Landscape Photography Inspiration: Chillon Castle, Montreux, Switzerland

Hey Steemit friends,

I’m new here :) To break the ice I wanted to throw out a little inspiration for anyone who, like me, loves combining landscape photography and travel.

Chillon Castle is an iconic landmark on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. It holds the accolade of being Switzerland’s ‘most visited historic monument’, with a steady stream of visitors paying the 12.50 CHF entrance fee to access the interior.

However, landscape photography aficionados may be more interested in the exterior of the building, which looks like it was plucked straight out of a fairytale. Couple this with a backdrop of snow-capped mountains and you have a winning combination!

Here are two photography spots to seek out if you find yourself at Chillon Castle:

1. The Lone Walkway

It’s a scientifically proven fact that no landscape photographer can resist photographing an isolated wooden walkway leading into water. It may be an absolute cliche, but who cares, there’s still something deeply satisfying about stumbling across a scene like this one and creating your own take on the classic landscape shot.

When facing the wooden bridge which leads to the ticket office and main entrance to the castle building take the footpath to your left. After descending a few stone steps you arrive at the waterside, where you’ll find this wooden pier right next to the castle itself. Oriented west, it aligns perfectly with those beautiful mountains in the background.

To capture this long exposure I used a 10-stop neutral density filter to still the gentle ebb and flow of the water. Shooting from a position a few steps back from the walkway and angling the camera down emphasises the leading lines created by the wooden planks.

GPS: 46°24'49.944" N 6°55'41.376" E
Gear & Info: Canon 5DMkIV + EF 24-70 at 33mm | f/8 | 30s

2. East side of the Castle

When stood at the wooden bridge to the castle entrance take the footpath to your right. This path weaves through some trees before descending to a rocky bay at the waters edge after about 150m. From this bay it’s possible to frame a composition of the castle against the mountains behind.

In this shot a standard zoom lens helps to compress the castle in the foreground with the mountains beyond. Again, using a 10-stop ND filter helps to calm the gentle waters to create a serene and tranquil feel to the final image. Rocks in the foreground help to provide interest in the lower third of the composition.

GPS: 46°24'57.617" N 6°55'39.281" E
Gear & Info: Canon 5DMkIV + EF 24-70 at 67mm | f/8 | 30s

In the area:

• Stay at the Royal Plaza, located in downtown Montreux with parking, spa facilities, and rooms with balconies overlooking Lake Geneva
• Eat at Tango, an authentic Argentinian steak restaurant located between Chillon Castle and downtown Montreux
• Music lovers may want to time their visit to catch the annual Montreux Jazz Festival. However, beware that room rates and parking charges soar in response to the swell of extra visitors.
• Look out for the statue of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury on the Montreux Waterfront.

Thanks for reading. Shout with any questions in the comments!

About me:
I’m a freelance travel and landscape photographer based in the UK. I contribute heavily to the Global Photo Guides series of products, including eBooks and travel itineraries designed specifically for the photography community. I love travel, music and food, and am generally happiest when exploring new places with a camera.

About the embedded images
All images included in my posts are my own - please respect the effort they took to create. These images may be shared with attribution, but may not be used for commercial purposes without permission. Full resolution versions are available for licensing, prints etc - please drop me a line.