The PhotoPills Expedition to the Dolomites is SOLD OUT!

Wow!

All 12 spots are already gone!

Thanks so much :D

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There are always cancellations...

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We’re going to the Dolomites...

Are you in?

Around the New Moon...

From September 10th to September 16th 2023, Marco Grassi and Ramiro Torrents (PhotoPills Masters) will travel across the Italian Dolomites to photograph September’s beautiful green colors, the golden light and the Milky Way along with majestic mountain peaks and striking rock formations...

A true heaven of outdoor adventure!

Of course...

We’ll be taking photos all day long...

But...

Can you imagine it?

To photograph September’s green colors, the golden light and even the Milky Way with immense peaks, stunning rock formations, iconic mountain churches, wooden huts, vast meadows and sparkling lakes.

We’re dreaming about it!

To achieve it, we’ll use the planning power of PhotoPills and the expert knowledge of Marco Grassi and Ramiro Torrents to always be at the right place at the right time.

Top secret: we have quite a few legendary photos planned already ;)

The Deal (Sold Out)

Because you subscribed to the Priority Access list...

We're offering you a €500 discount on the regular price!

All you have to do is to book 1 of the 12 spots available before Sunday June 11th.

Read carefully all the details of this unique adventure.

And when you’re ready, click here to book your spot.

Please, book as soon as possible. The seats are sold on a first come, first served basis.

The Adventure

12 PhotoPillers | Marco Grassi | Ramiro Torrents | Dolomites | Endless legendary photos

Warning! This is not a honeymoon...

We’re recruiting 12 brave PhotoPillers (PhotoPills and photography nerds) to join Marco Grassi and Ramiro Torrents in a 7-day expedition to photograph September’s beautiful green colors, the golden light and the Milky Way along with the gems of the Italian Dolomites.

It’s a non-stop adventure to chase legendary photos and you are a key asset!

We have planned tons of photos, and we’ll travel many kilometers to capture them...

But we also want to maximize our flexibility in terms of itinerary and schedule in order to take advantage of all the opportunities that the changing weather will surely put in our way.

If we see something interesting happening in the sky, we’ll pick the best location possible, stop and take advantage of the occasion.

When we are hungry, we’ll stop and eat. When we are tired, we’ll stop and rest...

You are about to embark on a PhotoPills’ style journey. And it’s not going to be a honeymoon precisely... :P

You’ll be a true photographer.

Are you in?

Day 1. Sunday, September 10th - Welcome to the Dolomites

It’s Sunday morning...

And we’ll begin the adventure strong, with a cool Milky Way shot.

10:00 am

After picking you up at Venice Marco Polo Airport, we’ll drive towards the Dolomites.

The Dolomites are known for their unique geology, characterized by sheer cliffs, jagged peaks, and rugged pinnacles. These distinctive features create a striking contrast against the sky, especially during Sunrise and Sunset when the warm light bathes the mountains in a golden glow… And at night, when the beautiful rock formations appear to dance with the Milky Way.

As a photographer, you'll find yourself constantly amazed by the interplay of light and shadow, resulting in mesmerizing compositions.

In September, the landscapes transform into a breathtaking spectacle. As the summer transitions into autumn, the Dolomites showcase a vivid display of colors, milder weather, and a sense of tranquility that adds to the allure of this spectacular mountainous region.

We’ll stop along the way to have lunch and to check in at our beautiful hotel in Ortisei.

4:30 pm

Marco and Ramiro will show you photos of the Sunset and Milky Way spots, and the plans produced with PhotoPills. They’ll also go over some compositional tips, the gear you need and several shooting techniques.

6:00 pm

Also known as Grödnerjoch or Jëuf de Frea in the local Ladin language, Passo Gardena is our Sunset spot.

It is situated at an elevation of 2,121 m (6,959 ft) above sea level and connects the Val Gardena (Gröden) valley in the province of South Tyrol with the Val Badia (Gadertal) valley in the province of Belluno.

Here, the towering peaks, steep cliffs, and lush meadows create a dynamic contrast that can be visually stunning. The changing weather conditions, from clear blue skies to moody clouds, add an extra dimension to the photographs, creating a sense of atmosphere and mood.

Look, the Sun is about to set next to Sassolungo (3,181 m or 10,436 ft). So it’s time to shoot.

Open PhotoPills and check this out:

Golden hour begins at 6:55 pm, Sunset is at 7:35 pm, golden hour ends at 7:54 pm and blue hour ends at 8:05 pm.

8:30 pm

Dinner at a local restaurant.

10:30 pm

No Moon in the sky...

Here we are, under the night sky, at the planned shooting spot... waiting for the Milky Way to be at the right place, between the mountains of Sassolungo and Torri del Sella (2,696 m or 8,845 ft).

Are you ready for your first Milky Way shot of the week?

Galactic Center visibility begins at 9:20 pm.

12:00 am

Bed time.

Tomorrow, Sunrise awaits!

Photographic pills:

• Sunset and golden hour at Passo Gardena.
• Milky Way and Star Trails with Sassolungo and Torri del Sella.

Day 2. Monday, September 11th - Meadows and Huts

5:00 am

Wake up and get ready to photograph the Sunrise at Passo Sella, surrounded by towering peaks, including the iconic Sella Group.

The highest peak here is Piz Boè at 3,151 m (10,338 ft) above sea level.

As the Sun rises, the golden light falls on the majestic wall of Punta Grohmann (3,126 m or 10,256 ft).

Blue hour begins at 6:15 am, golden hour begins at 6:27 am, Sunrise is at 6:46 am and golden hour ends at 7:26 am.

8:15 am

After a great day-start, let’s enjoy a delicious breakfast.

11:00 am

Landscape photography post-processing class with Marco Grassi.

12:30 pm

Lunch at a local restaurant in Ortisei.

2:00 pm

Siesta time (nap time)!

6:30 pm

It takes a 30 min drive and a 40 min walk to get to our Sunset shooting spot in the always beautiful Alpe di Siusi.

Stunning panoramic views, vast expanse of rolling meadows and the iconic mountain huts provide a picturesque backdrop for capturing expansive landscapes

The plateau is surrounded by majestic mountain peaks, including the iconic Schlern (Sciliar) massif (2,534 m or 8,313 ft), which adds a sense of grandeur to the photographs.

But we’ll keep Mount Sciliar for later, for our Milky Way shot. At Sunset, we’ll be photographing the green meadows, the trees and the mountain huts along with the mountains of Sassolungo and Sassopiatto (2,969 m or 9,740 ft).

Golden hour begins at 6:53 pm, Sunset is at 7:34 pm, golden hour ends at 7:52 pm and blue hour ends at 8:04 pm.

8:30 pm

Dinner in the field.

10:00 pm

No Moon in the sky...

We’re still in Alpe di Siusi. Our shooting spot is located more to the west this time. From here we have a stunning view of Massiccio della Sciliar and the almost completely vertical Milky Way (and the Galactic Center) standing behind it.

So use your wide angle lens (14-24mm), open the diaphragm (f/2.8), set the shutter speed (15-20s) and push the ISO up (3200-6400)... because the show is about to begin!

Galactic Center visibility begins at 9:16 pm.

12:00 am

Bed time.

From Sunrise to midnight, it’s been a long day. Time to rest!

Photographic pills:

• Sunrise at Passo Sella with Punta Grohmann.
• Sunset at Alpe di Siusi with Sassolungo and Sassopiatto.
• Milky Way and Star Trails at Alpe di Siusi with Sciliar.

Day 3. Tuesday, September 12th - The Two Churches

5:00 am

If you’re not too tired...

This is an optional wake up!

Yesterday, we photographed the Sunset in Alpe di Siusi, capturing Sassolungo and Sassopiatto under the evening golden light. Well, today the idea is to photograph them as the Sun rises in the east, under the morning light.

Blue hour begins at 6:16 am, golden hour begins at 6:27 am, Sunrise is at 6:46 am and golden hour ends at 7:26 am.

8:15 am

Breakfast at the hotel.

11:00 am

Photography planning with PhotoPills class with Marco Grassi.

12:30 pm

Lunch at a local restaurant in Ortisei.

2:00 pm

Siesta time (nap time)!

6:30 pm

The landscape of Val di Funes is characterized by its striking juxtaposition of rugged mountain peaks, verdant meadows, and quaint villages.

The valley is surrounded by towering Dolomite mountains, including the majestic Odle Group, which provides a stunning backdrop for photographs. The contrast between the sheer rock faces, snow-capped summits, and lush green valleys creates a captivating scene that we’ll be capturing in various compositions.

One of the highlights of Val di Funes is its charming churches, which have become iconic symbols of the region.

The most famous among them is the Church of Santa Maddalena (St. Magdalena), located near the village of San Pietro. This picturesque church, with its distinct bell tower and idyllic setting against the backdrop of the Odle Group, is a favorite subject for photographers. The church is particularly enchanting during Sunrise or Sunset when the soft golden light bathes the landscape, creating a magical atmosphere.

Another notable church in Val di Funes is the Church of San Giovanni in Ranui. This charming wooden church, nestled amidst the meadows, is known for its quaint appearance and historical significance. Its traditional architecture and scenic surroundings make it a captivating subject for photography, especially when framed against the majestic mountains.

Golden hour begins at 6:53 pm, Sunset is at 7:34 pm, golden hour ends at 7:52 pm and blue hour ends at 8:04 pm.

8:30 pm

Dinner at a local restaurant.

10:00 pm

There is a spot in Val di Funes where you can photograph the iconic mountain huts, the majestic Furchetta (3,025 m or 9,924 ft) and the eternal Milky Way (and its core) shining bright in the night sky.

We have a plan. And we will be there, at the right shooting spot.

Imagine the following photo but with the Milky Way in it.

That’s our mission for the night.

Galactic Center visibility begins at 9:16 pm. And no Moon in the sky.

1:00 am

Bed time.

Today we go to bed a bit later. But who has time to sleep in the Dolomites?

Photographic pills:

• Sunrise at Alpe di Siusi with Sassolungo and Sassopiatto.
• Sunset with the Church of Santa Maddalena, San Giovanni and the Odle Group.
• Milky Way and Star Trails with mountain huts and Furchetta.

Day 4. Wednesday, September 13th - The Secret

I’ve been giving you lots of details of this amazing expedition to the Dolomites.

Maybe far too many...

But on September 13th we’ll do something very special…

What will that be?

Well, you'll have to be there, with us, to figure it out :P

Day 5. Thursday, September 14th - The Three Peaks

5:30 am

Time to wake up.

Our first stop is Croda da Lago, a small mountain group in the central Dolomites. With a height of 2,715 m, Cima d’Ambrizzola is the highest peak.

What makes this location so special is that in September the whole area seems to come to life, when the surrounding valleys are covered in beautiful green tones…

This time we’re looking for something like the following image but with green instead of gold tones.

At the foot of the mountain, we find Lago Federa, which will add a lot of interest to our compositions.

Blue hour begins at 6:17 am, golden hour begins at 6:28 am, Sunrise is at 6:47 am and golden hour ends at 7:27 am.

9:00 am

Breakfast at our hotel in Cortina and down time.

11:00 am

Landscape photography post-processing class with Marco Grassi.

3:00 pm

After a quick lunch in Cortina and a 45-minute drive, we’ll arrive at Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

The rock formation is composed of three overwhelming peaks: Cima Piccola (2,857 m), Cima Grande (2,999 m) and Cima Ovest (2,973 m).

As we hike up (1.5 hours), we’ll take a few stunning midday shots of Tre Cime.

And once at our planned shooting spot, we’ll get ready for the Sunset shot.

Golden hour begins at 6:45 pm, Sunset is at 7:25 pm, golden hour ends at 7:44 pm and blue hour ends at 7:55 pm.

8:00 pm

Dinner in the field.

9:00 pm

The Moon (1.4%) will be below the horizon letting us enjoy a stunning view of the Milky Way.

But it will be around 10:55 pm when the Milky Way will be in the place we want, aligned with the view of Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

Galactic Center visibility begins at 9:06 pm and it ends at 11:04 pm.

No Moon in the sky.

1:00 am

Bed time!

Photographic pills:

• Sunrise at Croda da Lago.
• Midday shots hiking up Tre Cime di Lavaredo.
• Sunset at Tre Cime di Lavaredo.
• Milky Way vertical and Star Trails with tre Cime di Lavaredo.

Day 6. Friday, September 15th - The Labyrinthine Needles

4:50 am

Wake up!

Because you’re about to photograph Cadini di Misurina, a true labyrinth of needles.

The mountain group is extremely irregular, with a rugged appearance, packed with sharp peaks.

Its highest peak is Cima Cadini di San Lucano, with an altitude of 2,839 m.

We’ll hike up and down to get the best compositions as the Sun rises next to the mountain peaks.

Blue hour begins at 6:17 am, golden hour begins at 6:29 am, Sunrise is at 6:48 am and golden hour ends at 7:28 am.

8:30 am

Breakfast and rest at the hotel.

10:00 am

Down time.

12:00 pm

Lunch at a local restaurant in Cortina.

5:00 pm

We’re back at Tre Cime, but this time we’ll be on the west side of it. Here the views of the rock formation changes completely. And if we’re lucky, we can even catch a bit of water running down the hill.

Golden hour begins at 6:43 pm, Sunset is at 7:23 pm, golden hour ends at 7:42 pm and blue hour ends at 7:53 pm.

8:00 pm

Dinner in the field.

9:00 pm

For tonight, we’ve planned a very special Milky Way photo in Tre Cime. A completely different composition from the day before. Excitement going up!

Are you ready?

Galactic Center visibility begins at 9:07 pm and it ends at 11:01 pm (no Moon).

1:00 am

Bed time!

Tomorrow we’ll photograph our last Sunrise in the Dolomites :)

Photographic pills:

• Sunrise at Cadini di Misurina
• Midday shots hiking up Tre Cime di Lavaredo.
• Sunset at Tre Cime di Lavaredo (west).
• Milky Way vertical and Star Trails with tre Cime di Lavaredo (different angle).

Day 7. Saturday, September 16th - The Farewell

4:45 am

Wake up!

It’s our last day and we want to capture the last picture, the last Sunrise at Cinque Torri.

After a 40-minute drive we’ll arrive at our shooting spot in the always amazing Cinque Torri.

Cinque Torri is a dolomite rock formation formed by five towers, Torre Grande (2,361 m) being the highest one.

The five towers are:

• Torre Grande.
• Torre Seconda, also named Torre del Barancio or Torre Romana.
• Terza Torre or Torre Latina.
• Quarta Torre, formed by two blocks of rock with different heights called Torre Quarta Bassa and Torre Quarta Alta.
• Quinta Torre or Torre Inglese.

As you can imagine, this place is heaven for landscape photographers.

Blue hour begins at 6:19 am, golden hour begins at 6:31 am, Sunrise is at 6:50 am and golden hour ends at 7:30 am.

9:00 am

Breakfast at the hotel, check out and off to Venice Airport… where we will get at approximately 12:30 pm.

Time to say goodbye.

See you soon friends!

Life goes on...

Book now and save €500 (Sold Out)

To book your spot to join the expedition to the Dolomites at a reduced price of €4,900 (the official price is €5,400), a €1,000 deposit is required by Sunday, June 11th.

Payment in full is required by July 9th, 2023.

Please, finalize your booking as soon as possible. The seats are sold on a first come, first served basis.

BOOK NOW

What’s included in the price

• All activities on the Secret Day.
• A 7-day expedition photographing the Dolomites along with September’s green colors, the golden light and the Milky Way.
• 7 days of learning, fun and adventure with Marco Grassi, Ramiro Torrents and the funniest geek community – the PhotoPillers.
• Full immersion in the PhotoPills method (Imagine.Plan.Shoot!).
• 6 nights of lodging, sharing a double room with another PhotoPiller (Optional €650 Single Room supplement).
• Breakfasts at the hotels.
• Transport in the Dolomites.
• Permits and passes.

What’s not included

• Flights/transport to Venice.
• Medical and travel insurance coverage (recommended).
• Lunch & dinner.
• Snacks, alcohol and beverages.
• Anything not mentioned in the “included” list.

Do you want an example of how huge this will be?

This is a glimpse to what happened in the PhotoPills Expedition to Iceland. We had so many adventures and so much fun... We can’t wait for the Dolomites!

But you don’t have to take our word for granted. Here’s what some PhotoPillers say about the PhotoPills adventures:

“I went to Iceland expecting to have the opportunity to photograph the marvelous landscape and master nightscapes. What I encountered was so much more – 14 kindred souls from across the globe who share a passion for photography. Together we expanded our creative boundaries, learned from one another and had an insane amount of fun in the process. I am confident that everyone came away from the experience a better photographer.”

“From the very moment the guys from PhotoPills announced the expedition to Iceland... I didn’t think it twice! I was using PhotoPills but not at its full capacity, so I had no better chance to learn from the creators of this amazing app. The experience was even more amazing than anything I could have imagined. In Iceland, I discovered a bunch of folks as crazy about photography as I am. I had a blast!

Photography is a continuous learning process, you always find something new that motivates you to improve. And this adventure made me improve more than I could imagine.”

"The PhotoPills guys know how to create a fantastic experience. They bring an infectiously fun energy and are always willing to drop some handy photography knowledge on you that you will take with you. You take their trip and you'll for sure have a good time, get some amazing pics and leave a better photographer."

“During my experience in Iceland I lived wonderful moments and had surprises that were beyond the expected. It completely exceeded my initial expectations! Sharing knowledge, experiences and ways of working and living photography with such a great group has been one of the most enriching life experiences I have ever had.

Who he said that learning and knowledge sharing can not be wonderfully fun?”

“I can't say enough about what a fantastic time I had during the PhotoPills Iceland photo tour! The guys from PhotoPills and Donal Boyd were so knowledgeable, accommodating, and especially lots of fun. Never a dull moment – nonstop action and shooting of amazing landscapes for 10 days. I came away with enough images and memories to last a lifetime!”

 FAQs

What’s the temperature in the Dolomites in September?

Temperatures vary greatly depending on the area we are visiting. In the valleys/towns, you can expect a temperature range between 0-15ºC (32-59ºF). In the mountains, temperatures can go below 0ºC (32ºF) pretty quickly. Although the weather is generally pleasant at this time of the year, be prepared for fog, snow and rain.

What do you recommend I bring along for the expedition?

Your sense of adventure and fun, your camera and your sense of humor, of course.

Besides that? When you book your seat, we’ll send you an Information Package that will give you further details and suggestions about what to bring (gear, clothing, etc.).

Is travel insurance included in the price of the expedition?

No. Participants are recommended to purchase national or international medical and travel insurance coverage.

Also, we recommend you to choose a travel insurance that:

• Covers trip cancellation costs.
• Covers Covid-19 health, travel and cancellation costs.

What is the cancellation policy?

We hope you don’t need to cancel your spot, but if a situation arises where you don’t have a choice, our cancellation policy is the following.

If you cancel and the expedition to the Dolomites is otherwise filled, we'll refund you the full booking fee you have paid, minus a €300 administrative fee.

If you cancel and the expedition to the Dolomites doesn’t fill, then you’ll be refunded according to the following schedule, based on the full fee of the expedition:

• 61 days or more before the expedition: 100% refund, minus the deposit payment.
• 60 days or less before the expedition: No refunds will be given.

Refunds will be paid using the same original method of payment.

Credits: Cover photo by Marco Grassi.