Photographing Chateau de Chillon

The Chateau is an inspiring location and it was the perfect choice for me to start on my photographing adventure through Switzerland.

Chateau de Chillon is located on the waters of Lake Geneva on the town of Veytaux-Chillon - just 5 minutes from Montreux. The access is very easy from the train station, about 200 meters east. There is also parking lot if you are driving.

Due to its location just off the shore, you can photograph the chateau from both sides. The background from each side is dramatically different. On one side you have the Alps, on the other, Lake Geneva with minimal stretch of lands.

I have chosen the sunrise time of the day to photograph the chateau for 2 main reasons: The first one was the more dramatic scene that this iconic Swiss monument can provide with the blue dawn lights. The second was the total absence of people, boats, and cars in the vicinity.

When I jumped off the train I still had about 30 minutes to sunrise. So, I literally ran from one side of the chateau to the other a couple of times until I could find the exact composition and light that I was looking for.

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      The east side of the castle was my favourite. The chateau floats alone in the middle of the lake with only its reflection and a blue cloudy pre sunrise sky. The dock for the touristic boat ride – empty at this time of day – provided the perfect indentation on the lake to capture the image.

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Image 1 - Chateau de Chillon at Dawn   

The west side was more challenging. I tried the small beach area right next to the property, but I ended up settling for the rock formation. I included at first some foreground but decided to crop it later since it was not adding much to the image. On the west side of the chateau, you can see the Alps in the background. During sunrise, the Alpine light reflected in some clouds completes the scenery. Very nice, but I still prefer the striking emptiness of the east side.

Image 2 - Chateau de Chillon with Alpine Light

After extinguishing the images possibilities from both sides of the castle (and close to one hour and a half of running with all my equipment from one side to the other), I noticed the little dock area of the castle. There was still some pink on the clouds and mountains, and the reflection with the leading lines of the dock enhanced the composition. At the back, the city of Villeneuve was just waking up.

Image 3 - Dock with Alps in the background

Well, it was time for a well-deserved break, the chateau was not going to be open for at least another hour and a half. I sat down at a bench on the outside garden of the chateau, ate some fruits and appreciated the view. This has been definitely a good start for the day.

Once my batteries were recharged – the camera ones had been recharged the night before J - I took a walk on the hiking trail by the lake. In the direction of Montreux, I paused to photograph some birds on a near by tree. But as everyone knows pretty well I don’t have the lenses or the patience to be a birdie… maybe one day I will learn to sit still and stop travelling so I can afford a big lens!

Image 4 - Tentative bird shot on the hiking trail to Montreux

Image 5 - Bird Fight!

On my way back to the chateau, the gates were opening and I was the first one to get inside. I wanted to enjoy my visit as a real tourist, so I got my photographing goals out of the way first, before any other tourists arrived. I went straight to the downstairs part of the castle where the columns and the light through the windows provides some great photo opportunities. There are some doors and passageways that could create interesting images.

Image 6 - Prison of Chillon

Image 7 - Doors and Passageways

After that, I have spent the next 3 hours learning about the architecture and the medieval life in the chateau. I took some more record shots, after all I am just another tourist, right?

Image 8 - Chateau's kitchen - record shot

For information about the Castle, you can visit the website: http://www.chillon.ch/en/