Photography tips

Using shutter speed creatively

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

Key tips

Use a fast shutter speed or a stable base when shooting at a long focal length of 400 mm to prevent motion blur.
Ensure steady handling at longer shutter speeds to avoid camera shake.
Use a fast shutter speed with long focal lengths to prevent motion blur caused by the magnification.

Photographs on this topic

5 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

View of Mount Pilatus from a ship during sunset

12 mm · f/4 · 1/1000 s · ISO 200

Bürgenstock mountain ridge over Lake Lucerne in violet evening light

12 mm · f/4 · 1/400 s · ISO 200

Night view of Lake Lucerne and Mount Pilatus with light trails from boats

12 mm · f/4 · 1.6 s · ISO 1000

Aerial view of the forested Bürgenstock mountain above Lake Lucerne at sunset

400 mm · f/10 · 1/500 s · ISO 2000

Panoramic view from Mount Rigi over Lake Lucerne with the Weggis peninsula and Mount Pilatus

15 mm · f/9 · 1/1250 s · ISO 400