Star trails over the Pilatus mountain range at night
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Star trails over the Pilatus summit

November 3, 2025

Image description

Long exposure photography showing night star trails above the summit massif of Mount Pilatus in Central Switzerland.
Date taken
November 3, 2025
Resolution
5'184 × 3'888 px (20.2 MP)
Shutter speed
2 s
Aperture
f/5.6
ISO
1600
Focal length
150 mm

Photography tips

How this image was taken

For this night shot, a focal length of 150 mm was used to bring the summit closer, while a shutter speed of 2 s and ISO 1600 capture the faint light of the stars.

  • Use an open aperture like f/5.6 to gather enough light when shooting at a long focal length of 150 mm.
  • Choose a higher ISO setting such as 1600 if you want to capture details in the landscape under challenging light conditions.
  • Pay attention to your shutter speed to control how star movement appears within your chosen composition.

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Passing train with motion blur in front of Mount Pilatus at dusk A motion-blurred train on the tracks in front of the Pilatus mountain scenery on a cloudy day. Mount Pilatus above an autumn colored forest at dusk Autumn forest with Mount Pilatus in the background under a cloudy evening sky Mount Pilatus near Lucerne under an orange evening sky with cloud bands Chapel Bridge with water tower and Mount Pilatus in the background View of the Pilatus mountain range framed by autumn-colored trees. View across Lake Lucerne towards the city of Lucerne and Mount Pilatus in the background View of Mount Pilatus through autumn-colored chestnut leaves in Lucerne Ferris wheel on the waterfront in Lucerne with Mount Pilatus in the background framed by autumnal tree leaves View of the Ferris wheel at KKL Lucerne with Mount Pilatus in the background, framed by autumn chestnut leaves. Two red Pilatus railway carriages traveling on tracks under a stone bridge