Dolomites September 22-30, 2023

6 of 10 seats available.

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An 9 day photo workshop September 22-30, 2023 for up to 10 participants in the beautiful Dolomites mountains in Italy at the best time for autumn colors and light. This is one of the most beautiful areas in Europe and the World. The Dolomites are known for their dramatic vertical shapes and altitudes and is a wonderland for photography as well. The weather can be dramatic at times and give wonderful opportunites for extraordinary pictures. The rugged rocks are also beautiful and are emphasized in many different shapes and forms, when the light creates shadows and colors especially in the early mornings and late afternoon.

In addition to the morning and late afternoon shoots there are class room sessions with photo critiques, presentations on optimal image quality and efficient shooting techniques. Post processing is really important and essential in order to get the potential from the images captured by the digital cameras. Please check the schedule for the content of the classroom sessions.

This workshop combines the Western and the Eastern parts of the Dolomites in one workshop. We will start in the East at hotel Argentina just outside of Cortina. We will leave this hotel September 25 and move to the West at hotel Adler near the beautiful lake Lago di Carezza close to the the village Nova Levante near Bolzano. The drive is about 2 hours. By covering the West and the East of the Dolomites we will shoot the highlights of the Dolomites.

The workshop is aimed at giving the workshop participant the opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful areas of Europe and the World and get some great pictures. You can find examples of pictures taken at the locations and the time of year for the workshop. Scroll down to see the pictures. The instructor is Hans Kruse, owner of HansKrusePhotography. He is very experienced in landscape photography and in post processing techniques. More of Hans Kruse's landscape photography work can be found here or click here to see the pictures. To see photos shot in June in the Dolomites scroll down on this page and see the gallery of photos following the workshop description.

On location conditions

The temperature can fall to around the freezing point at this time of year in the morning, so please bring warm clothes and good, comfortable footwear for the time we will spend outdoors. Waterproof or almost waterproof and warm boots are highly recommended as grass is often wet in the morning and it is good to be able to walk into the landscape to find the best spots. Also head wear and gloves are essential as well as wind proof clothing. Although afternoons are generally nice and warm the early mornings can be cold and especially in windy conditions. Most shoots will not have much walking to get to the shooting locations from the cars, however there are a couple of locations that require up to 45 minutes of walking at 2200 meters and up. In these cases it is possible to stay lower and still get good shots, if your ability to walk is limited. It is always discussed with the workshop group participants about what compromise will work for the group in case many will not be able to make the walks.

Pricing, accommodation and travel

The cost of the workshop is 2245 Euro which include hotel, meals and beverages (breakfast, lunch time refreshments and evening dinner, water, wine and coffee). A single room for each participant. For a shared double room the price is 2125 Euro per participant.

The price does not include transport to and from the hotel (air fare, rental cars, etc.) and transport in the area. It is planned that the up to 10 participants and the instructor will drive in 2-3 cars for the shooting (the instructor in his car and 1-2 cars from the participants). Since we will start at hotel Argentina near Cortina d'Ampezzo and end in hotel Adler near Bolzano, the best airport for arrival and departure is Venice (Venezia). The driving time from the Venice Marco Polo airport to hotel Argentina is about 2 hours and the return trip from hotel Adler is about 3 hours. If Venice is not practical then Milan is the alternative but the driving time is much longer. To hotel Argentina it is about 5 hours and from hotel Adler it is about 3.5 hours.

To share a car e-mail addresses will be exchanged among the participants such that sharing of rental cars can be planned in advance. A booking sheet including arrival and departure dates are sent to the participants of the workshop to help finding a match in sharing a rental car. A rental car no smaller than a midsize catagory car is assumed for 3-4 photographers per car including their equipment (please do not choose a small car not suitable for 3-4 photographers). The plan is that every day it is changed who is driving (2 cars from the participants) and who is driving together in order to get the most value of discussions among the participants. The reason for not including transportation is that it would add substantial extra cost to the workshop to include this and most participants would likely combine a workshop with a stay in the area. If you would like to bring a spouse or friend to the workshop, then please indicate this in the registration e-mail. A spouse or friend cannot participate in any of the workshop activities, but are welcome to breakfasts and dinners. The lunch is a working lunch so it is only for workshop participants. The instructor will have a mobile phone operational at all times and walkie talkies in the cars.