Engadin Autumn Photography Trip

We meet at St. Moritz railway station at 14:30 on Friday afternoon and begin our photography adventure immediately.

Our train towards Morteratsch departs at 14:48. Luggage can be left at the luggage storage facilities at St. Moritz station, allowing us to travel directly to our first photography location. Check-in at the St. Moritz Youth Hostel will take place after the evening photography session.

After a short introduction and briefing, we travel to the Morteratsch Valley for our first session.

We walk through the valley towards the Morteratsch Glacier, surrounded by golden larch forests and the impressive peaks of the Bernina Range. The combination of glacier, mountains, streams and autumn vegetation provides a wide variety of photographic possibilities, from expansive alpine landscapes to more intimate compositions.

We remain in the valley for the final light of the day, photographing the glacier and surrounding peaks through sunset and blue hour.

This first session also introduces some of the main themes we will explore throughout the weekend: composition, working with changing mountain light, choosing focal lengths and learning how to simplify complex alpine landscapes.

After the photography session, there will be an opportunity for a quick dinner in the Morteratsch area before returning to St. Moritz.

We plan to take the 19:40 train, arriving at the St. Moritz Youth Hostel at approximately 20:45, where we check in for our stay.

Our second day begins well before dawn.

We leave the hostel on foot and walk approximately 40 minutes to Lej da Staz, arriving in time to prepare our compositions before sunrise.

Surrounded by forest and mountains, this peaceful lake is particularly beautiful during autumn. In calm conditions, the water can reflect the golden larches and surrounding peaks, while mist, frost or low cloud can completely transform the atmosphere.

We photograph from blue hour through sunrise, working with reflections, foregrounds, layers, colour and smaller woodland details.

After the morning session, we return for breakfast and have time to rest, review images and discuss the photographs from our first sessions.

In the afternoon, we travel to Val Roseg, one of the most beautiful alpine valleys of the Engadin.

We explore the valley throughout the afternoon, photographing the river, golden larch forests, mountain scenery and views towards the glaciers.

We remain in Val Roseg for sunset and blue hour, photographing the last light on the surrounding mountains. After the evening session, we return through the valley on foot, with the option to rent e-bikes for a faster and more comfortable return.

Part of the journey takes place after dark, making a headlamp essential for this session.

We plan to take the 20:01 train back towards St. Moritz, arriving at the Youth Hostel at approximately 20:45.

Our final photography day begins with another early departure, this time towards Silsersee.

We arrive around sunrise and begin our final morning photography session along the shores of the lake.

Silsersee is surrounded by mountains and autumn forests and offers beautiful possibilities for photographing reflections, layers, golden larches and the changing morning light. Depending on the conditions, mist and low cloud can add an additional atmospheric element to the landscape.

We photograph the changing morning light, exploring both classic wide landscapes and quieter, more intimate compositions.

After the morning session, we return for breakfast and take a longer break during the middle of the day.

This time can be used for in-depth discussions about the photographs created during the workshop. We will look at composition, image selection, editing decisions and how to develop the strongest photographs from the weekend.

We conclude the workshop in the early afternoon.

At approximately 14:00, we say goodbye and take the 14:13 bus from Plaun da Lej towards St. Moritz railway station for onward journeys.