Dolomites Photography Workshop: Immersive Edition
AN 8-DAY SMALL-GROUP PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP WITH TWO NIGHTS HIGH IN THE DOLOMITES
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A note from Andrea
I’ve been exploring and photographing the Dolomites for more than 20 years, and this workshop brings together what I believe makes experiencing these mountains so special.
Alongside comfortable hotel stays, we spend two nights high in two mountain rifugios. For me, that changes the rhythm of the photography completely.
We can stay with the landscape through sunset and blue hour, photograph the night sky when conditions allow, and wake up already surrounded by the mountains for sunrise.
If you're wondering whether this teaching approach is right for you, learn more here.
WHY THIS WORKSHOP
The Dolomites are spectacular from almost anywhere, but there’s a big difference between visiting a mountain landscape for a photography session and actually spending part of the workshop inside it.
That’s the idea behind the Immersive edition.
We begin with three nights in a comfortable 4-star hotel near Cortina d’Ampezzo, giving us access to a wide range of landscapes across the Eastern Dolomites. From there, the workshop moves higher into the mountains for two very different rifugio stays: one night directly in front of Tre Cime di Lavaredo at Rifugio Locatelli, and another at Rifugio Lagazuoi, almost 2,800 metres above the surrounding valleys.
Those nights give us something I value enormously in landscape photography: time to observe how a place changes rather than treating it as a single viewpoint at a single moment.
We then finish with two nights on Alpe di Siusi, where the landscape opens into meadows, forests, scattered huts and distant mountain layers, giving us a completely different visual environment for the final part of the workshop.
“I left the workshop not only with better images but as a better photographer.”
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN YOUR
PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPERIENCE
PACKAGE OVERVIEW
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Expert Guidance & Mentorship → Learn in the field with a professional landscape photographer and local guide who knows the Dolomites intimately, plus personalized feedback through 1-to-1 editing sessions and group reviews.
Exclusive Mountain Access → We’ll spend five nights in carefully selected 4-star hotels, with private single rooms and bathrooms, combined with two nights in traditional high-altitude rifugi at Rifugio Locatelli and Rifugio Lagazuoi. In the rifugi, we stay in twin shared rooms reserved for our group, with shared bathrooms, as is typical in an alpine hut.
Seamless Logistics → Airport transfers, all local transportation, alpine taxis to hard-to-reach spots, and park entrance fees are covered.
Delicious Meals → All breakfasts and dinners, including authentic Italian cuisine in the rifugio and hotel.
Community & Connection → A small group size ensures you’ll have plenty of personal attention, while also sharing inspiration and creative energy with fellow photographers.
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Travel costs to and from Italy
Lunches, beverages, and snacks
Alcoholic beverage (available but not included in the price)
Rifugio’s cable car ticket
Tourist tax of €2 day/person (to be paid in cash at check out)
Travel insurance with trip cancellation coverage and equipment insurance are strongly recommended.
Tips, extras, access to the hotel spa, and anything else not mentioned in “The Workshop Includes” section
PRACTICAL DETAILS
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This workshop runs with a minimum of 4 participants and is limited to a maximum of 6, so I can give each of you personalized mentorship and guidance, tailored to your experience and goals. This isn’t a crowded tour; it’s an intimate, immersive photography experience.
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You don’t need to be an advanced photographer to join the workshop, and you certainly don’t need experience with every technique we may cover. It does help to have a basic familiarity with your camera before arriving, so our time in the field can be spent making photographs rather than learning where the controls are.
Participants usually arrive with very different levels of experience. If you’re earlier in your photography journey, we may spend more time on exposure, camera technique and building confidence in the field. If you already know your equipment well, we can concentrate much more deeply on composition, visual decision-making, focal-length choice, editing and developing your own approach to a landscape.
Because the group is limited to six photographers, everyone doesn’t have to follow the same lesson at the same time. I work with you from where you are and on the areas of your photography that will be most useful to you.
What matters most is that you enjoy photography, are curious about improving, and are comfortable with the early starts and active days that are part of a landscape photography workshop.
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MODERATE
This workshop is suitable for anyone with a good level of fitness. We’ll hike at altitudes between 2,000 and 2,500 m, sometimes higher, on rocky and uneven terrain with some short but quite steep sections, so having a sure footing and balance is really important. The longest hike, such as the trail to Rifugio Locatelli at Tre Cime di Lavaredo, takes about 2 hours with roughly 200 m of elevation gain.
Still, you’ll want to pack light, as you’ll be carrying your camera gear and tripod for up to two hours at a time, and while none of the routes are technical, the altitude and cumulative effort of two hikes per day can make the experience physically demanding if you’re not prepared.
To maximize your photography time, the workshop is designed to minimize hiking where possible, using cable cars to reach rifugios and other locations. This ensures that most of your time is spent capturing the scenery rather than transferring or going on long hikes.
We always move at a comfortable pace, allowing plenty of time to enjoy the landscapes and photograph along the way.
If you’re used to flat terrain, have respiratory or mobility limitations, or are unsure whether your current fitness level suits this kind of activity, please contact us before booking so we can help determine if this workshop is the right fit for you.
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The Dolomites are a mountain environment, and no particular light or weather condition can be guaranteed. We may encounter clear skies, cloud, rain, mist, wind, early snow or several of those conditions during the same workshop.
The same applies to autumn colour, reflections, dramatic sunrises, clear night skies and other conditions we would naturally love to photograph. They are possibilities, not promises.
The locations described in the itinerary give us a strong range of options rather than a checklist we have to complete. If weather, access or safety make another choice more appropriate, we adapt the plan and work with the strongest photographic opportunities available to us.
A TYPICAL DAY
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We don’t believe in rigid schedules. Instead, our workshop is flexible, with location choices made organically based on the weather and lighting conditions.
While our approach is flexible, it’s never unstructured. Every day flows naturally, as you’ll see in the breakdown below, which illustrates a typical day on our workshop, including shooting times, rest periods, and meal times. This ensures a well-balanced mix of shooting, learning, and downtime so you can fully immerse yourself in the experience.
On our two rifugio nights, the rhythm changes because we’re already staying in the landscape. We can remain outside later when conditions are interesting and get back into position quickly the following morning without beginning the day with a long transfer from the valley.
MORNING SHOOTING
On most days, we start early to capture the breathtaking Dolomites sunrise. The soft morning light, often enhanced by clouds or mist lingering in the valleys, creates dramatic and unforgettable landscapes. We'll position ourselves at carefully chosen high-altitude locations with plenty of time to set up before the mountains are bathed in golden light.After our sunrise shoot, we'll return to our mountain hut or hotel for breakfast and a well-deserved rest. This downtime is intentionally built into the itinerary for several reasons. First, the combination of early mornings, long days, and high-altitude hiking can be physically demanding, so this break helps prevent fatigue as the workshop progresses. Second, as the sun climbs, the dramatic shadows and contrast that make the Dolomites so striking fade. Rather than shooting in less favorable light, this is the perfect time to rest, review, and back up your images, or simply enjoy the unique alpine surroundings of your accommodation.
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Later in the morning, we reconvene for post-processing sessions designed to help you make the most of the images you've captured. These sessions are customized based on participants' experience levels and can range from basic Lightroom techniques to advanced Photoshop methods including Luminosity Masks.
We work in small groups with individual attention, demonstrating the same techniques we use for our own photography. All sessions are recorded and shared with the group, allowing you to review and practice these techniques at your own pace later. Toward the end of the workshop, we'll replace one processing session with a critique session, often one of the most enjoyable moments for participants, where each participant shares their favorite images for constructive feedback.
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After lunch and a short break, we head out for our afternoon photography session.
The afternoon sessions provide ample time to find compelling compositions, experiment with different framing techniques, and perfect your exposures as the light changes.
DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOUR KIND OF WORKSHOP?
Join the priority list and you’ll be among the first to receive the 2027 dates and booking details when the next workshop opens.
WHAT’S ON THE ITINERARY
DAY 1 - 5 EASTERN DOLOMITES / CORTINA D’AMPEZZO AREA
The itinerary below shows the areas and photographic opportunities available to us during the workshop rather than a fixed shooting schedule. In the mountains, light and weather ultimately decide where we go, so we’ll adapt each session to the conditions and the strongest opportunities we see developing.
What makes the Immersive workshop different is that two of those nights are spent high in the mountains themselves. Instead of always returning to the valley after a shoot, part of the journey takes us directly into the landscape and allows us to stay there as the day changes.
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO AREA | 3 NIGHTS
We’ll pick you up from Venice Marco Polo Airport and travel together to our first base next to the beautiful Lago Misurina, near Cortina d’Ampezzo, and after settling into our rooms, we’ll head out for our first sunset shoot on the first evening.
This is one of the most beautiful parts in all the Dolomites, with the jagged spires of the Tre Cime national park a short drive away, and the high passes of Passo Giau and Falzarego also close by.
We’ll certainly be spending lots of time in the Tre Cime area, where we’ll hike around the famous three peaks to get to different points from where we can unlock the almost unlimited potential of this incredible place. There are the trails south of Rifugio Auronzo, which give uninterrupted views of the stunning peaks of Cadini di Misurina as well as views of the Tre Cime towers themselves, lit from the side as the sunsets.
We’ll also hike around the southern side of the peaks and up the saddle to the Forcella ridge, which gives the iconic view facing west towards the Tre Cime peaks with the setting sun behind.
A NIGHT AT TRE CIME | 1 NIGHT
One of the highlights of this workshop is an overnight stay at Rifugio Locatelli, located directly in front of the famous Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Staying at the rifugio gives us the rare opportunity to experience this remarkable landscape during some of the quietest and most rewarding hours of the day.
We'll have the chance to photograph the Tre Cime at sunset, enjoy the atmosphere of the mountains after most visitors have left the area, and, if conditions cooperate, explore night photography beneath one of the most impressive skylines in the Alps.
The following morning, we'll already be in position for sunrise.
From the rifugio, we can also easily access a nearby alpine basin dotted with small mountain lakes that can offer beautiful reflections and compositions during the first light of the day. Reaching the same location from the valley would normally require a long hike in the dark and a very early wake-up call.
During our time here, we’ll also make sure we visit other stunning locations in the area. We’ll head up to Passo Giau for a sunrise shoot, which gives us the wide-angle panorama of Ra Gusela or more telephoto images of the western Dolomite peaks or towards Cinque Torri.
We’ll also head up to the neighbouring Passo Falzarego, from where we make the short hike to Lago Limedes, whose waters reflect Mount Tofana as the sun comes up.
Another nearby location is the iconic Lago di Braies where floating row boats contrast with the turquoise waters. It’s an easy location where we can focus on composing shots with the peaks reflected in the perfectly still waters or work on abstracts of the boats.
4x4 Alpine Lake Experience
From our base in Cortina d’Ampezzo, we’ll also head up to Lago Federa, a hidden gem nestled amidst nature's grandeur where the waters are deep and sheltered by trees and the towering cliffs of Croda da Lago.
Access here is limited, so we’ll head up with a 4×4 alpine taxi to give us plenty of time to be in the best position for the first light of the day rising above the trees.
DAY 5 - 6 EASTERN DOLOMITES / CORTINA D’AMPEZZO AREA
MOUNTAIN RIFUGIO | 1 NIGHT
After breakfast on Day 5, we’ll leave our hotel in Misurina, and we’ll base ourselves in a stunning mountain rifugio near Cortina d’Ampezzo.
We will spend one night in a wonderful rifugio located at 2752 meters at the top of one of the peaks that dominate the surrounding area. It’s the highest of all the Dolomite rifugios. It looms over Passo Falzarego, about halfway between Val Badia and the main adventure center of the region, Cortina d’Ampezzo.
We’ll get here by a short cable car ride and settle into the cozy rooms, each of which offers an amazing view of the surrounding peaks. It really does feel as though you’re up amongst the clouds here, and from the expansive terrace, or from your own balcony, you can enjoy the sight of dozens of peaks, including Antelao, Tofane, Odle, Pelmo, Cinque Torri, Croda da Lago, and of course, wonderfully reflective Marmolada.
DAY 6 - 8 WESTERN DOLOMITES / ALPE DI SIUSI
ALPE DI SIUSI | 2 NIGHTS
After breakfast on Day 6, we’ll pack our stuff, check out of the hotel, and make the journey to the Western Dolomites and arrive at our next base in Alpe di Siusi, a large alpine meadow covered with wooden huts and pine trees that overlooks the almost vertical peaks of Sassalungo and Sassopiatto.
The plain itself feels almost like it comes from a picture book with the wooden huts scattered across the rolling hills beneath the two jagged peaks. At this time of year, the plain is covered in flowers, and if we’re lucky, we may get a layer of mist in the morning, which makes for wonderful telephoto abstracts of the huts and trees.
The location works wonderfully at both sunrise and sunset, and there are so many different possible compositions, so we’ll ensure we have plenty of time to explore this incredible area.
Our stay here will be in a 4-star hotel located on the Alpe di Siusi, and we’ll eat most of our dinners at the hotel, which serves really spectacular food. Again, during our time here, we’ll have a post-processing/photo review session looking at how we can get the best out of the images we’ve captured on the trip so far.
On the last morning, we’ll have breakfast first thing, then check out of the hotel and take you back to Venice, where we say our goodbyes.
WHAT THE PARTICIPANTS SAY…
WHAT WE’LL WORK ON TOGETHER
On our workshops, we don’t just give you information; we give you the tools and frameworks to put your camera to work. While endless theory can be found online, our approach is designed to help you make real progress in the field.
You'll get hands-on experience and clear methodologies in a small, dedicated group. This intimate setting ensures you receive personalized guidance and direct feedback to truly apply what you learn and master your craft.
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Work with light. Understand how different types of light can affect the mood and the essence of an image. You’ll discover how to recognize a distinctive quality of light and work with it.
Composition and how to frame a scene in order to balance and arrange visual elements effectively. Rather than simply showing you where to put the tripod, I want you to understand why one composition works better than another so you can make those decisions for yourself long after the workshop is over.
Lens choice. From the wide-angle vista to shooting landscape abstracts with a telephoto lens. With a different focal length, you can manipulate how the viewer perceives space and thus the relationship between objects.
Aerial photography
Shooting multiple image panoramas
Controlling light in scenes with a wide dynamic range using graduated filters and/or multiple exposures
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Using Lightroom or Capture One for RAW conversion, and how to transform your raw files straight out of the camera to finished images ready to be shared.
Using Photoshop layers to build up image adjustments
Using luminosity masks in Photoshop
Different techniques for blending multiple exposures of the same image
Using Nik Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex, and Adobe Camera RAW on Photoshop layers
Stitching multiple panoramas together
Sharpening images
Light sculpturing with advanced Dodge & Burn techniques
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Over the course of the workshop, we will take you to beautiful locations and give you every chance to get great shots while improving your technique. We limit the number of participants on our workshop to just six which gives us plenty of time with everyone in the field and from the beginning of your time with us, we’ll aim to identify your photographic level and what you’d like to focus on.
We'll tailor the workshop to meet your exact needs and provide plenty of one-to-one tuition both in the field and post-processing sessions, and having two shooting sessions a day means that you’ll get plenty of time in the field, so you can quickly get into a shooting rhythm where you can put new skills into practice.
Having two nights high in the mountains also gives us opportunities to work with changing conditions beyond the normal sunrise-and-sunset rhythm, particularly around blue hour and, when conditions cooperate, at night.
Finally, we want to share with you our passion for nature and landscape photography in this incredible place. Traveling in such small groups means we can quickly build a great learning environment where people feel comfortable together and at ease with asking questions and making the absolute most of the trip. We aim to make your experience here in the beautiful landscape of the Dolomites a memorable one and a trip from which, as well as getting some great images from amazing locations, you’ll also go home having had a true adventure with great company in a very special place.
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With only six photographers, we spend a lot of time together—not only in the field, but during transfers, editing sessions and meals.
That naturally creates plenty of opportunities to exchange ideas, talk about photography and learn from the way other people approach the same landscape. At the same time, there’s no expectation that everyone has to be social all the time. These can be long days, and having some quiet time is equally important.
What I want to create is a relaxed and respectful group where people feel comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas, concentrating on their own photography and enjoying the experience in their own way.
HOW WE ADAPT TO THE CONDITIONS
The Dolomites rarely follow a schedule, and I don’t think a photography workshop should blindly follow one either.
I’ve been exploring and photographing these mountains for more than 20 years, and one of the biggest advantages of knowing the area well is not simply knowing where the viewpoints are. It’s knowing what our options are when the conditions change.
If clouds close in around one mountain group, the light is developing somewhere unexpected, or the weather makes our original plan less interesting or practical, we can change direction. Sometimes that means moving to another location. Other times it means staying exactly where we are but changing the way we photograph—working with a longer lens, looking for smaller details, simplifying the landscape or taking advantage of conditions we hadn’t expected.
That flexibility is also part of what I want you to experience photographically during the workshop. Landscape photography becomes much more interesting when we stop waiting for the conditions we imagined and start recognizing what the landscape is actually giving us.
The itinerary gives us a strong plan. The conditions decide how we use it.
“Through all of that, Andrea and Sabrina were flexible, reassuring, and inspired complete confidence.”
JOIN THE NEXT DOLOMITES IMMERSIVE WORKSHOP
Join the 2027 priority list to receive the new dates and booking details before the workshop opens publicly.
ACCOMMODATIONS & FOOD
After a full day of exploring and shooting in the mountains, there's nothing better than coming back to a cozy place and enjoying a great meal. For our Dolomites workshop, we’ve handpicked charming, comfortable accommodations in ideal locations—places we know well and have built lasting relationships with over the years. And since we’re in Italy, food is a highlight in itself: you’ll get to experience some of the region’s best local dishes throughout the trip.
In the eastern Dolomites, we’ll stay in a 4-star hotel overlooking the beautiful Lago Misurina. For our main meals, we’ll head to a local pizzeria (one of the best in the Dolomites) where the owner, Angelo, and his family have become good friends over the many years we’ve been dining there. It’s the kind of warm, local connection that adds something special to the experience.
Two nights of the workshop are spent in traditional high-altitude rifugi, each offering a very different experience.
At Rifugio Locatelli, we stay directly in front of Tre Cime di Lavaredo, giving us exceptional access to the landscape from evening through sunrise. Later in the workshop, Rifugio Lagazuoi takes us to almost 2,800m, with expansive views across the surrounding Dolomites and easy access via cable car.
In both rifugi, we stay in twin shared rooms reserved exclusively for our group, with shared bathrooms, as is typical in an alpine hut. This means you’ll share your room with another workshop participant, but not with other guests — something that is relatively rare in such popular and sought-after mountain huts.
There’s an obvious trade-off in giving up your private hotel room for two nights. For this workshop, I think the photographic experience makes that trade-off worthwhile.
These stays are intentionally part of the photographic experience. They allow us to remain close to the mountains as the light changes, photographing through sunset and blue hour, exploring night photography when conditions allow, and waking up already in the landscape for sunrise.
The rifugi are also wonderful places to slow down after shooting, review images together and enjoy hearty local food surrounded by the mountains. The owners of both Rifugio Locatelli and Rifugio Lagazuoi are long-time friends, which makes these stays feel even more personal and familiar.
For the final two nights, we return to a 4-star hotel directly on Alpe di Siusi, with private single rooms and bathrooms. The food here is absolutely delicious, especially during their traditional Tyrolean-themed dinner night.
These partnerships allow us to offer not just comfort and convenience, but also a more authentic, memorable taste of the Italian Dolomites. Great photography days deserve great food—and here, you’ll have both.
HOW DO WE GET TO THE RIFUGIO?
One of the most common questions I get about the Immersive workshop is how much hiking is involved in reaching the two rifugi.
The two mountain huts are reached in very different ways. Rifugio Locatelli involves a scenic walk of around 1 hour 40 minutes, with relatively modest elevation gain and plenty of time to stop, photograph and enjoy the landscape along the way.
Rifugio Lagazuoi is completely different: we simply take the cable car up to almost 2,800 metres and step out directly into the high mountains.
Neither involves technical hiking or particularly demanding climbs. You need a reasonable basic level of fitness, especially because we’re moving at altitude, but this is a photography workshop rather than a hiking trip.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
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You will fly into Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), located just outside the city of Venice. On the first day of the workshop, we’ll pick you up directly at the airport and drive together to our first base in the heart of the Dolomites.
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Travel insurance is not mandatory for travel to Italy, but we highly recommend it. So, consider it for unexpected medical emergencies, flight cancellations, or lost luggage.
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During all five hotel nights, you’ll have your own private single room and bathroom.
The two rifugio nights are different. We stay in twin rooms reserved for our workshop group, so you’ll share with one other participant, and bathroom facilities are shared.
That is part of the traditional rifugio experience and one of the few compromises we make in order to stay directly in the mountains. Full accommodation details are provided before the workshop so you know exactly what to expect.
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You can find all the details about cancellations in our Terms and Conditions. This includes deadlines, fees, and everything you need to know if your plans change.
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We will send you a welcome document when you register. This document will have a full list of all the gear and accessories you should bring with you.
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More details on the meeting point, gear, weather conditions, and more will be included in the welcome document we send upon registration. If you have any questions or anything you’re unsure about, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@andrealivieriphoto.com.
THE TEAM
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ANDREA LIVIERI
Photographer and Workshop Leader
Andrea is a Padua-based, professional photographer, educator, musician, and spirited adventurer. He started exploring the photography medium by capturing images of fellow musicians, their families, and other friends and acquaintances in the music industry. As he continued honing his craft, he merged his love for photography and exploring the outdoors, amassing a body of photographic work featuring exhilarating landscapes and rugged mountain capes from around the globe.
He also leads photography courses, and workshops to teach other photographers his method and help them to bring out their own vision. His work has been published in Landscape Photography Magazine, Outdoor Photographer, Photo Plus Magazine, Digital Camera, Popular Photography and Fuji X Passion Magazine, among others. He also partners with brands like Capture One, DxO, FLM Tripods, Maven Filtes, Nya-Evo Camera Backpacks and Vallerret Gloves.
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SABRINA TOSATO
Photographer, Operations and Content Manager
Sabrina is a photographer and travel writer based in Padua, Italy. Her average day is a mix of weird combinations and her greatest ambition is to make people dream, inspiring them through words and photographs. She manages a travel blog named The Tomato Soup where she offers advice on travel destinations and wild but high-end hospitality.
She has 10 years of experience in travel organization, focused on exclusive and tailor-made itineraries but eventually ended up as a digital marketing specialist. Passionate about the intersection of adventure travels, sustainability, and design, with inspiration and creativity at heart, she has a knack for capturing memorable moments of everyday life. Her work has been published via Afar Media, SuitCase Magazine, Inspired by Iceland, and Feel Slovenia.
Partners
Workshop attendees may receive access to special offers on selected photography products and software.