Erin Babnik is known for her expressive style of photography and for her adventurous approach in the field, both of which she developed over years of exploring unique locations in Europe and North America. She has devoted much of her time to the Dolomites, gaining great knowledge of the region’s diverse array of massifs, independently discovering seldom-seen, highly photogenic vantage points above the typical valley destinations. Her photographic expertise, her location knowledge, and her extensive teaching experience combine to provide an expert level of instruction, delivered with great dedication and enthusiasm. In her writing and public speaking engagements, Erin explores topics of both philosophical and instructional value, making her one of the most notable voices among the current generation of landscape photographers. She brings this same joy of discussing ideas to interactions with her workshop participants, offering a unique dimension to the workshop experience.

Chip Phillips rose to international prominence through his development of a distinctively elegant, impactful style of landscape photography. His images are supremely tasteful essays in the use of light, composition, and color. Chip is a highly experienced workshop instructor and shares his ideas and knowledge about photography through articles on the Photo Cascadia blog and through his popular video tutorials. His photographs have been published in a variety of photography magazines, and he can count prestigious photography prizes among his many accolades.

Erin and Chip are both team members of the illustrious nature photography team Photo Cascadia.

The Beginning of the Workshop (July 17):

We will begin our trip at Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) with a 2pm rendezvous. From there, you will travel to the charming mountain town of Misurina for an orientation dinner.

The Adventure:

After a sunrise outing at Lake Misurina, we will have breakfast, store our extra luggage, and embark upon our adventure. We will travel in chauffeured vans between trailheads and chairlift stations. Because we want to make the most of the year’s snowmelt conditions (which effects water levels and wildflower progress), exact destinations will be determined accordingly as late as possible. Five of our eights nights will be spent in mountain huts that will allow the experience of backpacking without the need to carry much more than your camera gear (see the Lodging section of this brochure for more information). At least two of those days will be spent in the Drei Zinnen Nature Park, in order to dedicate quality time to the region’s most famous massif, the imposing Tre Cime di Lavaredo, and the spectacular peaks and lakes of the many massifs that surround it. We will spend our final two nights in a four-star hotel in the scenic mountain town of Cortina d’Ampezzo, where we will devote the last full day of the workshop to image processing in the comfort of the hotel conference room, followed by a farewell dinner.

The Conclusion of the Workshop (July 25):

Transportation back to Venice Marco Polo Airport will be provided after breakfast on July 25. We will return to the airport by 11:00am. Planning Considerations Most people decide to combine this workshop with a stay in Venice or elsewhere in Italy. If you are flying in from a very different time zone, you might consider staying a couple of nights in Venice to get over jetlag and to enjoy the sites there.

Please see the PDF brochure for a detailed list of suggested and necessary gear, clothing, and personal items.

Our typical destination hikes will entail following fairly level contours for an hour or two of hiking, but scouting for compositions can increase total hiking requirements on any given day. Some trails have steep sections, but our elevation gain on any one hike will usually be less than 400 meters. The locations that we will reach will not exceed 2,700 meters in altitude, which is very comfortable for most people.

While adventure and great photos are our main goals, your safety is a priority along with treating the land that we travel on with respect, practicing “leave no trace” ethics. Erin and Chip are seasoned backcountry travelers, and Erin is certified by Wilderness Medical Associates as a Wilderness First Responder (WFR). In order for participants to have a comfortable experience where they can concentrate on the photography, it is highly advised that you have proper attire consisting of non-cotton outdoor dedicated clothing, including an assortment of layers to keep you warm.

In order to position ourselves with optimal proximity to our mountain destinations, we will spend five of our eight nights together in charming mountain huts. Called “rifugios,” these huts allow hikers to spend the night at wilderness locations without requiring anyone to carry typical backpacking gear such as tents, stoves, and heavy sleeping bags.

The huts are similar to hostels, providing an unusual level of comfort for wilderness dwelling. Even though we will be in the wilderness, we will sleep in actual beds with mattresses, blankets, and pillows. We will enjoy prepared meals and will have access to lavatories with flush toilets and running water. While staying in huts, participants should expect to bunk in dormitory-style rooms with anywhere from two to ten total occupants. Most locations have token-operated showers available (tokens must be purchased separately as desired), but occasionally extreme conditions render them inoperable. All of the huts have bars that serve snacks and an array of beverages, including juices, soft drinks, teas, coffee, beer, wine, and liqueurs (available at an extra charge). Some of the huts even have WiFi available, which is typically free when offered to guests.

The other three nights of the trip will be spent in four-star hotels with each person in a single-occupancy room.

INCLUDED:

• Tuition

• Eight nights of lodging: five in alpine huts and three in 4-Star hotels (single-occupancy in the hotels).

• Airport transfer beginning and ending in Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE).

• Transportation between workshop locations.

• Three meals per day (some are picnic meals in order to maximize our time out in nature).

• Guidance to unique photography locations.

• In-field instruction (composition, compensating for high dynamic range, focus stacking, shooting for advanced blending techniques, etc.).

• A substantial post-processing instruction session.

• Storage of extra luggage (please note that we are not responsible for lost or stolen items).

• Awesome adventure!

NOT INCLUDED:

• Flights.

• Travel and cancellation insurance.

• Snacks, beverages, and other personal purchases. (Please note that drinking water is a beverage that must be purchased at most of the mountain huts as bottled water, even at meals.)

• Shower tokens at huts.

• Gratuities (rarely expected in Italy).

COST:

$3995 ($1650 deposit)

PAYMENT:

The final balance of $2345 is due by Friday, June 1, 2018. Deposits are non-refundable. Cancellations require us to re-open enrollment and/or to engage in additional promotional efforts to fill the workshop on short notice, so our policy is that there will be no refunds after June 1, 2018, with one exception: if we find another participant to fill your space and the workshop is ultimately full when it begins, then you will receive a refund, minus your non-refundable deposit.

INDEMNITY WAIVER:

All participants are required to sign a standard workshop indemnity waiver: here.

CANCELLATIONS:

Cancellations require us to re-open enrollment and/or to engage in additional promotional efforts to fill the workshop on short notice, so our policy is that there will be no refunds after June 1, 2018, with one exception: if we find another participant to fill your space and the workshop is ultimately full when it begins, then you will receive a refund, minus your non-refundable deposit. All refunds are subject to a 4% processing fee. We highly recommend that you obtain travel/cancellation insurance for all workshops.

Use the sign-up button on this page to place a deposit with a Credit Card or via PayPal. If you would like to pay by another method, use the contact form on this page to ask Erin about options for sending a personal check or bank transfer.