Italy's dramatic rocky rooftop, the Dolomites, the most beautiful work of architecture ever seen. Many words have been used to describe these mountains but for me, there is only one word – heaven.

The Dolomites range comprises a number of impressive peaks, 18 of which rise to more than 10,000 feet. The bold peaks flecked with snow, above green meadows and beneath a blue sky, offer a unique and breathtaking mountain scenery.

The Dolomites area features some of the most beautiful mountain landscapes anywhere, with vertical walls, sheer cliffs and a high density of narrow, deep and long valleys. Turquoise colour lakes that reflect the majesty of the immense mountains that surround them. Alpine meadows that are reminiscent of Switzerland and incredible views of the high peaks from a variety of passes.

Extraordinary peaks emerge from green alpine meadows and vast forests of spruce and larch, which this time of year display their most striking and vivid colours. During sunrise and sunset the Dolomites mountain peaks become a spectacle of warm orange and golden colour – the sky is bathed with an Alpenglow pink, a suitable splash of colour in a perfect landscape picture.

Geologically, the mountains are formed of light-coloured dolomitic limestone, which erosion has carved into breathtakingly photogenic shapes.

The cost for this workshop is £1995 GBP or €2295 EUR or $2595 USD per person. A deposit of £600 or €700 or $800 is required to book your space. The outstanding balance will be requested 10 weeks before the tour date.

The workshop starts on Friday 11 October 2019 and ends on Friday 18 October 2019.

The group size for this tour is limited to five people. Due to its small size group, this photo tour is designed with inspiration in mind, allowing plenty of time for individual attention by the tutor, making sure you photograph the Dolomites under the best light and the best time of day.

All transport during this adventure is included in the price. Collection and drop-off at Venice Marco Polo airport is also included in the price but only for designated arrival and departure times (details in due time).

Please make sure you know how to use your camera or at least the basic functions – make sure you bring the camera's manual along with you. Focal length of wide angle to 300mm will be required.

A sturdy tripod is strongly recommended. If you need advice on purchasing a tripod, we recommend the Manfrotto 055 or similar. If you own a low budget light aluminium tripod such as Jessops and you are wondering if it is good enough, no, it is not. It will not allow you to trust your gear on it and it will not allow us to help you with tuition.

Neutral Density Graduated filters are highly recommended for balancing exposure difference between land and sky. We recommend a 1.5 stop hard and a 3 stop soft (if you are just starting with filters). Full instruction can be given during the workshop to help you with the correct use of filters.

To get the very best out of your images and the locations, we suggest that you bring a good Neutral Density filter with you such as the Lee Little Stopper or Big Stopper or the Singh-Ray Vari-ND filter for long exposures.

You will need one for longer than 30 seconds exposures.

Warm and weatherproof clothing will be required as the weather can be quite cold this time of year. Temperatures at this altitude can range from -5 in the early morning to +18 during the day. ☀ ☁ ❄. We also encourage you to bring some digital files of your previous work as there might be opportunities to discuss your portfolio and supply you with beneficial feedback.

Although all 'Inspiring Photography Workshops' clients are covered by our public liability insurance, we recommend that you take your own travel insurance also.

This photo workshop does not offer post processing tuition, please see here for further details.

Your Tutor

Dimitri Vasileiou is a highly acclaimed landscape photographer, writer and photographic workshop leader. A professional photographer for several years, he was born in Greece and currently resides in Scotland.

Some of his work has been reproduced in the Daily Record newspaper and he has also had work published in a number of photography magazines and books.

In 2011 Dimitri founded Landscape Photography Magazine. He is the editor and currently writing articles every month for the publication.

Val di Funes

Hotel Ritsch

Cortina d'Ampezzo

Hotel Olimpia

Val di Funes
We will spend nights 1, 2 and 3 around the Val di Funes area. We will be staying at a hotel right in the heart of Alpe di Siusi and we will be able to roam around the Alpe di Siusi area.

The alpine meadows and majestic mountains as well as the impressive views of St Maddalena and St Johan churches are some of the highlights of the area. After breakfast on the last morning we will head towards Cortina d'Ampezzo, stopping along the way to capture the outstanding mountain scenery.

Cortina d'Ampezzo
Nights 4, 5, 6 and 7 will be spent around the town of Cortina d'Ampezzo. Highlights of the area include the Tre Cime National Park, Passo Valparola, Lake d'Antorno, Lake Braies, Passo Giau and much more.