In August 2016, I spent two wonderful weeks hiking and photographing in the famed Italian Dolomites. To plan the trip, I was inspired by the examples of photo tours. Looking at the tour itineraries, 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 to take advantage of photo opportunities during my hikes. I carried the minimum for my purposes: two camera bodies, one with a 24 to 80 mm lens and the second with an 80-300mm (35 mm eq). I was ready for almost any opportunity.

On the day I was hiking the trail at San Martino in Badia, I saw a charming wood cabin set in front of spectacular mountain peaks. I was caught by the colors, lines and textures of the landscape, topped by a sky of textured clouds.

I used a 24 mm focal length to compose and frame the image. As usual, I overexposed by a full stop to have a perfect histogram (ETTR).

I returned to the Dolomites in 2018, this time as part of a photo workshop. It allowed me to discover even more wonderful sites and share the experience with friendly photographers. One of the shots is published on my VIP portfolio page.