Chasing the First Light: Sunrise at Sass de Putia: Emotions, Photography, and the Power of First Light

The idea that becomes a project .

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Every photographic project begins with an intuition. This time, the desire was to capture the magic of a mountain sunrise: the light changing minute by minute, the silence that precedes the dawn, and the emotions that emerge spontaneously.

I have a long list of spots, but I chose Sass de Putia , in the Dolomites, as the backdrop for a photo and video shoot titled Chasing the First Light . A place that already conveys majesty and wonder. My storyboard lacked key elements: the appearance as a human and emotional thread, and above all, a scene capable of geolocating the tourist destination , showing the Plan de Corones in the background along with the profile of the Dolomites. A detail that enriches the story and ties the video to its homeland.

Woman as a subject: a parallel with the mountain

The choice to have a woman as the protagonist was not accidental. The mountain, like the earth, carries with it a profoundly feminine energy: it welcomes, protects, nourishes, and gives life. It is mother, it is home, it is a silent and inexhaustible strength. Thus, in my visual story, the female appearance becomes a mirror of this symbolism: her external beauty intertwines with her internal beauty, and together they merge with the majesty of the Dolomites. Like a mother who generates and protects, the mountain and the woman share an ancestral role: to remind us that every summit conquered, every ray of light, is born from an act of love and care.

Preparation: between technique and lightness

Mountain photography means combining creativity and practicality. The backpack contained only the essentials: a mirrorless camera with bright lenses to cope with low light, a drone to give perspective and scope to the images, memory cards, and spare batteries. But it also contained the essentials to protect from the cold: a sweatshirt and windbreaker, and a cup of tea—never a bad thing—to enjoy a moment's respite from the stress of capturing as much as possible in those moments.

With the help of apps like Peak Finder, I calculated the exact time of sunrise and planned my route to reach the summit on time. Every detail was part of a delicate balance between technique and poetry.

The path in the dark

The climb began at night, under a sky that never ceases to amaze. We woke up in the middle of the night, our eyes heavy with sleep. The summer temperature was unusual; we climbed in short sleeves, and it wasn't cold at all. At a certain point, Venus and Jupiter appeared perfectly aligned: a sign, almost a gift. Then came the blue hour, that magical suspension in which the world prepares to awaken and the light begins to reveal shapes and colors. It was like walking inside a secret that would soon be revealed.

Venere e Giove allineati.

The emotion in the eyes

In front of the lens, there was no need for acting: the extra was truly living the moment. The wonder in his eyes was pure, authentic. In that moment, I understood once again how crucial the human presence is in a visual story: not just a face in front of the camera, but a soul capable of amplifying the grandeur of the landscape.

The moment of light

Then the sun came out. The Dolomites lit up with a shimmering alpenglow, and the landscape transformed into a moving canvas. It was a moment of creative delirium: the drone in flight, the mirrorless camera ready to capture every nuance, the luminous lenses capturing the very breath of light. Between one shot and the next, I inserted the detail planned in the storyboard: the Kronplatz mountain silhouetted on the horizon. A scene that wasn't just aesthetic, but also identity-defining: a way to narrate the tourist destination in an emotional way.

Communication and responsibility

This shoot wasn't just an artistic project, but also a piece of content designed to showcase the region. Emotional videos of the Dolomites serve a dual purpose: to inspire viewers and simultaneously promote the region. But communicating the mountains also means remembering that they aren't a playground. Nature must be respected, and mountains must be approached with awareness. Showing their beauty is an invitation to experience it, but also to protect it: sunrise on the Peitlerkofel or Sass de Putia is not just an aesthetic experience, it's an act of profound connection with a fragile ecosystem.

Enrosadira

Photography, light and life

Chasing the first light is, ultimately, a metaphor for life. Photography means waiting, being patient, learning to capture the perfect moment. Just as in life, in photography too, light doesn't always come immediately: sometimes you have to walk in the dark, other times you have to accept the unexpected.

But when the light appears—whether on a mountaintop, in a smile, or in a glance—then everything makes sense. And that's when the camera stops being a simple instrument and becomes the bridge between what we see and what we feel.

From light to people

"Chasing the First Light" isn't just the title of the project, but a way of living my profession as a photographer and content creator. Every day I chase that light that can transform a peak, a face, or a landscape into an emotional experience. Every day, the mountains teach me that beauty should be welcomed with gratitude, experienced with respect, and shared with passion.

The Dolomites are more than just mountains: they are guardians of stories, emotions, and dreams. And through photography and video, my task is both simple and immense: to tell their story.

The content created for this project isn't just personal memories; it becomes a communication tool for the tourist destination. The images and videos will be visible, according to schedule, on the official social media channels of Kronplatz and San Vigilio , as well as on brochures, LED walls, and promotional spots.

A story that begins on a summit at sunrise and reaches thousands of eyes, with the aim of moving, inspiring, and transmitting respect and love for the mountains.