Blog - Mountain Photography in the Alps
Photography Location Guides | by Michael Breitung
It’s summer, which means it’s finally time for some overnighters in the Alps again. When it’s hot down in the valleys, it’s just great to breathe some fresh mountain air while enjoying a spectacular view.
The only problem with such trips into the Alps for me is that I only have time at the weekend – as have many other people. This is why it’s often very crowded on the trails and viewpoints. Only around sunset and sunrise it usually calms down and silence sets in.
A week ago, I had again planned such a weekend foray into the mountains. But the weather forecast for Friday and Saturday was so bad that I had to change my plans. There seemed to be a change in weather coming on Sunday, so I decided to give it a go, drive down into the area of the Große Ahornboden, hike up onto one of the adjacent mountains, photograph sunset and sunrise up there and then try to get to work on Monday as quick as possible.
Mountain Magic | prints available
Equipment: Canon EOS 5DSR | Canon 16-35mm f/4 IS | Kase 0.6 hard + soft GND
Exif: f/9,5 | 25mm | ISO 100 | 1/4s – 2s Exposure Blending + Focus Stacking
The good thing is that I have flexible working hours. Yet, doing a 2 hour hike followed by a 3+ hour drive to get to work on Monday was a bit tough, especially after only a few hours of sleep. But it all worked out and thankfully there were no traffic jams on the Autobahn between Munich and Nuremberg.
And what about the hike and stay in the Alps itself? I have to admit, I didn’t expect it to be that empty up there. I was even able to secure a room for myself at a hut just below the summit. Normally those huts are stuffed and have to be booked months in advance. But not on a Sunday as it seems.
Standing up on the Delpsjoch around sunset and sunrise was such a peaceful experience. As forecast, the weather had improved significantly and the clouds of the day had dispersed. There was nearly no wind, nearly no sound up there. I captured the whole experience in the video below.
In the beginning I wasn’t sure, if I should do this overnighter from Sunday to Monday because of the stress it would involve with getting back to work. In the end though it was all worth putting in the work and effort. The photos I took turned out pretty good and I have one more great experience to add to my memories.
