Stefan Official
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 p.1 #1 · Photo series: Lake Braies (Pragser Wildsee) – Most Photographed Lake in the Dolomites | |
Before we drove to our main destination, the Tre Cime – the highlight of our trip – we spent a few days earlier at this lake. Both places are in the same region. You can read the story of the Tre Cime here:
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1915166/
Oh yes, dancing with the cows at 2,500 metres. :-)
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1915533/
But now, back to Lago di Braies. I’ve had this picture in my mind for over a decade. There are countless photos of the lake, but many of them fail to capture its true magic. The biggest issue is the constant backlight during the day. In the evening, the light can be just as beautiful, but there simply isn’t enough time for the water to calm down. And without reflections, the lake quickly loses its charm.
Only in the early morning, before and just after sunrise, is there a chance to see the lake the way it became famous – and that’s an opportunity you really shouldn’t miss! The time window between 6 and 7 a.m. is tiny, and only if the air is completely still will the mountains reflect perfectly in the water.
At that hour, Lago di Braies isn’t easy to reach. You need a special permit for the road, and parking spots must be reserved weeks in advance. Before 7 a.m., you can’t park at the lake at all – the barriers simply don’t open. Motorhomes aren’t allowed nearby either. You end up parking far away and hiking through the night to get there. Spontaneous trips depending on the weather aren’t possible because of all the required permits. Without reservations, you won’t even get close.
In the past, before these regulations, more than 7,000 cars drove up there every single day. The shuttle buses from the remote parking lots don’t even start until 10 a.m. – far too late for photographers. By then, the lake is already swarming with people, and buses keep arriving every 30 minutes. Even by 8 a.m., the first lines form at the rowboats, which usually open around 9 a.m., depending on the mood of the operators. From that point on, the reflections are gone for good. Actually, even before that, because there are always people who feel the need to throw stones into the water.
Between 6 and 7 a.m., though, it’s still almost deserted. Only a handful of people stand quietly at the shore, taking in the full splendor and magic of the moment. During this short period, the light shifts from cool, almost mystical tones, to magenta, and finally to golden sunlight as the sun rises over the peaks. That half hour before and after sunrise is pure magic.
I have never seen a place so photogenic. Everything fits together perfectly: the boats, the boathouse, the reflections, the colors, the proportions of the lake, and the mountains in the background. It looks like a staged Hollywood set – and yet it’s simply nature.
During the day, the harsh backlight destroys all of that magic. And whatever reflections remain are gone by 9 a.m. at the latest, erased by the crowds and the boats. Instead of admiring nature, people rush to take the last scraps of it – until even that is ruined. Out of roughly 30,000 daily visitors, almost none get to see what made the lake so famous. Not even 20 people a day truly experience its magic. The rest – I have no idea why they even go. Crazy, isn’t it? 29,980 people come for the photos, yet miss the very thing those photos are showing!
But those who stand there at 6 a.m., almost alone, experience something they’ll never forget.
Oh, and sometimes it gets so crowded later that the walking direction around the lake is officially controlled.
As a photographer, you’re always searching for the perfect picture – like surfers chasing the perfect wave. You probably never truly reach it. But this time, I came closer than ever before. I could look at these photos forever.
Maybe you’ll like them too? Do you have a favorite?
Shot with the Sony A7R V, the 28–70 mm f/2.0 GM, and the 14 mm f/1.4 GM. All photos were taken as 5-shot exposure brackets to capture a wider dynamic range.
 Lake Braies IV (Pragser Wildsee) – Most Photographed Lake in the Dolomites by Stefan Zimmermann Official, auf Flickr
 Lake Braies II (Pragser Wildsee) – Most Photographed Lake in the Dolomites by Stefan Zimmermann Official, auf Flickr
 Lake Braies I (Pragser Wildsee) – Most Photographed Lake in the Dolomites by Stefan Zimmermann Official, auf Flickr
 Lake Braies III (Pragser Wildsee) – Most Photographed Lake in the Dolomites by Stefan Zimmermann Official, auf Flickr
 Lake Braies V (Pragser Wildsee) – Most Photographed Lake in the Dolomites by Stefan Zimmermann Official, auf Flickr
 Lake Braies VI (Pragser Wildsee) – Most Photographed Lake in the Dolomites by Stefan Zimmermann Official, auf Flickr
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And yes, I do have a favorite, though not by much, the first one in this series titled Lake Braies IV. It just arrests my eyes and mind, only a small echo of what you must have experienced in the moment. It makes me imagine how I would begin exploring all the possibilities if I were there.