Photography tips

Using depth of field creatively

View of the Chapel Bridge and Water Tower in Lucerne with Mount Pilatus in the background under a cloudy evening sky.

Key tips

  1. Use a small aperture to achieve maximum depth of field from the foreground to the horizon.
  2. Pay attention to the depth of field when using an aperture of f/22 to ensure both the foreground and the distant subject remain clearly visible.
  3. Use a small aperture like f/22 to achieve maximum depth of field throughout the image.

Photographs on this topic

139 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 City Architecture Mountains Landscape Lucerne Pilatus Lake Lucerne Central Switzerland
View from the rocky edge of Mount Pilatus over Lake Lucerne and surrounding mountains 12 mm · f/16 · 1/400 s · ISO 500 Hiking trail on Mount Pilatus with a view of Lake Lucerne and the surrounding area 12 mm · f/18 · 1/250 s · ISO 500 Group of alphorn players in traditional costume on the Pilatus observation deck 45 mm · f/18 · 1/160 s · ISO 500 Group of alphorn players in front of the Hotel Bellevue on Mount Pilatus in clear weather 12 mm · f/18 · 1/400 s · ISO 500 Two men and one woman in traditional Swiss costume playing alphorns on the observation deck of Mount Pilatus with an alpine panorama in the background. 45 mm · f/18 · 1/320 s · ISO 500 Group of alphorn players in traditional Swiss costume in front of the Pilatus rock face 45 mm · f/18 · 1/320 s · ISO 500 Alphorn players in traditional costumes at Hotel Pilatus-Kulm in front of a rock face 45 mm · f/18 · 1/320 s · ISO 500 Group of alphorn players in traditional Swiss costume on a terrace at Mount Pilatus 16 mm · f/18 · 1/400 s · ISO 500 The summit of Mount Pilatus surrounded by clouds in warm light 150 mm · f/9 · 1/10 s · ISO 400 The mountain chapel on Mount Pilatus near Lucerne, with Lake Lucerne and the city of Lucerne in the background. 165 mm · f/11 · 1/320 s · ISO 250 View of the Pilatus peaks with hotel and transmission towers in daylight 100 mm · f/11 · 1/160 s · ISO 100 View of the rock formations at the summit of Mount Pilatus with a paraglider flying by 100 mm · f/11 · 1/200 s · ISO 125 The summit cross on Mount Pilatus surrounded by clouds and rocks 300 mm · f/11 · 1/640 s · ISO 250 Red Pilatus cogwheel train travelling through the steep rock face of Mount Pilatus. 100 mm · f/14 · 1/125 s · ISO 200 The red Pilatus cogwheel train travels through the steep rocky landscape of Mount Pilatus. 236 mm · f/14 · 1/320 s · ISO 640 Red cogwheel train driving through steep rock and grass landscape on Mount Pilatus. 214 mm · f/11 · 1/500 s · ISO 1600 View of the green mountain ridge and steep rock faces of Mount Pilatus in Central Switzerland 12 mm · f/9 · 1/500 s · ISO 500 View of Mount Pilatus with Lake Lucerne in the foreground on a summer day 100 mm · f/13 · 1/200 s · ISO 200 View of Mount Pilatus with Lake Lucerne in the foreground under a clear sky. 100 mm · f/16 · 1/200 s · ISO 200 Mount Pilatus over Lake Lucerne framed by boat components 25 mm · f/14 · 1/160 s · ISO 200 A seagull sits on a wooden post with Mount Pilatus in the background 214 mm · f/13 · 1/250 s · ISO 200 View of Mount Pilatus in the background, with blurred palm fronds in the foreground 225 mm · f/13 · 1/320 s · ISO 200 Palm frond in the foreground with Mount Pilatus in the background 156 mm · f/20 · 1/640 s · ISO 200 Palm fronds in foreground with Mount Pilatus in the background under a clear sky 156 mm · f/20 · 1/640 s · ISO 200

Related topics

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