As a travel photographer, going through some of your old work is a bit painful at times. Like any trade, art, or skill, with photography, you’re always improving. It often means that looking back, well you find some gems some times, you also find images that you were once proud of and now think are rubbish.
For me, my disappointments have long revolved around an evening of photography in Bern, Switzerland about 3 years ago. I really only had one day to shoot the city and, well, I feel like I wasted it getting stuck on one particular photo that was average at best. What made things worse, is that going through my images from that day there were so many other scenes that would have developed much better in the right light.
Thankfully, I had the chance to redeem myself in Bern thanks to a daytrip from here in Lucerne.
This video is a “Getting the Photo” episode, the variety in which I take you from start to finish from developing an idea for a photo, to the scouting, to the actual shooting, and finally the editing process. Check it out, and then below I have some information on travel photography in Bern, as well as the other images from the day.
Travel Photography Info for Bern
Getting to Bern
As the capital of Switzerland, Bern is easy to get to. All major trains lead to the city, so there’s no issue of getting here. If you’re driving, you’ll want to get yourself as close to the old town as possible to park. We parked at the train station which ended up costing us 20 Swiss Francs. Even close to the old town, you can also park at the Casino parking which is slightly cheaper.
Photography Locations in Bern
For me, the best place in town to for photography is exactly where I went. I’m not sure there are actually that many different locations in the old town. The best photos seemed to come from the edge of old town where the river bends around the city. It’s the most picturesque, in my opinion.
Truth is, though, you could really walk anywhere along the riverfront and find worthy photos. In the map posted below you’ll see the 3 locations that I shot at sunset: on the bridge, under the bridge by the bears, and up on the hill looking down on the city. Other cool locations might be the parliament buildings and the cathedral.
Where to Stay
This trip through Bern I just came on a day trip. However, if you’re looking for a hostel in town, last time I was here I stayed at Berne Backpackers – Hotel Glocke, which was great. It is just a 3 minute walk from the bridge I shot at, and in the heart of old town. If you have a bit more budget, there also a Best Western Plus Hotel right in the center. It runs about 200 euros a night.
Photos from Bern
Anyways, it was a pretty good day of photography. I mentioned in the video that on a good day of travel photography you’re really only trying to get one really special image, anything after that is gravy. Well, in the end, I think I came up with about 4 images I’m really happy with and about 10 that I’ll keep on file. Here they are:
What’s Next?
I’ve still got a photography app review for you in the next couple days. Then, I’m off to Iceland which I’m absolutely stoked for. I’m sure that I’ll have more than just a handful of videos from that trip. Stay tuned!