Iconic Mountains - The Matterhorn

The first work week of the year 2021 has passed. And the current COVID pandemic is controlling many aspects of our lives around the globe.

While searching for an iconic image of the Matterhorn - Mount Cervin in Zermatt - for a wall picture of a friend of mine I was working on my Matterhorn collection.

Some years ago I spent time in Zermatt on several occasions taking pictures of that iconic mountain. We were setting up at the top. Taking pictures both digital as well as on film using my forty years old Hasselblad 500 c/m camera. - An Iconic mountain requires it's picture taken by an iconic camera ;-)

Gornergrat at an altitude of more than 3'100 m.a.s.l. is one of the best spots to take pictures of that impressive mountain rim. 

At this altitude the air starts getting thin and breathing gets challenging with physical efforts. The comfort of being brought up there by cable car in some thirty minutes does not really help in this.

Surrounded by several peaks all higher than 4'000 m.a.s.l. one can feel the power of nature and spirit of earth.

But there is one peak which could not be more prominent. - The Matterhorn - Mount Cervin. That iconic triangular shape towering above all other peaks leaves a massive impression.

There is no doubt that this natural landmark is the biggest asset of the area. Be it for millions of tourists, for pictures, and for all the mountaineers who conquered that mountain.

Unfortunately with the restrictions of the current pandemic tourism is a bit lower and does not pay off that well. Hence, images might be an alternative to serve the longing for mountains.

Probably billions of pictures of that magical mountain have been taken over the years. And many people have a picture a picture decorating the wall in their house or appartement. And nature with ever new weather conditions makes every picture special.

Hence, it can well be understood that the search for new images never ends. And, that iconic pictures of Matterhorn remain attractive to the audience.

Thomas Crauwels - Fine Alpine Photography

While searching the internet for Matterhorn imagery I came across an incredibly impressive portfolio of iconic mountain images by Thomas Crauwels.

Thomas offers his images printed and framed, ready to be placed on a wall as a masterpiece.

And it's not only the Matterhorn which he captured in unprecedented and spectacular manner. He is documenting mountain sceneries of the entire Swiss alps.

I can only recommend to have a look at this exceptional portfolio.

Find the portfolio at link.

Scenic Places in Black and White - Matterhorn

Zermatt in Switzerland is one of these places in the Swiss Alps that offers endless opportunities to enjoy the scenic mountain panorama.

Recently I spent a weekend on the Riffelalp, the Gornergrat side above Zermatt. From this location there is one of the most spectacular view on the iconic Matterhorn.
Taking the train to the Gornergrat is one thing not to miss. From the Gornergrat Kulm one can experience an exceptional panorama on the Monte Rosa, the Matterhorn and plenty of other 4000 m.a.s.l high peaks of the Swiss alps.

Opportunities for iconic pictures can be found at the Riffelsee. A little lake embedded in-between two mountain rims with usually mirroring clear surface in which the Matterhorn is reflected.

It is possibly one of the most touristic shots. Thousands of international tourists per year in search of typical pictures. Here another representative in black and white taken on a beautiful morning this summer.

Best time to go is in the morning since then the sun illuminates the Matterhorn from the front. A scenic place for landscape photography.

Matterhorn - Black & white film photography

From my recent trip to Zermatt area in Switzerland I brought back a series of exposed medium format films of the Matterhorn. For these black and white images I was using a Lomography Earl Gray 100 black and white film.

It was an experiment. I was using Ilford and Kodak film for black and white before. But this film, I could recommend using it. I certainly will.

Matterhorn - Winter landscape photography

Matterhorn (4478 m.a.s.l): here some documentary photos from my recent photography trip (see post from Saturday January 17th) to Gornergrat Kulm in Zermatt.

I took not only my DSLR equipment with me but also my 1976 Hasselblad 500 c/m with different film. The film is still waiting to be developed.





It was a day with beautiful weather, bright sunlight, blue sky, but still some clouds to make the sky more interesting.

Temperature was -17 °C and the wind made it feel even colder. These conditions made manipulating the cameras and taking pictures not easier.

Technically cameras all worked very well under these conditions. For the analog work I had a bit of problems with my vintage Yashica exposure meter where the exposure needle reacted a bit sluggish and I was not very sure about correct readings.

The bright light reflected from the snow, or direct sunlight made exposure metering very difficult. But I hope to have picked the right settings for good results. Once the films are developed we will know more.

For digital especially changing lenses was difficult. There were always little snow crystals in the air which would absorb on the mirror and lenses and on the inside of the camera body. In consequence some of my digital images got quite a bit of dust - or snow - spots which needed to be retouched.
I experienced similar issues when travelling in very dry areas with dust. However, it was easier to handle these.

I wonder how this can be overcome?

For a collection of images visit the image gallery at andreasrmueller.com.

Matterhorn - Zermatt - Images by Andreas Mueller

Black and White Matterhorn Photography

Matterhorn in dark - Christiaan Mout (500px)

Matterhorn - Roberto Barter (500px)

The Old Man and the Mountain - Fabio Rezzola (500px)

The Matterhorn - Armaan Ali (500px)

Matterhorn - Toblerone Mountain

The Matterhorn, 4'478 m 

(45°58′35″N 7°39′30″E)

Pictures shot from Gornergrat Kulm using iPhone 6s and Camera+ app. Anticipating weather using MeteoSwiss app. Knowing the light situation using The Photographer's Ephemeris app. Learning the mountain geography using Peakfinder app.

Matterhorn: Portrait photography

The Matterhorn (4478 m) is one of the world's most iconic mountains. It is part of a scenic mountain landscape in Switzerland.

There are several photographers who have portrayed this exceptional mountain peak.

Nenad Saljic - Matterhorn: Portrait of a Mountain

A portfolio of pictures in black and white. The Matterhorn is shown under different weather conditions which make the images especially artistic choosing the monochromatic technique. The shown portfolio exhibits long time exposures at night as well as shots under bright sun light. The impressive cloud formations add an intense dynamic component to these still images.

Thomas Heitmar - Matterhorn Collection

A collection showing the Matterhorn and it's reflection on the surface of the various mountain lakes in the area. The portfolio exhibits photographs under different light conditions. It is impressive how different one and the same image composition can be depending on season, time, light condition, weather, and probably exposure settings.

Per Kasch - Matterhorn

Some pictures taken from still typical but unusual angles.

Urs Zihlmann - Zermatt

Postcard images from this beautiful landscape taken during different season around the year.

Matterhorn - Landscape Photography

The Matterhorn is one of the most iconic mountain peaks of the Swiss Alps. It is probably also the mountain in the Swiss Alps where you could find most photographs taken of.

Next weekend I am going to visit Zermatt and the Gornergrat. I hope to get some decent shots of the Matterhorn and its surroundings. - Hopefully the weather is in favour.

My usual search for "Matterhorn" on 500px.com yields a huge number of very impressive images.

Swiss Skyline