I had a lovely vacation in Switzerland and I thought I should share some of the beautiful scenery and views that enjoyed. It was a wonderful way to pass my christmas holidays.

I really loved shooting at night. There’s a sense of meditation for me when I do night time photography. The long exposures, the scrutinizing of the grain and trying to dance with the constant clouds changes makes it quite a personal and quiet experience.

Ok ! So that’s my night time meditations in the cold.

In general, I had a lovely time up on the mountain in Leysin, and enjoyed family time as the winter wonderland kept changing shape around us.

That’s Leysin ( and a bit of Montreux ).

I must admit though, the best thing besides enjoying the snow was the views.

The landscapes of the alps around me, the clouds changing their moods like toddlers and the sun playing hide and seek in the heart of December was just perfection.

The sheer immenseness of the mountain tops and giant rocks kept me in a constant state of wonder and awe. An awe so strong I could not help but photograph the same views in different conditions just to see how the lights dance differently at different times in different weather. It was always a surprise.

Ok !

So lastly let me share some lovely photos of Château de Chillon, or Chillon Castle. It’s located on Lake Geneva right next to the small town of Montreux ( historically famous for being a great hub for musicians and celebrities, with big names like Freddy Mercury spending ample time there, as immortalized by the famous statue dedicated to him).

The Château de Chillon was originally a Roman outpost, with first evidence of the castle in writing was found in the year 1005. It eventually became a prison, until it became a castle used by the military for support, housing and armory. Chillon is the setting of Lord Byron’s poem The Prisoner of Chillon 1816) about Francois de Bonivard, one of the more famous prisoners held in the castle. Byron also carved his name on a pillar of the dungeon.

I loved the medieval feel of the castle, I really got an idea of how the people lived back then, and it really felt like I was on a movie set or something. The fact that it was a real space and been around for more than a 1000 years just floored me. I photographed it like a maniac :

So !

That’s how Switzerland looked like.

The best part for me was spending it with my family and family friends.

I basically became a personal photographer to my family during their vacation, and I absolutely loved it.

I had only recently bought the new iphone XS, and was excited to see how well it goes. I must admit for quickfire portraits in the cold it did a tremendous job. Here’s some awesome portraits and photos I took with the phone.