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Switzerland , obviously is one of the most scenic and beautiful countries in the world. One would think it easy to create good photos in one of the world’s most stunning places . Switzerland is also a highly developed nation with its areas of urban sprawl, light pollution and traffic jams. It takes some planning and location scouting to be able to get great images.

Many beautiful spots are accessible by car and you can simply take a rental car and drive all across the country. Some of the best photos can be taken on or near the many mountain passes. Parking in towns can be since expensive and public transportation is easily available you have to plan ahead.. Most of the places described in this list are reached by train and cable car so using public transportation is recommended if not otherwise mentioned.

Here are 8 places where you can get amazing landscape photos in comfort and style…

1. Mount Säntis

Mount Säntis the highest peak in the Alpstein massif of the Appenzell Alps. From here you have a fantastic 360 degree view over Lake Constance all the way to Germany, the central Swiss alps and on across the Rhine Valley to Austria.

As a photographer I always stay overnight on top at the Berggasthaus Alter Säntis. You need to take the cable car to get there. Overnight lodging is closed in the winter.

2. Mount Pilatus

Mount Pilatus rises high above the central Swiss city of Lucerne. Here you can stay year round in complete comfort and enjoy the panorama. In the far distance the icy tops of the Bernese Alps rise like the sentinels of a bygone age. Yes you can have you perfect Cappuccino in the morning and photograph a natural landscape of incredible beauty at the same time.

3. Mürren

Some places in Switzerland are almost ridiculous in their perfection. One has to tweak himself to make sure it is reality and not some obscure Meta verse illusion cooked up by some Disney Esque tricksters. Yes the flower meadows and their overfed and happy cows exist and the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau Mountains really are made of stone and glued by ice and yes, again you can eat and sleep well. Take the gondola up to the Schilthorn mountain in the morning when the fog is lifting and the peaks shine in the first rays of sunshine. Make sure to stay away from the LED screens which screen one of the most awful James Bond movies ever made. It was filmed at the mountain and is still used to attract tourists like a scenery this fantastic would need a trifle movie flop to get people interested.

4. Rigi

Another day another mountain with a garden terrace and mountain view. Rigi, long known as a place for retired people to go and enjoy the scenery, should not be missed. The rather luxurious hotel restaurant is surrounded by alpine meadows and the eye, or the camera lens, wanders across the central Swiss mountains, its peaks and valleys. While Pilatus is more dramatic and steeper, Rigi is more gentle and allows a broader view.

5. Muottas Muragl

OK you can just stay in or near St. Moritz and go from there with a plenty of stunning vistas right there. Staying overnight up at Muottas Muragl instead of down in town is worth it. You get the train ticket with you lodging and you can go up and down at will. The view over the Engadin valley right from your room is worth it. We caught the first snow of the season and had mixed fog in the valley which made for amazing photos.

6. Gornergrat

No way you travel to Switzerland without getting a photo of the famous Matterhorn. The best way to do it is either stay in Zermatt and hike the nearby hills..Better,, you take the train up to the end of the line at Gornergrat and stay overnight. The famous Swiss peak is right in front of you and if you are a real nature photographer you hike down to the Riffelsee at dawn and get a photo of the mountain with its reflection in the water. Allow 30 to 40 minutes to hike down along the tracks. Enjoy the calm and quiet sunrise before the first train arrives and hordes of cell phone waving tourists arrive and the first drone of the day hovers over the lake.

7. Bergell, Soglio

There are many more mountain peaks you can stay on and many more valleys and lakes to explore. One of my personal favorites was always the Bergell valley. You get a dramatic view into it from the top of Maloja pass and there is a hotel there. Heading into the valley you should visit the village of Soglio. Here you have a fantastic view to Bondasca valley towards the Sciora- mountain chain, with Piz Cengalo and Piz Badile. The classic view would be the stone village and church tower with the peaks behind it.

8. Ticino, Maggia valley

If you wtted your taste in the Italian influenced Bergell valley you may want to explore Switzerland’s south facing and Italian speaking canton Ticino. Traffic can be a real deal breaker here so if you like to head into the valleys for photography avoid the weekends. Maggia Valley and its nearby Verzasca valley have long been favorites of Swiss amateur and professional photographers. The restored old mountain villages with its stone work and ages old timber are photogenic but most photographers like spending time along the gneiss rock boulders of the rivers.

© Christian Heeb, March 2022

Explore more photography spots on our Top of Switzerland Photo Tour and the Golden Larches & Snowy Peaks in the Swiss Alps Photo Tour

Where to photograph sunset and sunrise in Bend, Oregon

Remember, Bend is primary a sunrise location for photographers. The Cascade mountains run north to south and the sun sets behind them. They are ideally photographed at sunrise when they catch the early glow and the light from the rising sun. Sunsets can be be beautiful if clouds are present. Often the setting sun lights up the remnants of a thunderstorm and makes the clouds glow. Important: this blog post is not concerned with capturing the actual sun but it is all about utilizing the best light with a scenic view during sunset and sunrise. Our photographers all have their favorite places for photography and locations where they take people to. Here are a few select ones by Christian Heeb

1. Pilot Butte

This iconic cinder cone in the eastern part of Bend is a local favorite and has been for a very long time. During the summer month you can drive all the way to the top. There is a hiking trail up as well. You get a stunning vista over Bend and the towering volcanoes in the back. This is one of the best places to actually see the sun disappear behind the mountains.

2. Horse Butte

In the very southeastern corner of Bend, past some scenic horse farms, you eventually hit the Deschutes national forest. Right at the start of the unpaved road where Horse Butte roads enters the forest, you see a red cinder Butte to your right. A rough trail trail from the south side leads up to the top where a old Ponderosa pine stands. From there you get beautiful vistas all over the Juniper studded high desert and the whole Cascade Range and its towering volcanoes Bachelor, Three Sister, Broken Top and Jefferson. On a clear day you may even see Mount Hood far to the north.

3. Badlands Wilderness

Heading east on highway 20 you soon drive through open desert country full of old growth Juniper trees. After 12 miles you arrived on a slight rise of terrain from where you get nice views of the mountains which can be combines with the trees. Driving on you find several areas where you can access the forest on your left. There are trails to explore the forest.

4. Sisters view along Highway 20

Heading to the town of Sisters from Bend you pass through the small community of Tumalo. Highway 20 emerges out of the river valley and climbs up to the plateau. Eventually you will get a great view of the volcanoes of the Three Sisters wilderness to you left. There is a large pullout where you can park. This is a great spot for sunrise photos when the early light hits the mountains. Closer to the town of Sisters, just before you get into town, there is a photogenic horse and cowboy sculpture to your left which makes for a great photo.

Please be very careful when stopping along this busy and dangerous highway.

5. Lava Land Visitor Center

Just south of Bend past the High Desert Museum you find the Lava land visitor center. It is part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. Follow the nature trail through the broken lava field to an overlook over the vast volcanic landscape. The big field ends at the Deschutes river Mount Bachelor rises up from the surrounding forest. This location is good for sunrise and sunset.

6. Paulina Peak

If you don’t mind a one hour drive and a steep gravel road then head south from Bend and head to Paulina Peak near the town of La Pine. It is situated in Newberry National Volcanic Monument. The views from the observation area are supreme. You have vistas all around from the old carter named Fort Rock in the east to the Three Sisters Volcanoes in the northwest. Sunset is best if there are some clouds in the sky. Sunrises in early summer when the mountains still have snow can be very rewarding. The road is closed for cars in winter.

7. Smith Rock State Park

Fancy a little Utah red rocks in the middle of Oregon? This is the place. The Crooked river winds its way through a wonderland of rocks on its way to join the Deschutes river. There are wonderful views towards Mount Jefferson that can be combined with the red rocks at sunrise. Sunsets are great with clouds and you may need to do HDR because you will be mostly photographing into the sun.

8. Dillon Falls

10 Minutes from the edge of Bend on Century drive you hit the National Forest information center and a road leading to several recreation sites. Dillon Falls is very rewarding for photographers. The Deschutes river travels through a deep gorge. In June you can catch the sunrise when looking straight down the river canyon. Sunset are better shooting upriver from the boat ramp. You may not get the actual sun but if clouds light up you have many opportunities there.

9. Mirror Pond

A Bend Oregon classic, Mirror Pond photographed with South Sister rising over the neighborhood houses has been featured in tourist brochures for years. Walk through the breezeway on Wall street and head straight down to the waters edge, then wait for the sun to rise or set.

10. Powell Butte Road

Just driving east from Bend gets you many views to the mountains. The road between the Bend airport and the hamlet of Powell Butte runs through farmland. The Three Sisters are highly visible in the west. Here you will get a more rural pastoral looking photograph.

Cascade Center of Photography Photo Tours and Photo Workshops, © 2021

Photo locations not to miss on the Oregon Coast

Oregon’s Pacific Coast is a landscape photographers dream, providing a scenic abundance from which it is hard to choose Christian Heeb lists some of his favorite photo locations. Starting from north to south.

1. Cannon Beach

Arriving from Portland you may want to pay the historic town of Astoria a visit before driving all the way to Cannon Beach. Photographing sunset on the beach with the monolithic Haystack Rock rising from the tidal flats is a great way to start your Oregon coast trip. Just north of town is Ecola State Park where you have a fantastic view towards the south and the rugged shoreline. It is a rewarding location for sunrise.

2. Cape Kiwanda

Another great place to visit is Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City. Here you find stunning cliffs, sea stacks and dramatic waves during storms.

3. Yaquina Head Lighthouse near Newport

Looking for a change of scenery? Yaquina Head Light sits atop a bluff and is easy to photograph early or late in the day. The Lighthouse reminds one of an Edward Hopper painting subject and it projects a distinct New England feel.

4.Thor’s well

The infamous Thor’s well near Yachats is an easy stroll away from Highway 101. Best time to visit is between low and high tide. You have to be super mindful of the surf which can drag you into the cauldron. It is one of those places everyone and their cat want to photograph at sunset and Instagram is full of images. I found it interesting moonlit, with stars and even during the day. Please be safe and leave small children back on the shore.

5. Heceta Head Lighthouse

Another day another lighthouse. This would be the most iconic station on the Oregon Coast and you should not miss it. It can be photographed pretty much in any weather condition other than deep fog when it is not visible. For some reason I always got there on sunny days but dramatic skies would be ideal.

6. Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

The dunes south of Florence are not easy to photograph. Large part of the area is used by off road enthusiasts and they have a tendency to drive over any undisturbed sand dune. My favorite place is just across the river to the south of Florence. You want to stay high up the dunes away from the beach area and walk north. There are no ATV´s there. Eventually you have a view towards the Umpqua river. There are good dunes there and several buried trees.

7. Shore Acres State Park and Cape Arago State Park

The coast just southwest of Charleston has it all. A picturesque lighthouse, dramatic sea cliffs, crashing waves and evergreen, wind stunted trees. Walk along the cliffs in Shore Acres State Park where you find long slabs of eroded sandstone and broad vistas. You can even get images of cliffs and the nearby lighthouse.

8. Bandon

Bandon is to the south coast what Cannon Beach is to the north coast. The Sea Stacks here provide so many opportunities for great photos you may want to stay a little longer. In the evening you can utilize the light pollution from town to photograph them. During the summer month you have the milky way rising towards the south just right to combine it with the many sea stacks.

9. Cape Sebastian

A paved road leads up to this stunning view overlooking the sea cliffs of the coast. Take the right view point for sunset and the left for a short trail to another view point. There you look north and find a perfect vertical shot of the coast. It is even better when low fog rolls in. Don’t go any farther than 50 yards or so. The trail winds its way to a remote rocky beach but provides only a few vistas mainly through the tree’s.

10. Samuel Boardman State scenic Corridor

My favorite and thanks to Instagram now everyone’s favorite part of the Oregon coast has many different photo locations. You can photograph the milky way from the viewing platform at Natural Bridges, hike to Secret Beach just north of it or scramble down to Indian Sands. From Indian Sands look north and see all the glory of this part of the coast. For all the best views you have to walk a little way out to them. This stretch of the coast can keep you busy for a few days.

Cascade Center of Photography Photo Tours and Photo Workshops, © 2021

by Christian Heeb

“You are going to the South? Are you crazy?” said my friends from America’s west coast, while sipping Chardonnay in chilled glasses on their manicured lawn. First there was consternation, followed by jokes and then, finally, some serious concern. “There are snakes” they said, “Cottonmouth, Diamondback, Copperhead, Coral snakes and a timber rattlesnake with the ominous Latin name, Crotalus horridus”.

“They have Alligators the size of houseboats down there”, said Bob. “The mosquitoes come in huge swarms and there are ticks and spiders all over. But the worst are the people!” The hicks would be my downfall.

“You know what happened to the guys in the movie Deliverance don’t you?” said one slightly intoxicated husband. “If they don’t shoot you, they kill you with their horrid food. It’s all fried and the iced tea gives you a lethal sugar rush.”

“Be careful when tipping the waitresses” I was told. “Don’t be cheap – that may be frowned on, but don’t tip too much so you don´t get jumped by a jealous husband or cousin”.

None of my friends showed the slightest interest of ever going to the Deep South. They would all rather go to Mongolia or the Congo.

As a professional travel photographer I really had no choice. I wanted to photograph the magical Cypress trees of the Mississippi Delta and so my wife, Regula and I went anyway. We had been to the Deep South before and we understood the culture. We knew it as just another part of America but with a twist. We had experienced air boat tours through the Atchafalaya Basin where you find beautiful groves of water logged Cypress trees. We had enjoyed the serene beauty of Lake Martin with its bird rookeries in the spring and we knew the alligators as pretty calm and friendly critters – somewhat like a great water lizard the size of a large dog. Sometimes they tend to be larger, more like a canoe, but they leave you alone. They certainly are not Nile crocodiles which eat you alive given half a chance.

In the bar of Basin Landing near Breaux Bridge the air con was blasting some arctic air in my face. Condensation was running down the walls and the place felt damp. Most clients were dressed in camouflage. Fishermen, tourists, squirrel hunters, ex-military types – all men were adorned with a greasy baseball hat showcasing some ad for motor sports equipment, fishing tackle or a branch of the military. The few women were all the type that uses too much makeup and paints their fingernails blood red.

One old guy whose pant rims spilled only partly over his cheap outlaw boots, was draped over a bar-stool talking out loud, like a TV commentator with no audience. “That Obaaaama…he was to blame for that in Bengaaayzi. He and them Democrats.” There were some grunts from the captive audience. One woman gave an “Aahaa” kind of sound. Nobody seemed to care. The guy was part of the décor. He kept on mumbling and my wife gave me that look which said “Don’t you dare say something!”

We had gone to the bar in the hope of getting some info on the exact location for the elusive groves of old-growth Cypress trees, that rumor had it, still existed in these parts. Nobody knew or they didn’t want to know. So I asked for the check. The bartender dropped me the check with a “Heere ya go hon”. I left a good tip, anxiously scanning the room for jealous boyfriends. Nobody gave me second look.

“People around here are shy, they don’t like talking to strangers” said Carter, the Ranger at the Visitors Centre of Lake Fausse Point State Park. We had high hopes for finding the location of one of the Cypress groves in this Park. I had only seen small second-growth trees so we had gone to the Visitor’s Centre looking for help. Carter did not like us, despite me turning on all the charm I can muster – admittedly not much. My wife, on the other hand, has a voice that brings up visions of a young Brigitte Bardot in a bikini. Her Swiss accent, which most American males take for French, is a great asset for information gathering. Even Carter, who does not like foreigners, a category that seems to include anybody from outside the county, caved in and told us where the place is.

“From here in a canoe, it’s a day’s trip.” When I asked if I could hire some locals with boats he said, “They won’t talk to you”. Finally, he said, “Why don’t you just drive down the dirt road and after 8 miles put in a kayak. Look west, and that’s where the trees are.” He looked at our small rental car and suggested we go rent a cargo van and just do it. Regula’s charm aside one of the tricks here in the South is quite simple. Be nice, be polite and show respect. After all, The Deep South is just another place with humans on planet earth.

The boat launch at dawn was easy to do. We checked our surroundings for large gators or hidden snakes, jumped in the boat and paddled towards the big trees. The sun had not risen yet but an orange glow was visible in the east. Nothing stirred. The water was placid and the air as soft as silk as we paddled west. A fine mist was rising over the water and the first grove of trees, their large roots sticking out of the water, were welcoming us like the silent sentinels in the Lord of the Rings.

As our boats slid over the water, the mist rose further and the first soft rays of the rising sun transformed the Spanish moss that shrouded forest into a fairyland of light and magic. The only thing we could hear were the droplets of water from our paddles hitting the placid water’s surface. A Kingfisher cried out as we approached and shot like a feathery rocket through the woods.

We saw a few snakes perched on the roots of the giant Cypress, a good reminder not to grab on to trees. To be on your own in a kayak, with no other human being in sight, all alone in a pristine natural environment felt priceless. So many of the old trees here in Louisiana have been logged and dragged out of the swamp.

“What’s that humming noise?” asked Regula. I heard it too, a high pitched whine. Looking deeper into the forest I saw swarms of mosquitoes hovering and twirling. I felt like watching a swarm of witches riding their broomsticks. We paddled further out into the open waters and the sunshine where the bugs would not follow us. The beauty of the morning had passed. The light became flat, bright and dull. So we paddled back for coffee and American breakfast.

As a photographer you are always searching for that magic moment: those few minutes, seconds or blink-of-an-eye when everything falls into place – Cartier Bresson’s decisive moment. Cartier Bresson was a street photographer but in Nature Photography much of the same happens. In place of the movement of a young girl walking along a narrow street throwing her shadow, nature offers the rays of the rising sun hitting a water-logged tree stump and making it steam. The magic moment may appear when a canoe glides through the fog or when the sun gets obscured for a second by a waving slice of Spanish Moss obscuring the sun’s rays and allowing the camera to catch the back-lit scene of a magical forest.

© Christian Heeb, March 2021

Photographing China was never my first priority. Once, a long time ago, when I was looking for places to put on my photo bucket  list,  I saw an image of some fog shrouded mountains, studded with gnarly Bonsai-like trees. Those early black and white photos and some of the classic Chinese ink drawings of the same mountains made me want to go to China and photograph it.

Of course, in the last decade, China has been on everyone’s mind and as a country it has got easier and easier to travel to and visit. We all saw the photos of the Cormorant Fisherman, the tourist prop that got photographed so often till it made you want to wring the bird’s neck and drown the old fisherman, just to make sure there will be no more photos of them in the future. But, that was just me, a lifelong cynic, who hated clichés while still taking photos of well-known places.

So we went to China. I guess it was Haishu’s fault. Haishu, is a Chinese /American client of mine who promised to show me China. She wore me down in her relentless quiet Chinese way till I gave in and went together with my friend, the photographer David Cobb, my wife, and a few people of my entourage. Well not really my entourage but just some photographer friends whose faces lit up when I mentioned China and coerced me into letting them come along.

The first thing that struck me when we got to Shanghai was how modern China felt: the trains, the highways, the subway stations, the shops and streets were all more resonant of the affluence of a European city than of a city in a developing nation. It felt almost so familiar as to the point of being boring. I missed India’s exoticism and hectic street photography.

We enjoyed photographing the water town of Nanxun, the Buddha’s of Dazu and we certainly enjoyed the noodle soup which we devoured all across China.

It was easy to work in China. The police state had us covered, photographed and totally controlled so there was no need for them to annoy us with brute police force or tell us this or that was off limits. Nothing was, it was all easy and comfortable in an Orwellian 1984 kind of way.

Haishu, our lovely guide and China expert, was essential of course. Being Chinese, Haishu, like the rest of her 1.4 billion fellow Chinese, likes to eat. It’s not just that the Chinese like food, it is that food is the essence of life for them. As she pointed out, when you visit people in China, the first thing they ask you is not “did you have a good trip” but “have you eaten”. Have you eaten, means welcome. If you bring an exotic food item they will not ask “Is it edible?”, instead they ask ” How do you cook it?”.

So Haishu, our guide,  did order our food at the restaurants where we ate. This is how it’s done in China: one person orders for everyone and all the food is shared on a large round table. I remember vividly my friend Ingo smiling as she filmed Haishu in Chengdu, while she was going over the menu with the waiter. It took 15 minutes. Well, it took 15 minutes for every meal! “Would we like the local fish that was hand plugged by blind tribesman from the north and hand smothered by Mongolian virgins?” Or, since she knew Robert, my Swiss banker friend’s taste for pork “would he like the pork sweet and sour, or mashed with ground pig feet in a brown sauce?”

It was hilarious to watch as long as you were not starving, which seldom happens in China these days. If you are really hungry there is almost certainly a KFC nearby, so not to worry.

I was thrilled when we made it to Mount Huangshan in the Yellow Mountains. This was the dream photo destination I had longed for. We took the gondola up the mountain and climbed the long steep stairs cut out of sheer rock, that led to our Hotel. The scenery was fantastic and the light sublime. It is a very popular destination in China and the mountains were filled with thousands of Chinese people in large tour groups. David re-named the Yellow Mountains “the Yeller Mountains” since the shouting tour leaders were so loud. Incredible noise echoed back and forth from granite face to granite face. The tour guides had megaphones with which to communicate with everyone in their respective group. Unfortunately every guide has a megaphone. One guy walked up behind me without me noticing and started yelling. I jumped a metre high and for a moment contemplated murder but then the thought of a Chinese gulag and the possibility of having to eat Chinese food for the rest of my life made me think twice.

There are endless stairs in the Yellow Mountains, winding trails up and down steep cliffs which had to be walked to reach the best photo spots. We would shoulder our bags and tripods and pass all the Chinese tourists who desperately tried to descend or ascend the stairs. The tourists were all city people who struggled with walking. We would pass them while they were scrambling to make it to the next little plateau for a reprise. Haishu told us later that she heard them say “Oh look these big foreigners must be athletes or mountain climbers”. And, “Look at their big bags, they must be training”.

I have to say that the Chinese people were very sweet and accommodating. Nobody ever insulted us or was unfriendly. Some were very shy, others brought out their cameras with big lenses and shamelessly took photos of us which I found only fair. As a photographer I have done the same the world over.

Our journey went on to the fantastic Wuling mountains which served as a backdrop for the kitsch movie epic, “Avatar”.  Wuling’s sandstone pillars are even more dramatic than the Yellow Mountains. We went to Mount Siguniang  in Chinese Tibet and enjoyed landscapes reminiscent of the Engadine Valley of Switzerland.

After a month of eating our way through China, we called it quits. Haishu was exhausted. Ordering food for a group this long is hard work. I think she was ready for break. So part of us, Haishu included, went on to Laos and Southeast Asia. Of course the first day in Luang Prabang in Laos, Haishu suggested we go and eat Chinese…

About the photographer:  Christian Heeb is a Swiss/American photographer based in Bend, Oregon.  A lover of big open spaces, Christian is best known for his images of Native American people and the landscapes in which they live.  He has published over 200 coffee table books of his photography, countless calendars and numerous magazine articles.  When not photographing on commission he leads photography tours and workshops worldwide.  www.ccophoto.com

© Christian Heeb, October 2020