For those who love photographing mountains, it’s fair to say that the Matterhorn is on the bucket list. Standing over 14,000 feet tall and dominating the surrounding range of the Swiss Alps that it lies in, the Matterhorn’s dramatic shape is beautiful and breathtaking, and draws climbers, hikers, and photographers alike. It will blow your mind when you first see it, and it is a photographer’s dream to shoot.
But while it is a beautiful mountain, it is also complex to photograph, so here are five tips for photographing this icon of the Alps, and if you follow these, you will experience shots that will make you realize why the Matterhorn is such a legend for landscape photography.
1. Know your faces
If you really want to get the best view of the Matterhorn, and the one you see on wallpaper, postcards, and calendars, you need to position yourself so your camera is seeing both the North and East faces. This iconic view will display a sharp line called the Hornli Ridge, which is the most popular climbing route on the Matterhorn. While all the sides of the Matterhorn are incredible, this is the most distinct and beautiful view, so it’s important to know where to position yourself for success.
2. Morning and evening are when the Matterhorn shines
I know these times of day are the go-to for most places to photograph, but this is even more important to follow for the Matterhorn. During the day, strong storms are known to roll in and sit on top of the mountain, and the flat light of the day can really take away from the details and characteristics of the Matterhorn, which are what really make it so great.
I recommend shooting the Matterhorn in the morning for the alpenglow, details, and depth to the mountain that you can’t see clearly during any other time of the day. Experiencing alpenglow creep it’s way down and light up the Matterhorn’s dramatic peak with an orange-red glow is something you will never forget. The warm first colors of light mixed with the cool shades of blue and gray from the morning offer a truly beautiful contrast, and are breathtaking to photograph. And the details in the morning are simply stunning, because the sun strikes directly on the mountain and shows lines and ridges that are great to zoom in tight on.
In the evening, around golden hour, the sun is making its way behind the mountains and as it lowers, and it casts beautiful light beams through the valleys and ridges of Matterhorn and surrounding mountains. While the details are gone, the beautiful golden silhouettes that form at this time of the day are beautiful, and truly show the size of these mountains. It’s a stark contrast from the morning hours, which can add a lot of perspective in the shots you take. And if you’re lucky enough, a storm might have just broken and the remaining clouds will light up in a brilliant sunset that you will not forget. Shoot the Matterhorn in the morning and evening, and the shots take will be brilliant.
3. Utilize the lakes
I’m a sucker for an alpine lake, and luckily, the Matterhorn is surrounded by several gorgeous lakes to photograph. The 5 Lakes Hike, or 5-Seenweg, as it is called in Switzerland, is a beautiful hiking trail that gives you access to, you guessed it, five beautiful lakes around the Matterhorn. Stellisee is the best of these lakes, in my opinion due to its location and fantastic reflections in the morning and evening when waters are calm.
However, the real majesty of these lakes lies above Riffelalp and Riffelberg, and it offers one of the best incredible mountain lake reflections I’ve ever seen. Riffelsee to me, is the crown jewel of Matterhorn photography and should be seen, especially in the morning. It’s hard to describe how beautiful this area is, but if you are lucky to get there on a clear day, it will yield some of the greatest photographs you will take.
4. Incorporate the wildflowers
One of the best features of photographing the Matterhorn and the surrounding areas are the incredible wildflowers that blanket the fields and valleys. You will see beautiful colors like gold and gold, and when framed correctly, these flowers can add beautiful depth and dimension to your shots. Plus, laying in a field of flowers in the Swiss Alps isn’t a bad way to spend your morning. Just queue the “Sound of Music” soundtrack, and get to shooting.
5. Get higher up
If you travel near the Matterhorn, whether it’s to the popular ski resort town of Zermatt, or anywhere close, there will be plenty of opportunities to get higher and see the Matterhorn and surrounding Alps from the thousands of meters high. You can take a chair lift or train like the famous Gornergrat, which does offer a fast way up, but it tends to get very expensive in Zermatt.
The other alternative is to hike up, which isn’t easy and includes a lot of elevation gain, but will be much more rewarding. Either way, you want to experience the Matterhorn from high up, so you can truly get a sense of the scale of this mountain. It is a giant, and beautiful one at that, and if you’re just planning to shoot in the valleys below, you won’t get to feel that scale when you shoot. So go higher, and get rewarded for that effort.
I know there are probably several more tips to shooting the Matterhorn. This mountain is as complex as it is beautiful, and if you go to Switzerland unprepared to shoot it, it will be a disappointing trip. So I hope these tips really help steer you in the right direction to taking fantastic photos of the Matterhorn.
But be warned: this mountain will leave a serious mark on you, and you might fall in love and spend way too much money on plane tickets to Switzerland to visit it again. I have never photographed a mountain that feels so alive, and every day it offers a unique and blank canvas to shoot. Best of luck, and enjoy photographing this icon of the Alps!
