Dolomites Fall Colors
October 18-25, 2024
8 days / 7 nights / 5-10 guests
$4700
Possibly the most photogenic mountains on earth, this is a dream tour for landscape photographers.
Just north of Venice, this region is infused with Italian-Austrian foods and wines, along with Alpine lodge hospitality.
This tour offers some moderate hiking, although guests can alway chose to stay behind and enjoy beautiful patio views and restaurants.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1
11:00 a.m. meet up in Venice.
Travel by minivan from Venice to San Vito di Cadore.
On the way, we’ll stop for lunch and a guided walk of the mountain village of Cibiana di Cadore and its famous murals.
Check into our charming four-star mountain hotel for the entire week.
Welcome dinner
Day 2
Up for the early light we’ll photograph a series of beautiful views before breakfast.
Enjoy some mid-day free time in the village and the in the evening we’ll head for the lakes of Misurina for reflections of the alps in the crystal waters.
Day 3
After a relaxed morning in San Vito di Cadore, we’ll take short drives to Passo Falzarego and then on to the famous Passo Giau.
You can choose to take a short trek for the views or relax at the lodge on the pass. A Nightscape shoot at Passo Giau is optional if the clouds and moon cooperate.
Day 4
Today we travel to the Cinque Torri and stay a night at altitude at Rifugio Scoiattoli. From the rifugio, you’ll have options to trek a mile or two further up into the clouds, or to stay put and photograph the fields of flowers surrounded by awesome peaks.
Sunset and sunrise find us in prime position to photograph the famous Cinque Torri formation and the surrounding mountain range.
Day 5
After a sunrise shoot and a hearty breakfast, we travel to Sass Pordoi / Terra delle Dolomiti to a very panoramic spot our guide Mauro has scouted out just for this year’s tour.
We’ll take some time this afternoon to review your images on the big screen and introduce some new Photoshop and Lightroom techniques.
Day 6
Traverse the Dolomites heading west rolling through gorgeous valleys and passes along the way.
Day 7
We’ll go back up to altitude today by tram for some vistas in the Ortisei region. Basing from a comfortable hikers lodge, we can take a short walk to one of the most dramatic view in these mountains.
Post production editing session at the hotel with landscape tips in both Lightroom and Photoshop.
Day 8 | Editing Workshop and Review
Workshop with tips specific to mountain landscapes.
On-screen review of your stunning images.
Return to Venice Marco Polo Airport (around 4 p.m.).
Arrivaderci!
The Workshop
In the field, we gather each day for instruction on some aspect of landscape photography. Assignments each day try a new technique or two and lesson cards help you remember the assignment when you get home.
Photographer & Guide Mauro Riva
Mauro Riva is a professional guide born in the Dolomites. He’ll show you his secret locations with the knowledge only a local can share.
As a photographer he knows how to get you to the right places in the best light. Mauro is your guarantee of a safe and smooth week of learning.
Mauro will be sharing tips on iPhone and Android camera use for fine art. He’ll show you how to maximize the quality of your phone photo capture and introduce post-processing tips to polish them off.
Instructor Carl Sandquist
Carl Sandquist is a landscape specialist based in Utah. His day job is at Adobe, and his free time finds him hiking and traveling.
Carl is an accomplished Photoshop artist and instructor, using the medium heavily since 1990. Workshop members like his patient and methodical style and are delighted seeing their images take on a whole new life as he demonstrates his favorite techniques. See some of Carl’s work
What Camera Gear Should I Bring?
Any camera is fine… we’re not gear heads. Two lenses is enough with a range of focal lengths 24mm and 200mm (full frame equivalent)
The may seem simple, but when traveling less is more.
For this Dolomites trip, you could even photograph the entire trip with a single 24-105mm (full frame equivalent) lens.
A sturdy tripod is a must for landscape imaging. We will send you more suggestions about current tripods, filters, gadgets… all of that, once we get you signed up.
Should I Bring a Computer
Participants who are very comfortable with their computer are encouraged to bring it along. Editing your images during the week can enhance your learning experience. We currently use Adobe Lightroom Classic for our on-screen reviews sessions. You will learn new LR editing methods and workflow shortcuts during classroom reviews and critique. Even if you’ve used Lightroom, we highly recommend brushing up before the workshop by watching the free tutorials available on Adobe.com.
If you are not fluent downloading and managing digital images, you might consider leaving the computer behind and just focusing on camera work. You can still submit images daily for review, and perhaps find more time to learn about your camera and develop a discerning eye. (Not to mention sleep happily while others are editing into the night)
All Skill Levels Are Welcome
Beginner and Intermediate Photographers
We enjoy helping you master those buttons and menus on your camera! Short, daily field lessons will tackle one technique at time. Further individual attention in the field helps you lock in the concepts.
Smartphone cameras are welcome!
Non-photographer partners are welcome to sit in on all discussions and participate at their own level of interest. (Beginners often make some of the best images we see!)
Advanced Photographers
As an advanced photographer you’ll be encouraged to:
- Build your portfolio, adding strong images every single day of the trip.
- Focus on style development, lighting and composition.
- Work in “concentrations” to produce a collection of work suitable for a gallery showing or book project.
You will return home with a body of work suitable for a gallery showing or book project that will express your personal style, as opposed to a random collection of travel photos.
Dolomites Photo Tour Reviews
Dolomites Photo Tour Dates
Dolomites | Oct 18-25, 2024
Arrive: Venice
Depart: Venice
Tour Group Size: 5-10 People
8 days / 7 nights
$4700/person (Add $750 supplement for private single room)
* This trip starts and ends in Venice, Italy.
Ask about a 3-day SECRETS OF VENICE extension tour in Venice OCT 25-28.
Included:
Travel
Ground travel by minivan from Venice Marco Polo Airport, returning to Venice.
Hotels
6 nights accommodations in four-star hotels.
1 night in Rifugio (mountain ski / hikers lodges) with restaurant and all the comforts of home.
Meals
- Luxurious breakfast each day.
- Dinner or lunch each day as we travel.
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Wine included with meals.
Workshop
Workshop tuition, including instruction in the field throughout the week and on-screen review where allowed by time and hotel space.
Not Included:
- Airfare
- Trip insurance (recommended)
*Also not included are crowds of tourists, slow moving tour guides and lectures on the history of plague 🙂
Payment Schedule
- A reservation fee of $500/person will hold your spot
- The balance of payment is due 120 days prior to your workshop/tour
Cancellation fee schedule
- Reservation fees are fully refundable for 10 days after booking
- After ten days, reservation fees are non-refundable but may be applied to a future workshop event.
- Cancellations less than 120 days prior to workshop incur a cancellation fee of 25% of the total workshop cost.
- Cancellations less than 60 days prior to workshop incur a cancellation fee of 50% of the total workshop cost.
- Cancellations less than 30 days prior to workshop incur a cancellation fee of 75% of the total workshop cost.
- No partial refunds will be given for unused portions of a workshop.
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance to protect your investment. Here are two places to shop for a free quote online:
Hotel Rooms
We use hotels rated 3 or 4 stars, always with private bath. Rooms are assigned in order of reservations received, so early signup is recommended. Ask about premium rooms if you would like to upgrade for an additional supplement charge.
Single Private Room Supplements
Fees are based on double occupancy. Single supplement may be added for participants who wish to have a private room to themselves. Supplements vary depending on the hotels used. If you are traveling alone and wish to share a room with another participant, please let us know and we’ll do our best to match you with a roommate.
Photographic Release
Italy Workshops reserves the right to photograph and film its trips in entirety. Participants should be aware that images of them may be used for promotional purposes or joint marketing efforts with third parties, without remuneration.
Liability Release
You will be required to sign a liability release before the workshop / tour begins. This is a standard form required by all tours companies, releasing Italy Workshops of liability for injury or loss.
If a workshop gets cancelled
Italy Workshops reserves the right to cancel any trip for any reason whatsoever, including insufficient signup, logistical problems that may impede a workshop, hotel closures or acts of God.
Refund of all fees paid shall release Italy Workshops from any further liability. Italy Workshops is not responsible for any expenses incurred by workshop participants in preparing for a cancelled workshop. In the case of insufficient signup to make a workshop feasible, notice and refund will be sent 120 days prior to the workshop.
Pre-Workshop Extension
SECRETS OF VENICE
October 25-28, 2024 | 4 days – 3 nights
$2150/person (double occupancy – add $450 single supplement)
Venice Highlights:
- Traditional cicheti and wine visit
- Island of Burano in sweet light
- Blue hour shoots of classic scenes
- Rialto market
- Free time each day to explore on your own
Included:
- 3 nights accommodation in the historic center
- Guided tours each day to lesser known
- Gondola ride
- Welcome and farewell dinners
Your guide Mauro Riva
