As you all know, there's no photography without light. So it's really important to figure out where that light is coming from. When doing outdoor photography, we have to work with what's on the table -- the sun. Knowing the sun and what it will be in advance makes a photographer's job easier. That's exactly why I've included the maps for all (or most) of the locations in this guide, so you know exactly where to look, stand, or aim your camera at.

While the sun always rises in the east and sets in the west, this knowledge (however basic and essential it might be) sometimes is not enough. First of all, how exactly easterly it rises or westerly it sets depends on the time of the year. Throughout the introduction, I mentioned a couple of times, that all the maps are drawn for a particular season in the Dolomites, that is autumn, in September - October, especially mid and end of October. Remember that some images can only be taken at certain times of the year, so if you attempt to use the map in the summer, it just might not work.

There are several mobile apps available (e.g. TPE) that you can choose from to get an almost exact approximation of the direction/timing of the sun, however, total reliability on those apps in the mountains is unnecessary or, at times, difficult.

While I welcome experimentation, ingenuity, and creativity, you need to have the basics from where to start or where to look at.

Looking at the maps that I drew for each location, take a note of the direction from either sunset or sunrise. Aim your camera into the direction of sunrise if you arrive at dawn and would like to capture the rising sun, aim your camera in sunset direction if you arrive at your location when the sun is about to set. All pictures have a compass in the corner for you to understand which direction is meant. Some of those -- have additional photo points that show the preferable or recommended shooting range that I advise you to explore and experiment with.

There are a few more things to say about lighting and the best timing to shoot the landscape:

• First of all, if you see on the photo map or in the description that the location you're about to get to is a sunrise location, you'd better rise early, before dawn, and arrive at the viewpoint 30-40 minutes before sunrise.
• Now, if you see the location is primarily a sunset location, you have to arrive 1,5-2 hours before sunset. This is called a golden hour. After sunset, approximately 10 to 15 minutes, there might be something that we call a "hue," when the sunlight's color temperature decreases making the sunlight assume a golden or reddish hue. Then, for one more hour after sunset, you might observe a "silver hour," illuminating the landscape with bluish purple colors

Having said that, you don't need to be at each destination or viewpoint for four hours or more -- you have to follow the hunch and your common practical sense -- if the weather changes, or you're tired, probably it's not worth it, and you can try again or follow the next photo point. Stay safe and take care of yourself above all.