Dolomites – photography trip 2025 – Part 3
After leaving the first accommodation, we headed to Lake Braies for sunrise. Although there was no direct sunshine here either, the lake and its surroundings were still breathtaking. Compared to last year, one thing was immediately noticeable: the water level was about one meter lower. This is the famous lake where the boats are neatly tied up in front of the boathouse. The lower water level was extremely noticeable. We could literally walk on the lakebed.
Even though we arrived fairly early, the entrance area was already crowded, so after a few shots I walked toward the far end of the lake. Along the way I found a peaceful spot. I definitely wanted to shoot a 360° panorama, and I did.
On the right side of the lake there are huge rocks in the water. Because of the lower water level, these became more exposed.
This was my third time here, yet the pure blue water still amazed me.
I wanted to capture panoramic images that show the lake from less usual angles. One panorama is almost a full circle, leaving out the hotel and boathouse area.
For another one, I flew the drone closer to one of the mountains to find a higher viewpoint. From there, the colorful trees, the peaks wrapped in fog, and the lake all fit into the frame.
Following the same idea, I created a 360° panorama a little further away.
As I was looking around, I was really drawn to the surrounding mountain peaks, the drifting fog, and the autumn colors. I took another series of photos with the drone’s telephoto lens.
On the way back I took one last photo of the mixed forest colors.
Once we were done at the lake, we continued toward the next accommodation. We were supposed to arrive around 4 PM, if I remember correctly. The problem was that if we drove there first and then went back out to shoot later, we would have wasted a lot of fuel and time. After some reconsideration and a phone call, we arranged to check in later. That allowed us to stop somewhere else before dark. This panorama was taken during a quick stop.
This was another “jump out of the car and shoot a few frames” moment.
From here we were very close to our final destination for the day, but that will be in the next part.