Photography tips

Using aperture creatively

Mount Pilatus massif in Central Switzerland surrounded by fog in the evening light

Key tips

  1. Choose a medium aperture like f/8 for landscape subjects to achieve a balance between detail sharpness and light intake.
  2. Select a medium aperture at high focal lengths to capture the subject clearly.
  3. Select a medium aperture to ensure the entire summit subject remains sharp.

Photographs on this topic

246 photographs with tips

The exact camera settings for each shot are shown below it - a starting point for recreating the look yourself. Click through to a photograph for detailed photography tips on that specific shot, under "Photography tips for this image".

All subjects Mountains City Architecture Landscape Pilatus Lucerne Central Switzerland Lake Lucerne
Chapel Bridge and Water Tower in Lucerne with reflection in the lake at dusk 45 mm · f/20 · 1/30 s · ISO 200 View through a shaded passage towards the Lucerne Water Tower 28 mm · f/14 · 1/2 s · ISO 200 Facade of Hotel Schweizerhof Lucerne illuminated in blue at night with a crowd in the foreground 12 mm · f/8 · 1.6 s · ISO 160 Facade of Hotel Schweizerhof Lucerne illuminated in blue at night with a crowd in the foreground 12 mm · f/8 · 1.6 s · ISO 160 Illuminated facade of the Hotel Schweizerhof in Lucerne at night 12 mm · f/8 · 1.6 s · ISO 160 Hotel Schweizerhof Lucerne in blue night lighting with festival visitors in front of the building 26 mm · f/7.1 · 1 s · ISO 250 Illuminated facade of the Hotel Schweizerhof in Lucerne at night with people in front of the building 26 mm · f/7.1 · 1 s · ISO 250 Hotel Schweizerhof in Lucerne illuminated at night, located directly by the lake. 100 mm · f/16 · 3.2 s · ISO 200 Hotel Schweizerhof on the shores of Lake Lucerne at night 100 mm · f/25 · 20 s · ISO 400 Hotel Schweizerhof on the Lucerne lakeshore at twilight 100 mm · f/25 · 20 s · ISO 400 Hotel Schweizerhof on the shores of Lake Lucerne at night 149 mm · f/9 · 4 s · ISO 100 Wasserturm of the Chapel Bridge in Lucerne at sunset 26 mm · f/22 · 1/60 s · ISO 320 Close-up of the stone Wasserturm of the Chapel Bridge in Lucerne with incoming sunlight 45 mm · f/22 · 1/100 s · ISO 2500 View from the Chapel Bridge in Lucerne towards the Water Tower at sunset 12 mm · f/22 · 1/60 s · ISO 800 Luzern town hall with sun rays behind the roof gable 45 mm · f/22 · 1/100 s · ISO 500 Close-up of the Lion Monument with Swiss coat of arms in Lucerne 150 mm · f/10 · 1/400 s · ISO 200 Close-up of the stone lion figure of the Lion Monument in Lucerne 150 mm · f/10 · 1/500 s · ISO 200 Close-up of the stone lion's head from the Lion Monument in Lucerne 150 mm · f/10 · 1/500 s · ISO 200 Detail view of a spear carved in stone at the Lion Monument in Lucerne 150 mm · f/10 · 1/500 s · ISO 200 White cherry blossoms in the foreground with the stone Musegg Tower in Lucerne in the background 62 mm · f/22 · 1/125 s · ISO 500 Château Gütsch sits on a wooded hill above Lucerne, with blooming cherry branches in the foreground. 62 mm · f/16 · 1/125 s · ISO 200 Château Gütsch hotel on a hill above Lucerne surrounded by blooming trees 82 mm · f/16 · 1/160 s · ISO 200 Hotel Château Gütsch in Lucerne surrounded by flowering trees 82 mm · f/16 · 1/160 s · ISO 200 View of the Zytturm clock tower of the Musegg wall in Lucerne framed by flowering branches 45 mm · f/14 · 1/200 s · ISO 200

Related topics

  • Mountains
  • City
  • Architecture
  • Landscape
  • Light
  • Camera settings
  • Composition
  • Perspective
  • Pilatus
  • Lucerne
  • Central Switzerland
  • Lake Lucerne
  • Evening light
  • Fog
  • Sunset
  • Night
  • Blue hour
  • Snow
  • Rain
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