I ended 2023 with an epic 3 month road trip through the French, Swiss and Italian Alps. I had done this route in 2019 but I only allowed 4 weeks which was not enough time to hike and capture the incredible mountain landscapes.

Panorama of Vallée de la Clarée in the French Alps in Autumn

Vallée de la Clarée was my favourite area along the journey, I was captivated from the first moment I arrived by the magnificent peaks that surround the valley where only the panoramic format could capture them in all their glory.
In the summer it is one of the most visited parts of the French Alps, but in autumn I found myself all alone as I camped in the golden pine forests. I loved it so much I didn’t want to leave and what was planned to be 2 or 3 days turned into 3 weeks capturing scenes of the changing weather conditions as the first snow fell and lakes began to freeze. It is so special to me I made a collection just for it, view my Vallée de la Clarée Collection.

Aerial Panoramic print of the Pala mountains above Valle di Pradidali in the Italian Dolomiti

Snow came early this year which meant I was able to capture both autumn and winter in the mountains of France and Switzerland. However, since I was driving on summer tyres the winter conditions stopped me getting up some of the Swiss mountain passes and having to turn back. This problem had a silver lining though, which was golden autumn pine trees covered in snow, a beautiful sight I had never seen before.

panoramic Print of the Grindjisee Alpine Lake and Matterhorn Mountain in winter and Autumn, Zermatt Switzerland

I hadn’t planned to go beyond the Italian Dolomites on this trip, but Venice is so close I had to visit and see the Venetian architecture and take a break from hiking up mountains. This presented an entirely new challenge though, having to avoid the tourist crowds and navigate through what felt like a maze. I soon realised the best way to enjoy the city is to just wander and get lost in it and see where I end up, eating tasty pistachio cakes along the way.

Panorama of a quiet canal in Venice at night in Italy

I started the journey wearing shorts with +20˚C days in the Valleys of the French Alps, and ended it in -11˚C hiking in deep snow to photograph the Seceda Ridgeline at sunset in the Italian Dolomites. A truly incredible 3 months.

Please view my France, Italy and Switzerland Collections.