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Author Topic: Dolomites October 2011  (Read 29294 times)

Hans Kruse

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Re: Dolomites October 2011
« Reply #20 on: February 27, 2012, 07:38:12 am »

Thanks Kevin, I was a pleasure meeting you at the Phase One HQ in Copenhagen. I'm really excited about this cooperation and can't wait to show you and hopefully many others the opportunities for capturing fantastic pictures in Italy. Italy is truly one of the most beautiful places on this planet. Also I can't wait to see this landscape through a Phase One camera.

mac_paolo

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Re: Dolomites October 2011
« Reply #21 on: February 27, 2012, 08:38:27 am »

Amazing shot, can't say more.  :o

I live in Tuscany and I visit Dolomites at least once in a year: believe me when I say that you're way above the average.  :)
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Petrus

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Re: Dolomites October 2011
« Reply #22 on: April 01, 2012, 11:46:00 am »

The first time I went to the Dolomites was in -99 to explore the Via Ferratas of Brenta Dolomites for a magazine article. Since then I have come back 5 times and did a 30 minute TV documentary about the "Iron Ways" in 2005. For those who have no fear of heights and maybe have a bit of rock climbing experience (not absolutely necessary but recommended) the Via Ferrata give amazing vistas not available to those who will not or can not walk more than 40 minutes from their car. There is a great network of rifugios providing bed and food at reasonable prices (also beer, vine and grappa). It is possible to make a nice 5 -6 day hike in Brenta without coming down to towns. The hub of the area is Madonna di Campiglio, a high class winter resort, but nice and quiet during the summer. A few lifts operate during the summer to whisk hikers and Via Ferrata climbers to 2000m and the starting points of the trails.

"Serious" photos are still on Velvia, but here are a few digital snaps. First one was taken from a bus window approaching Madonna di Campiglio in the evening. Second one shows a typical Rifugio, the third one gives some idea what the Ferratas look like. Helmet, full body climbing harness and KISA (Kinetic Impact Shock Absorber) are required for safety and can be rented in town.

Best time to visit these routes are from the beginning of July (depending on the amount of snow on upper routes) to the end of September.
« Last Edit: April 01, 2012, 12:42:59 pm by Petrus »
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Michael H. Cothran

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Re: Dolomites October 2011
« Reply #23 on: April 01, 2012, 08:15:41 pm »

Every image is a stand-alone beauty. Curious - do you shoot along side the other photographers during the workshop, or are these captured on solo trips?
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Hans Kruse

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Re: Dolomites October 2011
« Reply #24 on: April 02, 2012, 05:21:39 am »

Every image is a stand-alone beauty. Curious - do you shoot along side the other photographers during the workshop, or are these captured on solo trips?

Thanks Michael,
Some are taking during workshop preparations, some are taken the day before and after the official workshop where I invite participants to join free of charge (they only need to pay hotel etc. from themselves) and some during the workshop. I shoot together with the participants during the workshop to show how I work and also to show compositions for those who are interested in seeing what I see. I'm (of course) paying attention to who needs help and always available when people walk up to me with a question. I go around checking as well. I also lead the whole group or some into the landscape to find interesting spots. Some like to have a lot of help and some like to work on their own and go and ask or call for help when needed. It's very individual. The day before and after workshop which is for free I take those out for shoots who like this and we sometimes choose more difficult to reach destinations then and some of the pictures shown are from such locations. Almost everyone takes this offer up and it's great to meet in this way before the official workshop.

Sorry a long answer to a simple question :)

Petrus

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Re: Dolomites October 2011
« Reply #25 on: April 02, 2012, 07:10:58 am »

Are there any books (in English) that you would recommend on this topic?

The best route guides are by Cicerone, Via Ferratas of Italian Dolomites Volume 2 includes Brenta.

http://www.cicerone.co.uk/product/detail.cfm/book/380/title/via-ferratas-of-the-italian-dolomites--vol-2

There are some websites where VF enthusiasts describe the routes they have done, also pictures of the trickiest spots. Like I said, some rock climbing experience helps, but if you are not afraid of heights (rather enjoy it, like I do), are reasonably fit and nimble they are all doable. That picture with my youngest son on the ladder is actually from Cortina area, as I did not have any Brenta digital action pictures availabe at short notice.

If you need more info about this (or Nepal trekking, have spent almost a year there) send e-mail to "arkienkeli" at the mail service run by Google.
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Michael H. Cothran

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Re: Dolomites October 2011
« Reply #26 on: April 02, 2012, 07:47:55 pm »

Thanks for your kind response above. Perhaps one day I can actually afford one of your workshops. Your Dolomites and Tuscany images really sing to me.
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Hans Kruse

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Re: Dolomites October 2011
« Reply #27 on: April 08, 2012, 09:26:19 am »

I don't know if you've looked at this location in too much detail, but at Vigo di Fassa, there is a chairlift up to where I took this photo...

... butn there is also a dirt road going up however you need a 4WD vehicle to get up there - there's at least one particular slope going up that's just too steep for a 2WD car when approaching from the south (I found that out the hard way :-/). Have you managed to get up to the top there for early/late shooting? Although it may also be an easier approach up from the north (I didn't notice that until after.)

Thanks and no I haven't been up at the point I think you refer to. I found it on Google Earth and it looks possible to drive up from the north side. Something to try next time I'm there in June for the next workshop. There are still many spots I haven't discovered or been at :)

Hans Kruse

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Re: Dolomites October 2011
« Reply #28 on: April 18, 2012, 07:47:51 am »

Going back through my photos from the Dolomites, I found this that I thought you might find interesting. It's not particularly well framed (and capturing was hard because I only had a light weight tripod and there was a stiff breeze) but what caught my eye was the light/dark contrast.

Time of day? About 11:55am in late October, just down the road from Passo di Fedaia at Pian De Lobbia. In feel, it's similar to one of the early morning "shots" at Yosemite where the sun comes up and during the summer, rises from behind the cliffs on the north, hits the trees first before the cliff face. Here what happens is that as the sun climbs up, it moves behind the mountain and the angle of the hill is such that it is completely in shadow but the trees and huts at the bottom are not. Seeing this kind of shot in the middle of the day was quite unexpected.

It's finding scenes like that which have got me thinking that maybe there's a whole lot more potential in the Dolomites because there are a lot of valleys of varying slopes and angles with plenty of subject material around the bases. When I think of it in comparison to the American (South) West, it's the relative unknown quantity (photographically speaking) that I find quite exciting.

Then again, maybe this is telling me that I should spend more time paying attention to all of the date from ephemeris and to be have a more calculated approach when using the terrain map.

Or maybe that's an idea for TPE - mimic shadow casting from mountains with the terrain map.

I would say the Dolomites have a lot of potential, if you like this kind of light/shadow play. They are so high and steep so the shadows fall even in the middle of the day. However for my taste the light is too strong in the middle of the day for many scenes, but of course there are exceptions when there are clouds that play magic with the light. I use quite often Google Earth and the sun simulation to see how the shades form during sunrise and sunset so that I can make a check on a spot is worth while to check in a real sunrise or sunset (or any other time for that matter). You need to tilt the landscape in Google Earth to really see it. It works really fantastic. I love Google Earth on my new iPad, but there is no sun simulation on it. The high resolution screen and high resolution of the maps in 3D are simply amazing. It's really very good for looking at landscapes that would take a very long time to check in reality and get ideas about where good spots might be. Of course, there is no replacement for being there :)
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