Photography tips

Light sources

Festively lit boat at the Lucerne waterfront with Hotel Schweizerhof in the background at night

Key tips

  1. Use a closed aperture such as f/16 to create the desired star effect with bright light sources.
  2. Pay attention to the light sources in the scene and adjust the ISO value to achieve a balanced relationship between brightness and image quality.
  3. Use a small aperture to create a starburst effect on point light sources like fairy lights.

Photographs on this topic

18 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 Lucerne Pilatus
Festively lit boat at the Lucerne waterfront with Hotel Schweizerhof in the background at night 28 mm · f/16 · 1.6 s · ISO 1600 The festively illuminated Reuss bridge at night with the Gütsch in the background in Lucerne 29 mm · f/8 · 2 s · ISO 640 Illuminated Christmas light spheres hanging in a bare tree at night in Lucerne. 40 mm · f/20 · 1/4 s · ISO 1000 Night view of the Christmas market at the Lake Lucerne waterfront with illuminated stalls and Christmas trees 29 mm · f/11 · 2.5 s · ISO 640 The paddle steamer Stadt Luzern docked at the shore in the evening with an illuminated Ferris wheel in the background. 40 mm · f/4 · 1 s · ISO 500 Christmas lights and a chestnut stand by the Reuss river in Lucerne at night with the Jesuit Church in the background 30 mm · f/22 · 25 s · ISO 200 Night scene with illuminated chestnut stand in front of the Jesuit Church in Lucerne during the Christmas season 30 mm · f/22 · 25 s · ISO 200 St. Peter's Chapel at night with Christmas lights in the old town of Lucerne 15 mm · f/22 · 5 s · ISO 800 Low-angle view of a night alley with half-timbered houses in the old town of Lucerne 15 mm · f/20 · 10 s · ISO 800 Reflection of half-timbered houses in a puddle at night in the old town of Lucerne 15 mm · f/20 · 13 s · ISO 800 Festively lit entrance to the Jesuit Church in Lucerne at night with a market stall 28 mm · f/18 · 5 s · ISO 400 Christmas-lit Seebrücke bridge in Lucerne at night with the Water Tower in the background 70 mm · f/20 · 15 s · ISO 400 Christmas string lights over the Reuss river in Lucerne at night 31 mm · f/20 · 20 s · ISO 400 Rathaussteg in Lucerne at night with festive lights and view of the Jesuit Church 42 mm · f/20 · 20 s · ISO 400 A Christmas-lit passenger boat moored at the Lucerne quay at night. 18 mm · f/20 · 8 s · ISO 400 Night shot of a narrow cobblestone alley in the old town of Lucerne with illuminated street lamps 50 mm · f/22 · 10 s · ISO 400 Fully blurred nocturnal light sources and shadows 50 mm · f/2.8 · 1/10 s · ISO 1600 Illuminated buildings and ships on Lake Lucerne at night 50 mm · f/18 · 13 s · ISO 400

Related topics

  • City
  • Architecture
  • Light
  • Camera settings
  • Composition
  • Perspective
  • Lucerne
  • Pilatus
  • Night
  • Evening light
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