Long Exposure and Light Trails in Geneva

Initially, I wanted to photograph Lake Geneva and the Jet d'Eau, as this landscape seemed quite evocative depending on the chosen composition. However, I had to change my plans at the last moment, since the Jet d'Eau is turned off at 4 PM during winter. It's therefore not dark enough to give the images the desired effect.

I consequently chose one of the most popular subjects when it comes to long exposure: car light trails. With the explosion of traffic in Geneva in recent years, it's easy to practice this technique. Depending on the angle and composition, light trails can give photos a particular style. In my opinion, it's a convenient solution for doing "light painting" without asking a friend to move light sources in front of the camera.

Long Exposure = Tripod

The only requirement for this type of photography is a tripod so that your camera remains stable when taking the photo. Indeed, to create light trails, you must decrease the shutter speed to have an exposure of at least one second depending on the traffic. In fact, without a tripod, your image would be blurred, since you want your camera's sensor to receive light for more than one second.

I use a Hama Star 61, which I'm particularly satisfied with. I bought it for about CHF 25 on Digitec at the time. It's very lightweight, and you can easily transport it with its travel bag. However, if you plan to use your tripod in extreme conditions (sand, water, mud, etc.), I recommend investing in a more robust tripod like the Induro CLT004.

Furthermore, make sure to focus manually; for the best results, use your camera's "focus peaking" function to fine-tune the image focus.

Location and Technique

The first photo was taken a little before the Maison de la Paix tram stop, while the three following photos were taken after the Châteaubriand bus stop on Avenue de France. These locations offer excellent vantage points for capturing the flow of traffic through Geneva's main arteries.

The key to successful light trail photography lies in understanding the rhythm of the city. Geneva's evening traffic provides consistent movement, but patience is still required to capture the perfect moment when multiple vehicles create harmonious streaks of light across the frame.

Technical Settings

For these shots, I used exposures ranging from 2 to 8 seconds, depending on the density of traffic. A narrow aperture (f/8 to f/11) helped maintain sharpness throughout the scene while allowing for longer exposures. ISO was kept low (100-200) to minimize noise and maintain clean shadows.

The beauty of urban long exposure lies in its unpredictability. Each shot is unique, as the combination of vehicle types, speeds, and timing creates endless variations. The red taillights and white headlights paint streaks that transform the mundane reality of traffic into something almost abstract and beautiful.

Winter photography in Geneva presents its own challenges—cold fingers, shortened daylight hours, and the need to work quickly in freezing conditions. But these constraints often lead to more focused and intentional work, where every shot counts.

This session reminded me that compelling photography doesn't always require exotic locations or perfect weather. Sometimes the most interesting images are hiding in plain sight, in the everyday rhythm of city life, waiting for us to see them through a different lens—quite literally, in this case, through the extended time of a long exposure.