In August 2016, I spent two wonderful weeks hiking and photographing in the famed Italian Dolomites. To plan the trip, I was inspired by photo tour examples. Looking at the tour itinerary, I assumed that if the route were good for photography, it would be good for hiking. So, looking at each suggested tour stop, I searched for short hiking opportunities.

I left my tripod and photo backpack behind during my hikes and carried the minimum for my purposes: two camera bodies, one with a 24-80mm lens and the second with an 80-300 mm (35mm eq). The lightweight and small size of my Olympus Micro 4/3 gear is advantageous in such circumstances. I was ready for almost any opportunity.

Hiking a trail at Primiero San Martino di Castrozza, I spotted this beautiful, small and lonely tree facing spectacular mountains. I was struck by the massive scene topped by a textured sky.

To compose and frame the image, I used a 158 mm focal length. To achieve ETTR, I overexposed the scene by 0.7 stops.

Later, during this amazing trip, I captured another lonely tree, which was published in my portfolio.

In 2018, I returned to the Dolomites, this time joining a photo workshop. This trip allowed me to discover more marvelous scenes and meet fellow photographers. Some images from this later trip are published on my VIP portfolio page. Here is one.

If you want to get photography ideas and start dreaming, have a look at the LPM photo tours page. Also, look at LPMs eBooks. They helped me to capture this beauty.