Alpine Wildflowers and Dramatic Peaks
Seven days photographing alpine wildflowers, flowing streams and dramatic peaks in the summer light.
Seven unforgettable days in the Dolomites, carefully planned around the best light and strongest photography locations. We’ll photograph iconic landscapes such as Tre Cime, Seceda, Alpe di Siusi, Sassolungo, Lago Limides, Cinque Torri, Passo Gardena and Passo Rolle, alongside several quieter viewpoints rarely found on the usual itineraries.
We’ll stay in comfortable, high-quality accommodation, with breakfast included. Rather than following a fixed daily schedule, we’ll choose each shoot based on the weather, light and local conditions, giving us the best possible chance of capturing exceptional images. Whenever the schedule allows, we’ll also visit carefully selected local restaurants for lunch and dinner.
The tour includes personal editing sessions, as well as lifetime access to Max’s Photoshop tutorials and Lightroom presets—helping you get the most from your images both during the tour and long after you return home.
We’ll meet in the arrivals hall at Venice Airport at 11:00 AM before driving into the spectacular Italian Dolomites. After checking into our hotel and enjoying lunch, our Dolomites Summer Photo Tour begins at Passo Gardena.
Beyond the famous viewpoints, this area is filled with hidden compositions. You can explore independently, follow Max’s guidance, or combine both as we photograph through the evening.
We’ll meet in the arrivals hall at Venice Airport at 11:00 AM before driving into the spectacular Italian Dolomites. After checking into our hotel and enjoying lunch, our Dolomites Summer Photo Tour begins at Passo Gardena.
Beyond the famous viewpoints, this area is filled with hidden compositions. You can explore independently, follow Max’s guidance, or combine both as we photograph through the evening.
Our sunrise location is just 25 minutes from the hotel, where a classic Dolomites peak rises above fields of weathered tree trunks and, depending on the season, colourful summer flowers.
For sunset, we’ll make the short hike to Lago Limides. There are excellent telephoto opportunities along the trail, while the lake itself offers reflections and plenty of foregrounds to explore. We’ll finish near the parking area, photographing flower-filled meadows beneath the setting sun.
We’ll begin at Alpe di Siusi, one of the Dolomites’ most iconic landscapes. Alongside the classic view of the mountain huts, Max will show you several less familiar compositions.
In the afternoon, we’ll take the cable car to Seceda and photograph its dramatic ridgeline into the early evening. We’ll then continue to St. Johann Church, where two different viewpoints offer beautiful sunset compositions.
We’ll return to Passo Gardena for sunrise, photographing the peaks from a completely different angle and in softer morning light. After breakfast, we’ll check out and continue to our second hotel.
For sunset, we’ll visit the world-famous Tre Cime di Lavaredo. A mostly flat one-hour hike brings us to a spectacular side view surrounded by summer flowers. If the conditions allow, we’ll stay for blue hour and the first stars, with the Milky Way perfectly aligned above the peaks.
We begin Day 5 at one of my favourite locations, Passo Giau. There is plenty to explore here, from a small mountain lake and summer flowers to wide views across the peaks. For photographs like this, I often use a focus stack of three or more frames to keep the foreground and mountains sharp. No real hiking is required, and we will have time to work with several compositions, including longer-lens views with a person in the landscape.
For sunset, we’ll photograph a towering mountain wall crowned by a narrow spire. Its sheer scale calls for our widest lenses. Clouds often build here in the afternoon, giving us the chance to capture some of the most dramatic conditions of the tour.
We’ll photograph Passo Rolle at sunrise.
For our final sunset, we’ll hike for about an hour into one of the most beautiful valleys in the Dolomites. We’ll take our time along the trail, with plenty of chances to photograph forest frames, rivers and wildflowers. Once we arrive, we’ll stay through sunset and, if the sky is clear, perhaps even photograph the Milky Way.
Our final sunrise takes us to a quiet valley, where a river leads toward an impressive mountain range. After breakfast, we’ll return to Venice Airport by 1:00 PM, ending the tour with memory cards full of unforgettable images.
It’s not only where we take you.
It’s how we spend our time there.
Bring your own perspective to the Dolomites’ familiar peaks. Max’s years of exploring the mountains have revealed flower-filled slopes, streams and quiet corners where small details make a photograph. We take time to explore those foregrounds as well as the wider view.
Learn to connect the details at your feet with the peaks beyond. Max and Madison help you arrange flowers, use streams as leading lines and keep the scene sharp with focus stacking, adapting their guidance to your experience and ideas.
A small group means space to work on your own compositions and time to ask questions. Early mornings, relaxed meals and evenings watching clouds move across the peaks give you the chance to share the experience with people who enjoy photography as much as you do.
Settle into two comfortable bases chosen for the photography, with fewer hotel changes during the week. Between accessible viewpoints and mountain hikes, there is time to rest, enjoy local food and get ready for the next session with your camera.
Your tour includes all 16 editing videos, all 9 Lightroom preset packs and 4 in-the-field tutorials, so you can keep learning after you return home.
You can also choose one photograph from the tour for an optional start-to-finish edit by Max. See how he works with your image and explore ideas to use in your own editing.
Max Rive & Madison McCardle
Max has personally explored the Italian Dolomites, selecting locations for their summer wildflowers, dramatic peaks and exceptional light.
He’ll share his approach to composition and mountain weather, helping you make the most of each shoot and return with outstanding images and greater confidence.
Madison is a landscape photographer and writer with an eye for original compositions. She helps scout our locations and offers practical guidance, making sure you get the most from each shoot.
Ask questions, try an idea, or spend a little time finding your own angle. The guidance is there when you need it.
From photographers
who have been there.
Of the many photography tours I have joined, Max’s Dolomites Summer tour was the best. I returned home with unforgettable images; two were published and one received an award. I immediately booked another tour and recommended it to friends.
Yun ThwaitsSummer Tour '24Joining Max’s Dolomites tour was a remarkable experience. His patient guidance transformed my understanding of composition, foregrounds and focus stacking. Everything was well organized yet flexible, creating a relaxed atmosphere. I would gladly join another tour in a heartbeat.
ARTHUR MARTINASSOSummer Tour '24Max’s Dolomites tour was one of the best photography tours I have joined. His planning, local knowledge and guidance helped everyone capture stronger images in changing conditions. The comfortable hotels and personal editing tutorial made the experience even better.
JULIAN CUBILLOSSummer Tour '24Not sure whether the tour is right for you? Ask Max about the walking, equipment or anything else on your mind.
Ask Max a question ↗Yes. We do not require a minimum number of participants, so the tour will go ahead even if the group is smaller than expected. For small hiking tours such as Patagonia, which are limited to six participants, last-minute cancellations may simply result in an even smaller and more personal group.
A tour would only be cancelled in exceptional circumstances, such as a serious geopolitical situation that makes it impossible to operate safely. Otherwise, you can book with confidence, knowing the tour will take place on the scheduled dates.
Yes, Seceda is one of the highlights of our Dolomites Summer Photo Tour. We’ll take the cable car to the top and explore its spectacular viewpoints, with dramatic mountain ridges and beautiful summer scenery. We’ll carefully choose the best weather and light conditions during the tour to give everyone the strongest chance of capturing outstanding images.
Several locations on the Dolomites Summer Photo Tour are intentionally kept private to protect them from overcrowding. Many were personally discovered by Max and remain exclusive to tour participants, allowing the group to enjoy quieter landscapes, unique compositions and the best possible photography experience.
Yes, you’re welcome to bring a drone on the Dolomites Summer Photo Tour. Flying is not permitted at Seceda or Tre Cime, but there are several other locations where drone photography is possible. Max will advise you on the best places to fly, while helping you find strong aerial compositions among the Dolomites’ dramatic peaks, valleys and summer landscapes.
Before each shoot, Max will explain the location, the best summer compositions, and which camera gear and clothing to bring. Once there, you can explore independently or stay close and follow his guidance.
Max will help you work with wildflowers, dramatic mountain peaks and changing alpine light, while offering advice on camera settings, focus stacking and composition. Each shoot is designed to help you find unique perspectives and return home with your strongest possible Dolomites images.
Yes, we plan to visit all the locations featured in the itinerary, along with several hidden spots. However, Max will keep the daily schedule flexible, adapting it to the summer weather, light and mountain conditions.
Each location shines under different circumstances—from dramatic clouds around the peaks to morning mist over Alpe di Siusi or warm light on the summer wildflowers. With years of experience photographing the Dolomites, Max will choose the location offering the strongest photographic opportunities each day.
Even if you’ve visited the Dolomites before, this summer photo tour will reveal the region from an entirely new perspective:
7 days exploring the Dolomites. A small group of photographers. And a view worth the journey.
Talk to Max before you bookthe Dolomites · Up to 10 people
Reserve with a €1,500 deposit
If you’d like to join the Dolomites Summer Tour, send me a message below. Whether you’re ready to reserve a place or still considering the adventure, I’d love to hear from you.
Have a question about the photography, walking or how to book? I’m happy to help you decide whether the tour is right for you. I’ll get back to you personally.
info@maxrivephotography.com
