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IrelandThomas Heaton finds sunset beyond the Dolomites' selfie queue
His autumn van trip reaches Tre Cime, where crowded viewpoints send him looking across the ridge instead.
Thomas Heaton
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Photographing Instagram Famous Locations | It Was Carnage
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Video summary
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- 2:25Heaton weighs up the €60 toll for access to Tre Cime before deciding to go.
- 4:56Traffic, camper vans and crowds greet him at the toll area and car park.
- 8:36A queued selfie viewpoint sends him looking towards the jagged peaks across the ridge.
- 10:40He meets fellow photographer Samuel while waiting for sunset light.
- 11:38Changing light sends him between two viewpoints as he works on sunset panoramas.
- 18:14A headlamp lights the start of his early-morning hike towards Lago Federa.
The famous viewpoint has a queue for selfies. Thomas Heaton turns his camera towards the jagged peaks across the ridge instead, finding an extraordinary view without joining the line.
"Photographing Instagram Famous Locations | It Was Carnage" was his only upload this week, and it has already passed 210,000 views. It follows his van journey from the UK to the Italian Dolomites, trading the promise of mountain solitude for traffic, packed parking and the practical question of whether the Tre Cime access toll is worth paying.
He goes. The afternoon brings a hike, the discovery that he has left his van's sliding door wide open, and a fellow photographer called Samuel to share the sunset wait. Then the light changes, and Heaton finds himself running between opposite viewpoints to make his panoramas. The scenery may be famous, but deciding where to point the camera remains very much his own problem.
Viewers pick up on that tension. Several offer variations on the same reminder: a visitor complaining about crowds is also part of the crowd. Others discuss drone noise or contrast these celebrated locations with the less obvious landscapes Heaton photographs closer to home.
The new film is comfortably the busiest of his highlighted uploads, with the earlier Dolomites drive and his examination of fake competition photographs also drawing views. Channel-wide daily viewing is more than four times its usual pace, while subscribers increased by a thousand over the week.
Heaton's next morning in the film begins rather differently from the crowded sunset: a headlamp, darkness and a hike towards Lago Federa for sunrise.
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What viewers say
One of the unfortunate side-effects of being a tourist, is bumping into other tourists.
@AndyhutchinsonSee it on YouTubeI have always appreciated how Thomas has gone a little off the beaten path to photograph away from the crowds. It inspires me to avoid the "checkbox" list of photography spots when I travel myself. But that's also a great photo of Tre Cime and it is fun to see Thomas photograph, however briefly, some of the famous spots.
@kallinanSee it on YouTubeYou visiting the more "instagramy" places also sums up why I love your videos so much. You make your "normal and ordinary" nature at home look just as good as these iconic instagram places. That also gives me and I guess many others the inspiration to go out and find the nice places nearby and you prove that you dont need the instagramy places to take good photos.
@sondrelundhaaland1390See it on YouTube
3 more comments
I visited the Faroe Islands and had to pay at pretty much all of those places. But I completely understand it now. The trails are incredibly well maintained by the landowners, so I think it’s only fair that visitors contribute towards that. It is quite expensive, though!
@leifurhararson8294See it on YouTube15:39 the contrast between the crispy monochromatic rocks and the painted fluffy bubble clouds is very stunning 😍
@אלחנןיעדSee it on YouTubeThe sound of the drones is exactly why I rarely use mine
@Picstill8See it on YouTube
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The videos drawing views on Thomas Heaton right now
- Channel
- Thomas Heaton
- Subscribers
- 647,000 ▲ 1,000 this week
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 261,640
- Videos published this week
- 1
- Video published
- November 11, 2026
- Video views so far
- 213,411
- Views on its first day
- 154,118
The numbers
Here is how Thomas Heaton's week looks in views and subscribers.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which country is home to Tre Cime di Lavaredo?
Tre Cime di Lavaredo is in the Italian Dolomites, the destination of Heaton's road trip.