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.

Key tips

  1. Select an ultra-wide angle lens with a 12 mm focal length to effectively frame the vast sky and cloud formations.
  2. Use an ultra-wide angle of 12 mm to capture a vast landscape, such as Lake Lucerne and the Pilatus massif, in its entirety.
  3. Use a wide angle lens to frame your main subject between foreground elements.

Photographs on this topic

49 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
Sun setting behind mountains over Lake Lucerne with cloudy sky 12 mm · f/22 · 1/60 s · ISO 1000 View across Lake Lucerne towards Mount Pilatus at sunset 12 mm · f/16 · 1/60 s · ISO 640 View of Lake Lucerne and Mount Pilatus with illuminated villages at night 12 mm · f/2 · 1.6 s · ISO 200 Panoramic view of the city of Lucerne with Mount Pilatus in the background under a blue sky 12 mm · f/16 · 1/160 s · ISO 200 Wide angle view of Lake Lucerne with the city skyline and Mount Pilatus in the background under a blue sky. 12 mm · f/16 · 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 View across Lake Lucerne towards the snow-capped Mount Pilatus during sunset. 20 mm · f/20 · 1/100 s · ISO 500 View across Lake Lucerne towards the city of Lucerne and Mount Pilatus in the background 29 mm · f/13 · 1/200 s · ISO 200 View over Lake Lucerne towards Mount Pilatus at sunset 15 mm · f/6.3 · 1/500 s · ISO 100 Close-up of a flowering magnolia with sunstar 30 mm · f/32 · 1/60 s · ISO 320 Daisies in green grass overlooking Lake Lucerne and the mountains near Lucerne 17 mm · f/22 · 1/50 s · ISO 100 A straight wooden jetty leads into the foggy Lake Sempach, framed by reeds. 15 mm · f/5.6 · 1/60 s · ISO 500 A straight wooden jetty leading into the thick fog over Lake Sempach. 15 mm · f/5.6 · 1/60 s · ISO 500 Frost-covered trees and reeds on the shore of Lake Sempach in foggy weather 15 mm · f/5.6 · 1/60 s · ISO 250 Frost on trees and grass at Lake Sempach in dense fog 28 mm · f/6.3 · 1/80 s · ISO 320 Wooden jetty leading into the foggy Lake Sempach 15 mm · f/5.6 · 1/80 s · ISO 320 View from the lakeshore towards Lake Lucerne and the city of Lucerne at sunset 15 mm · f/4.5 · 1/320 s · ISO 100 View of Lake Lucerne and the city of Lucerne in the golden light of dusk 15 mm · f/4.5 · 1/400 s · ISO 100 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 along a wooden pier on the calm Lake Sempach during sunset 15 mm · f/5.6 · 1/60 s · ISO 320 A wooden pier leads into the calm water of Lake Sempach during the evening twilight. 15 mm · f/5.6 · 1/80 s · ISO 400 View of a wooden pier at Lake Sempach during twilight 15 mm · f/5.6 · 1/60 s · ISO 320 A straight wooden pier leading into the calm water of Lake Sempach at sunset 15 mm · f/5.6 · 1/80 s · ISO 250 Wooden pier leading into the calm Lake Sempach during the evening 15 mm · f/5.6 · 1/80 s · ISO 400

Related topics

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