Dolomites – photography trip 2024 – Part 1
After the 23rd Dolomites tour, there was no question that we would like to repeat it. We set off after a week of rest following our Slovenian hike, departing at night as usual. We decided to take the route through Slovenia and, since we were passing by, we planned to stop at the Sv. Tomaž Church for sunrise. Once again, fog covered the landscape, rolling around the church and the surrounding hills. Sometimes, it engulfed the church entirely; other times, it created a mystical backdrop. While I captured a timelapse with my camera, I also took aerial shots with my drone. The sunrise, combined with the fog flowing around the church, was breathtaking.
Besides the church, I tried to capture other subjects provided by the landscape and fog. Time flies during moments like these.
After finishing our shoot, we continued towards the Dolomites. The thick fog, while beautiful, made driving more challenging. Our accommodation was once again in Villandro, in the same building as the previous year. We had no other plans for the day except rest. I took a quick walk nearby and captured a few photos. The locations, in order: St. Stephen’s Church, St. Valentine’s Chapel, and Säben Monastery, one of South Tyrol’s most famous monasteries, situated in a stunning environment.
After an early wake-up, we headed to the Alpe di Siusi plateau for sunrise. Light fog hovered between the hills and houses, creating a magical start to our morning. After sunrise, we moved on.
Our next destination was the Sella Pass. However, we had to make a stop along the way. While passing through the Val Gardena valley and the town of Selva di Val Gardena, the mountains and the golden larch forests on the slopes captivated us. The European larch is one of the few conifers that sheds its needles in autumn, turning golden before dropping them like deciduous trees. The previous year, we arrived in the too early phase, so the transformation was less striking. In 2024, we arrived slightly late, missing the peak of the golden phase in some areas. However, in this valley and the surrounding slopes, the timing was perfect. The contrast between the golden larches and the evergreen pines was breathtaking.
I took a closer look at the larch trees before we continued.
After several short stops and quick photo sessions, we finally reached Sella Pass. From here, we had a fantastic view of the limestone peaks of the Sella group, the Sassolungo (Langkofel), and the Marmolada glacier. Though the lighting was not optimal, the view was still mesmerizing. Compared to the Mecsek Hills back home, these 2,000+ meter peaks offer a completely different experience.
We continued towards the Pordoi Pass but soon made another quick detour. We spotted a small house from the road, parked the car, and decided to take a closer look.
Our last stop of the day was a viewpoint where we hiked a bit higher from the parking lot. The combination of sunset, fog, and clouds provided a perfect opportunity to photograph Marmolada, the Sella group, and Sassolungo.
The blue hour also offered stunning light.
After nightfall, we stayed to capture the starry sky. I shot a timelapse for a future project. It was a productive day, we discovered new locations and captured many moody photos. Back at the accommodation, we unloaded our gear and headed to the nearby Rustika Pizzeria, a cozy place with excellent pizza.