Ena’s Little Black Book on a Dolomites photography tour with Leo Papèra, the photographer who taught me to wait for the light, and lied about the hike.
A friend suggested I look up a photographer named Leonardo Papèra when I was planning a few days in the Dolomites. I loved his work, sent him a message and somehow ended up arranging a private photography trip with him.
We spent our days chasing light, changing plans with the weather and waiting to see what the mountains would give us. Leo was generous with everything he knew and endlessly patient with everything I didn’t. This included hiking. Our respective athletic abilities were not exactly evenly matched.
After I got home, #ThisWasNOT20mins became my running joke about one particularly optimistic estimate of his. There had been an uphill, a downhill, another uphill and rather more scrambling than twenty minutes would suggest.
But those days with Leo changed the way I photograph. I learned to wait, to watch the light and, sometimes, to stay just a little longer when everyone else was packing up.
We still keep in touch. Every now and then I’ll send him a photograph I’m struggling with and ask what he thinks.
I can’t wait to go back and join one of his workshops someday.
I just won’t believe him when he tells me how long the hike is.
Find Leo and his tours at https://www.leonardopapera.com/tour-workshop/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leonardo.papera/
If you’re dreaming of the Dolomites, or anywhere that calls for a photographer’s eye, this is exactly the kind of trip I plan. Let’s plan together >
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