Photography at Lago Federa: The Complete Guide
- Kevin Read
- Aug 31
- 9 min read
Updated: Sep 6
This article is part of the Complete Guide to Photography in The Dolomites
Lago Federa has the perfect arrangement of mountain features, creating a classic alpine scene in the right light and conditions. It’s one of my favourite places to shoot in the Dolomites, and there’s nowhere I’d rather be at sunrise than overlooking Lago Federa, watching the first light spread across the landscape.
Lago Federa is a popular hiking destination, with an atmosphere that changes through the seasons as the surrounding larch trees turn golden in autumn. There aren’t many positions or lookouts around the lake, but the changing light and colours at sunrise give plenty of opportunities for different images, from reflections in the water to wide views of the surrounding peaks.
Reaching Lago Federa in the best light takes planning and work, making it one of the more demanding stops on a photography trip around the Dolomites. However, the effort of the journey makes this location even more rewarding, and arriving at this spot for the first light of the day is a highlight of Dolomites photography.
Contents
Photography Spots around Lago Federa
Map data from OpenStreetMap
A: Rifugio Croda da Lago
B: Shortest hiking route (4.5km and 650m elevation gain)
C: Further hiking routes (various lengths)
1: Main viewpoints (north shore)
2: Path around lake
The best area for photography at Lago Federa is the open space around the north shore, which gives you a fantastic perspective on the peak Becco di Mezzodì and sweeping views of the wider landscape.
There are two places on the north shore from which to shoot. The upper viewpoint can be reached by climbing a steep scree slope or following smaller trails through the forest. This higher position provides the most spectacular views, allowing you to get above the trees and see more of the forest, though your movement is restricted and it’s harder to be creative from here.
The lower area around the shore limits your view to the trees around the lake, with Becco di Mezzodì rising behind them across the water. From this position you lose the forest stretching out into the distance, but you can move more freely and explore different positions and foregrounds, making it a more creative place to work with the camera.
The upper and lower spots are close together, and you can move between them over the course of twilight and sunrise. However, the hill is steep and often crowded with other photographers at sunrise, so the best approach is to explore during twilight and fix your position for the moment the sun breaks.
You can also explore a path that runs for about a kilometre around the shore of Lago Federa, which gives you different angles on the forest surrounding the lake. This route is best for smaller and more intimate compositions, and there are no other points around the shore with the sweeping views of the north. The shore works best on a still day, when reflections in the water add another dimension and give you the chance to extend your time at Lago Federa with more unusual compositions.
When to Visit and Photograph Lago Federa
Lago Federa is fed by underground springs and maintains a consistent water level throughout the year, although it’s only easy to access for photography in summer and autumn. In summer, Lago Federa is surrounded by rich shades of green, while in autumn, the area turns golden yellow as the leaves change. Both have their advantages, but peak autumn colours at Lago Federa create an almost perfect scene for photography.
This location is always better at sunrise, as the east-facing mountain catches first light throughout the seasons and the higher landscape west of the lake blocks the light well before the sun has fully set. Lago Federa looks beautiful when the water is still and reflective, or when mist drifts across the surface, and both of these conditions are more likely early in the day. Lago Federa can look good during the middle of the day, especially with broken cloud and patchy light, but it’s a popular destination and often gets busy once hikers start arriving around 10am.
I prefer photographing Lago Federa just before sunrise, when alpenglow catches Becco di Mezzodì and the rich colours of twilight catch any clouds in the sky. Photographing first light at Lago Federa requires an early start, especially if you hike out to the lake for a single day, but making the effort to get on location during early twilight is always worthwhile.
You could extend your day at Lago Federa by eating at the rifugio or bringing lunch, but the landscape falls into shadow once the sun passes over the peak Croda da Lago, and afternoon conditions rarely match the amazing light of sunrise.
Light and Weather for Photography at Lago Federa
Most photographers visit Lago Federa hoping to catch sunrise, and it’s important to plan your visit for the right conditions. The ideal morning has clear skies, a touch of high cloud to catch the colours, and calm winds for a smooth surface on the water. Too much air movement disturbs the reflections in the lake, while thicker low and medium clouds block the light as the sun rises.
The best way to get variety in your images at Lago Federa is to arrive long before sunrise and move positions as the scene changes with the stages of twilight. It can be tempting to stay in one place to secure your favourite angle, but the early morning is the best time to shoot Lago Federa and offers the greatest opportunity to capture a variety of compositions.
Lago Federa is still beautiful once the sun is up, but the harsh light of a clear day often washes out the scene’s colours. Cloudy or wet conditions work for small scenes around the lake, and most compositions don’t rely on peaks that can be obscured by low cloud. However, this is not an easy place to reach, so I recommend saving Lago Federa for the most promising forecast of your Dolomites trip.
How to get to Lago Federa
You don’t need extensive mountain experience to reach Lago Federa, which lies at the crossroads of a network of hiking trails that run around this part of the Dolomites. However, it does take some effort to access the lake and there are a few factors to consider when planning your hike.
Shortest Route
The shortest and quickest route to Lago Federa starts at a small parking area on road SP638 southwest of Cortina d’Ampezzo. The hike is about 4.5 kilometres in each direction, but with an elevation gain of 650m. It’s not a technically challenging walk, but it is hard work, and you’ll need to allow at least two hours to get on location from the start of the trail. This route is the most viable if you hope to be at the lake for sunrise, but it requires a very early start, especially in summer, when sunrise is particularly early.
The advantage of visiting Lago Federa as a day trip is being able to choose the right day for the weather. Cortina d’Ampezzo is a fantastic base for photography in the eastern Dolomites and a great place to stay for several days while exploring different locations around the mountains. If you can plan some flexibility into this part of your journey, it will be easier to use the forecast to choose the best conditions for your trip to Lago Federa.
Longer Hikes
If you are visiting the Dolomites on a trip that combines hiking and photography, you may prefer to pass Lago Federa on a longer walk from Cortina d’Ampezzo (6.2km one way, 830m elevation gain) or Passo di Giau (7.4km one way, 280m elevation gain and 474m descent). You can link trails around this area, creating out-and-back hikes or circular routes around peaks like Croda da Lago.
However, a standard hiking itinerary is likely to bring you to Lago Federa during the middle of the day, when it will be busier and the conditions less optimal for photography. The hiking trails in this area take you through some fantastic landscapes, and it’s a great place to explore the mountains for new scenes. However, if your priority is the best light at Lago Federa, it can be hard to integrate a sunrise shoot into a full day of hiking.
Overnight Stays
There is a rifugio by Lago Federa (Rifugio Croda da Lago), and staying overnight by the lake makes it much easier to capture twilight or an early summer sunrise at the lake.
However, the rifugio is busy in peak season, and you’ll need to book your accommodation in advance, which will lock in your dates and the weather for your visit. With a bit of luck, staying at the rifugio can be the most relaxing way to approach photography at Lago Federa, though it may be less rewarding if your stay coincides with a cloudy or windy morning.
Camera Gear for Photographing Lago Federa
The best viewpoints of Lago Federa are in a relatively small area, and the main elements of most images are the lake, surrounding trees and the peak of Becco di Mezzodì. To achieve some variety in your images, you’ll need to use different focal lengths to explore combinations of these features, and it helps to have a full range of lens options at this location.
Since Lago Federa can only be reached on foot, you may want to lighten your bag by carrying fewer lenses. Wide lenses should be the priority, as Lago Federa is most impressive for sweeping views of the water and surrounding landscape. Medium focal lengths are useful for tighter scenes on the opposite shore, such as a few trees reflected in the water.
A long lens is often less useful here, with fewer distant details to capture and no expansive mountain views. I still recommend bringing one, but long lenses are heavy and there’s a fair chance it won’t leave your bag at this spot.
Lago Federa sits within a protected area of the Dolomites, where drone flights are only authorised with a special permit, so you can safely leave the drone behind and save some weight in your bag.
Environment and Safety
The landscape around Lago Federa is mostly woodland, with clear trails running around the lake and into the wider area. Most photographs from Lago Federa are taken from accessible positions on the north shore, where the views are strongest and the shoreline is easy to reach.
The scree slope leading up to the higher viewpoint does not have a marked trail, but with no foliage in this area you can follow the paths made by others without causing excessive damage to the landscape. Take care near the top, where the hill can be slippery and often crowded with photographers at sunrise.
Lago Federa is higher than it might appear in photographs, and the altitude can make the hike feel harder if you’re not used to the environment. Allow plenty of time for the walk and bring more water than you might expect to drink, along with enough food for a long shoot and the return hike. Being prepared will make the experience more comfortable and give you more freedom to enjoy the location.
How Long to Spend at Lago Federa
It’s worth investing time in photography at Lago Federa, but the long hike makes it difficult to revisit. If it were easier to reach, I’d recommend several mornings to capture the lake in different conditions, but for most Dolomites photography trips you may need to make the most of a single visit.
At sunrise, when the light and colour change quickly, you can easily spend three or four hours photographing and exploring. During the day, a couple of hours is usually enough to see the main viewpoints and capture some variations on the scene.
If you have more time in the Dolomites, a few nights at the rifugio will give you extra chances of catching a great sunrise, though there aren’t enough subjects to fill several days just at the lake. However, the trails around Passo di Giau offer enough variety to dedicate multiple days to hiking while keeping Lago Federa as your base for repeated morning shoots.
Photography Locations Near Lago Federa
Lago Federa sits in the hills above Cortina d’Ampezzo, the heart of photography in the eastern Dolomites. If you’re based here for several days, it’s easy to combine a visit to Lago Federa with other great locations such as Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Lago di Braies.
However, the real advantage of Lago Federa is its position on a network of hiking trails that runs east from Passo di Giau. A trip here can form the basis for longer hikes deeper into the landscape, which is the best way to discover original scenes and fresh compositions in this popular region.
The trails south of Lago Federa lead to viewpoints that are well used by hikers but less familiar to photographers. They take a little more effort to reach, but the reward is some of the most overlooked and rewarding landscapes in the area.
Check out my guide to the best photography locations in the Dolomites for more ideas
Summary
Lago Federa has all the elements of a beautiful mountain scene and is close to the ideal Dolomites photography location. Views over the lake are spectacular in any season, and the scene comes alive in autumn when a layer of golden trees wraps around the water and into the hills beyond.
This is a clear sunrise location, with light from the perfect angle at the beginning of a summer or autumn day. However, reaching the lake involves a tough hike at altitude, and you’ll need to plan carefully to align your visit with the best conditions. A visit usually means committing several hours, so it’s worth being well prepared to make the most of your time and choosing a day with a promising weather forecast.
If you like hiking, this is a stunning location that is easy to integrate into a longer journey, taking you to some less photographed parts of the Dolomites. If your priority is photography, Lago Federa is one of the most rewarding places to invest your time and could well be the highlight of a Dolomites photography trip.
About the Author
I’m Kevin Read, a photographer and travel writer dedicated to helping others discover new places and improve their photography. I create photography-focused guidebooks and publish a free monthly magazine called In The Frame.
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