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

25 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
Illuminated paddle steamer Uri on Lake Lucerne with a forested mountain backdrop 36 mm · f/4 · 1/100 s · ISO 6400 Side view of the paddle steamer Uri on Lake Lucerne during twilight 36 mm · f/4 · 1/100 s · ISO 6400 Side view of the paddle steamer Uri on Lake Lucerne with Swiss flag 45 mm · f/4 · 1/125 s · ISO 5000 The paddle steamer Uri cruising on Lake Lucerne at dusk in front of a mountain landscape 36 mm · f/4 · 1/125 s · ISO 1600 The sun sets behind the hills over Lake Lucerne 45 mm · f/22 · 1/100 s · ISO 1250 Sun setting behind mountains over Lake Lucerne with cloudy sky 12 mm · f/22 · 1/60 s · ISO 1000 A ship sailing on Lake Lucerne during an orange sunset 45 mm · f/16 · 1/100 s · ISO 250 A passenger ship cruising on Lake Lucerne during an orange sunset 45 mm · f/16 · 1/100 s · ISO 250 Orange sunset over Lake Lucerne with a small ship on the horizon 45 mm · f/16 · 1/80 s · ISO 200 Lake Lucerne in the orange light of sunset with cloudy sky 45 mm · f/16 · 1/100 s · ISO 250 Golden sunset over Lake Lucerne with dark cloud formations 45 mm · f/16 · 1/200 s · ISO 200 View of Lake Lucerne and Mount Pilatus with illuminated villages at night 12 mm · f/2 · 1.6 s · ISO 200 Side view of the paddle steamer Gallia on Lake Lucerne with a forested shoreline in the background 270 mm · f/13 · 1/160 s · ISO 200 Sun flare behind a dark stone element at Lake Lucerne overlooking the Alps 25 mm · f/22 · 1/250 s · ISO 200 A Christmas-decorated raft with fairy lights, Christmas trees and reindeer figures floats on Lake Lucerne at night. 30 mm · f/11 · 2.5 s · ISO 800 Pink flowers in the foreground and view across Lake Lucerne to Mount Pilatus in Lucerne 24 mm · f/16 · 1/60 s · ISO 125 View of Lake Lucerne and Mount Pilatus at dusk with a thin crescent moon in the sky. 15 mm · f/22 · 10 s · ISO 800 Aerial view of Lake Lucerne with Mount Pilatus in the background 22 mm · f/9 · 1/1250 s · ISO 400 Wide angle view of Lake Lucerne with Mount Pilatus in the background 22 mm · f/9 · 1/1250 s · ISO 400 Stones in the shallow water at the shore of Lake Lucerne at sunset 22 mm · f/22 · 1.3 s · ISO 400 Swiss flag at the stern of a boat on Lake Lucerne with mountains in the background 7 mm · f/1.8 · 1/30 s · ISO 1250 View across the wavy Lake Lucerne at dusk with mountains in the background 7 mm · f/1.8 · 1/35 s · ISO 800 View over Lake Lucerne with the Bürgenstock cliffs under a dramatic cloudy evening sky 7 mm · f/1.8 · 1/120 s · ISO 125 View across Lake Lucerne at twilight with the silhouette of Bürgenstock mountain 2 mm · f/2.2 · 1/100 s · ISO 125

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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