Photography tips

Using a wide angle creatively

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

The effect of wide-angle focal lengths

Working with wide-angle focal lengths between 12 mm and 30 mm allows for a comprehensive capture of the subject. This range is suitable for documenting both expansive scenes and architectural contexts in Lucerne.

Composition with the foreground

Incorporating a prominent foreground changes the spatial depth of your image. Combining a nearby object with the surrounding area creates a direct link between details and the architectural background.

Precision in image composition

When using ultra-wide-angle focal lengths, precise camera alignment is essential. Careful placement of elements within the frame minimizes converging verticals and ensures a cohesive composition.

What using wide-angle photography changes

Low angle view of the Chapel Bridge and the Jesuit Church in Lucerne under a clear sky.

15 mm · f/4.5 · 1/400 s · ISO 400

Spatial depth and dimensions

Using a wide-angle focal length emphasizes the distance between a near foreground and the background. This increases the spatial effect and makes the large dimensions of landscapes or buildings visible in a single shot.

View of the Pilatus peaks with hotel and transmission towers in daylight

100 mm · f/11 · 1/160 s · ISO 100

Managing image sharpness

By selecting a closed aperture such as f/16, you control the depth of field in wide-angle shots. This ensures that both details on the ground and distant architectural elements remain in focus.

Alpine flowers in the foreground with Hotel Pilatus-Kulm and the mountain summit under a clear sky.

12 mm · f/18 · 1/80 s · ISO 200

Integrating the foreground

A deliberately chosen object in the foreground serves as a design element to frame the scene. This technique connects details such as flowers or chains directly with the expansive surroundings of the city.

Three concrete examples

The illuminated Lion Monument in Lucerne with light installations in the pool during the Lilu Light Festival.

24 mm

Snow-covered entrance of the wooden Chapel Bridge in Lucerne on the Reuss river

12 mm

View from the Bürgenstock over Lake Lucerne and Mount Pilatus

15 mm

Key tips

Actively include the foreground at 12 mm to complement the wide-angle subject and emphasize depth.
Use a closed aperture of f/16 to ensure consistent depth of field in wide-angle shots.
Ensure precise camera alignment at 12 mm to minimize converging verticals on buildings.

Photographs on this topic

2 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

Rear view of a historic Rigi cogwheel railway carriage on the tracks in Vitznau.

22 mm · f/3.2 · 1/4000 s · ISO 400

The Zytglogge clock tower in Bern with overhead lines in the foreground.

18 mm · f/7.1 · 1/320 s · ISO 100