUSI | 2 NIGHTS
After breakfast on Day 6, 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 Sassopiatto.
Once again, our time here is flexible to explore 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
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 to explore this incredible area.
Our stay here will be in a 4-star hotel located on the Alpe di Siusi, and we’ll eat most of our dinners at the hotel, which serves really spectacular food. Again, during our time here we’ll have a post-processing/photo review session looking at how we can get the best out of the images we’ve captured on the trip so far.
DAY 8 - RETURN TO 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.
A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE IN THE DOLOMITES
WHAT WE DO (AND WHAT WE WANT YOU TO GET FROM THIS WORKSHOP)
Over the course of the workshop, we will take you to beautiful locations and give you every chance to get great shots while improving your technique. 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’ll aim to identify your photographic level and what you’d like to focus on.
We'll tailor the workshop to meet your exact needs and provide plenty of one-to-one tuition both in the field and post-processing sessions, and having two shooting sessions a day means that you’ll get plenty of time in the field, so you can quickly get into a shooting rhythm where you can put new skills into practice.
As local guides with over 20 years of experience exploring the incredible landscapes of the Dolomites, we have developed a strong understanding of the region’s weather patterns and light conditions. This expertise allows us to time our visits perfectly for amazing photography opportunities. Our knowledge of local conditions guarantees we can explore safely, even in unpredictable weather.
We carefully plan and 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.
Late September / Early October is an excellent time to visit the Dolomites, with temperatures ranging from 10°C to 15°C (50°F to 59°F) in the valley areas during the day, and cooling down to 0°C to 5°C (32°F to 41°F) at night. Higher elevations are chillier, with daytime temperatures between 5°C and 10°C (41°F to 50°F) and nighttime lows often dropping to -5°C to 0°C (23°F to 32°F). Expect sunrise around 7:00 AM and sunset around 7:00 PM, providing a perfect amount of daylight for exploring and photographing.
This time of year offers crisp, clear skies, with a warm autumn glow that lights up the landscape in hues of red and gold, making it a paradise for landscape photographers. The balance of daylight and cooler temperatures allows for extended shooting hours and opportunities to capture both sunrise and sunset at reasonable times.
POST PROCESSING AND PHOTO REVIEW
1-TO-1 EDITING SESSIONS AND GROUP PHOTO REVIEW
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 participants’ 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.
As an extra bonus, we also do screen recordings of our editing sessions. These recordings are then shared with the group, ensuring you leave with a comprehensive record of all the post-processing techniques we've explored together. It's a resource you can revisit whenever you need, allowing you to refine your skills and make your images truly stand out.
PHOTO REVIEW
We also believe that the learning process should be as diverse as the landscapes we capture. That's why we've introduced a Photo Review in every one of our workshops. This special session, often one of the most enjoyable moments for our participants, offers the opportunity to showcase your work and receive constructive feedback from both the instructor and your fellow photographers. This unique and collaborative experience fosters a sense of community and encourages creative growth. It's a chance to gain fresh perspectives and insights that you might not have discovered on your own.
Receive constructive feedback on your photographs to identify strengths and areas for improvement
Receive personalized guidance from instructors and fellow participants to refine your techniques and elevate your images
Gain knowledge and inspiration from the work of fellow photographers, learning different approaches and styles
Develop a more discerning perspective on your own and others' work, enhancing your ability to critically analyze and improve your photography
Finally, we want to share with you our passion for nature and landscape photography in this incredible place. Traveling 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.
WHAT THE PARTICIPANTS SAY…
IN THE FIELD
Work with light. Understand how different types of light can affect the mood and the essence of an image. You’ll discover how to recognize a distinctive quality of light and work with it
Composition and how to frame a scene in order to balance and arrange visual elements effectively.
Lens choice. From the wide-angle vista to shooting landscape abstracts with a telephoto lens. With a different focal length, you can manipulate how the viewer perceives space and thus the relationship between objects.
Aerial photography
Shooting multiple image panoramas
Controlling light in scenes with a wide dynamic range using graduated filters and/or multiple exposures
Painting with light
How to create time-lapses (optional)
PROCESSING
Using Lightroom or Capture One for RAW conversion, and how to transform your raw files straight out of the camera to finished images ready to be shared.
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, and Adobe Camera RAW on Photoshop layers
Stitching multiple panoramas together
Sharpening images
Light sculpturing with advanced Dodge & Burn techniques
THE VALUE OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Improve your creativity and motivation for photography
Exploring a variety of photographic aspects that come into play in shooting landscapes and visual storytelling
Class lessons on photo editing to shape your vision
Novel ways of thinking and seeing, stimulating new ideas, new ways of doing things, meeting new people with the same interests and the same enthusiasm that you do
Create connections and friendships
Being inspired and having fun while learning
Acquire new skills
An opportunity to thoroughly understand, ask questions, and get answers
WORKSHOP VIBES
You can expect the atmosphere to be a perfect blend of excitement, camaraderie, and tranquility. There will be plenty of cheerful chats and belly laughs, balanced with quiet moments of awe as we connect deeply with the natural landscape around us.
You'll be sharing all of this with a group of people who are just as passionate about photography as you are, and who will quickly become your friends.
I've seen it happen every single time. Every workshop I've led has created bonds that last way beyond our time together. People arrive as strangers and leave as buddies. There's something magical about how a shared love for nature and photography brings us all together.
A WORD ABOUT HIKING & FITNESS
Reaching the locations on this tour should be well within the capacity of anyone with a good level of fitness but it’s worth taking a moment to point out that we will be photographing at altitude in the mountains and a certain amount of hiking will be required to get from where we leave our vehicle to some of our shooting locations. For example, reaching Forcella Lavaredo, the ridge at the eastern side of Tre Cime di Lavaredo requires around 40 minutes of walking, most of which is flat and along a very good trail, but there is an incline to the ridge at the end with an altitude gain of around 100m. The longest hike takes us to Rifugio Locatelli, which is around an hour and 40 minutes hiking with an altitude gain of 150m. Additionally, any altitude gain means that we’ll have to descend when we return, and this will be in the dark and using torchlight after sunset.
All of these hikes are done at altitudes of around 2000m, sometimes a little more, so everything is a little more demanding and you will feel fatigue much more quickly than at sea level.
There is nothing technical on any of the hikes and anyone with a reasonable level of fitness will be able to manage it, but it should also have a bearing on what camera equipment you bring with you as you’ll sometimes be carrying it for a couple of hours while we make these hikes so heavy packs should be avoided as much as possible.
During our hikes, we will proceed at a normal pace, so that participants can fully enjoy the landscapes and take photographs along the way. We always prioritize having ample time to reach each location, avoiding any rush, and making the experience enjoyable for everyone.
* If you have any doubts whatsoever about your ability to participate, don’t hesitate to contact me using the form below.
WHAT GEAR SHOULD I PLAN ON BRINGING?
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The criteria for the kind of work we’ll be doing is a camera that can be operated completely manually to ensure we get the best exposure with interchangeable lenses allowing us to cover a range of focal lengths
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For some of the locations a wide angle lens really is essential if you want to get those epic landscapes with a foreground that feels you can almost step right into it. 16mm or 17mm on a full frame camera (10mm or 12mm on an APS-C sensor camera) is ideal.
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While these lenses are often the least useful for shooting landscapes, for the kind of locations we’ll be encountering in the Dolomites there will certainly be many occasions when the zooms listed above are too wide or too long and a mid-range zoom in the 24-70mm (18-55mm on a crop sensor) is perfect.
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We’ll often find ourselves shooting distant peaks or abstracts, which a telephoto is ideal for. A telephoto also compresses the landscape and is great for mountains when shooting from elevation. A range that covers 70-200mm (55-135mm on a crop sensor) is ideal.
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We’ll often be shooting in low light so a tripod is an absolutely essential piece of equipment. It should be stable enough to not only prevent camera shake but also protect your camera. At 2500m sometimes can be very windy, so a strong, sturdy, and adaptable tripod is a must. I strongly discourage use cheap ultralight tripods.
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A circular polarizer should really be in every landscape photographer’s bag. You’ll be able to cut through the haze which will add detail to your shot, or for darkening the sky and make the clouds pop.
ND filters are great for capturing moving clouds and long exposures.
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This is an important accessory whose benefits shouldn’t be underestimated. This allows us to trip the camera shutter without touching the camera and significantly reduces the possibility of camera shake.
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At an altitude of 2500m, it gets quite cold before sunrise, and with the winds, you should be prepared for temperatures as low as 0°C degrees. You need to protect yourself and your equipment. Outdoor conditions can be very trying and a cold, wet and uncomfortable photographer is unlikely to be at his or her best. We’ll certainly be walking over rocky and uneven ground, as well as some scrambles up the side of hills. We’ll also often find ourselves in muddy conditions so warm boots with good support and grip are essential. Warm, waterproof clothing and warm socks are also essential if you want to be able to handle the landscape and weather. Be prepared for changeable weather and the unexpected so you won’t be surprised.
It’s best to put on several layers: a base layer, a mid-layer, and a fleece on top. On top of that, add an insulated jacket and as a last layer, a waterproof and windproof shell that will keep the worst weather away. Insulated long johns/leggings under windproof hiking pants to keep your lower half warmer.
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It’s essential to keep your head and neck warm, so a good wooly hat below your hood really makes a difference, and a chute or neck-gaiter will protect your neck and the lower half of your face. It’s also easy for your hands to get cold so thick gloves with a pair of glove liners underneath for when you have to remove your gloves to operate your camera. If you’ve got them, mittens that open at the top so you don’t need to remove them are excellent.
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When moving your camera gear for any length of time a backpack can really save your back. A good backpack, one with sturdy hip straps, can safely distribute the weight of your gear and really save you from aches, pains, and potential injury. Bear in mind that you’ll often be putting it down in wet terrain as well so it should be water-resistant.
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Bringing a laptop to the workshop can really help you make the most of the experience. We’ll be shooting RAW, and as part of the workshop will be dedicated to post-processing images a good RAW converter like Adobe Lightroom or Camera RAW is essential. Other converters like Capture One are also excellent. Adobe Photoshop is great for more advanced processing as it allows us to be much more subtle and creative in its use of layers.
Participants usually bring their laptops or iPads with their preferred editing software installed. While it’s not mandatory, the photo editing and review sessions are something the group always really enjoys. Being able to go through your shots during the trip is a fantastic way to get feedback on your composition and editing.
So, if you’d like to learn editing from the guides or work on your photos during the workshop, it’s definitely a good idea to bring one. But if you’re just planning to take photos and save them on memory cards for later, feel free to leave it at home.
* If you have any questions about what to bring, don’t hesitate to contact us. A full packing list is provided on enrolling for the workshop.
DOLOMITES IN AUTUMN 2025 - LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
FILL OUT THE REGISTRATION FORM TO JOIN!
REGISTRATION
To register for the workshop, a deposit of €1.500 is required. Please complete the form below to sign up, or feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Seats are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
THE TEAM
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ANDREA LIVIERI
Photographer and Workshop Leader
Andrea is a Venice-based, professional photographer, educator, musician, and spirited adventurer. He started exploring the photography medium by capturing images of fellow musicians, their families, and other friends and acquaintances in the music industry. As he continued honing his craft, he merged his love for photography and exploring the outdoors, amassing a body of photographic work featuring exhilarating landscapes and rugged mountain capes from around the globe.
He also leads photography courses, workshops & tours to teach other photographers his method and help them to bring out their own vision. His work has been published in Landscape Photography Magazine, Outdoor Photographer, Photo Plus Magazine, Digital Camera, Popular Photography and Fuji X Passion Magazine, among others. He also partners with brands like Capture One, NiSi Filters, BenQ, Vallerret Gloves, and Sustainable Travel International.
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SABRINA TOSATO
Photographer, Operations and Content Manager
Sabrina is a photographer and travel writer based in Padua, Italy. Her average day is a mix of weird combinations and her greatest ambition is to make people dream, inspiring them through words and photographs. She manages a travel blog named The Tomato Soup where she offers advice on travel destinations and wild but high-end hospitality.
She has 10 years of experience in travel organization, focused on exclusive and tailor-made itineraries but eventually ended up as a digital marketing specialist. Passionate about the intersection of adventure travels, sustainability, and design, with inspiration and creativity at heart, she has a knack for capturing memorable moments of everyday life. Her work has been published via Afar Media, SuitCase Magazine, Inspired by Iceland, and Feel Slovenia.
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OUR PARTNERS
We partner with FLM Tripods and Vallerret Photography Gloves & Clothing, leaders in their respective fields, and they can offer discounts on their products to attendees of our workshops.
