NO TRENDS. NO TEMPLATES. JUST MOUNTAINS.
We’re the couple behind Alpstein Fotograf
About Alpstein Fotograf
Meet Chris & Alina, photographers from Appenzell
We are Chris Widmer and Alina Lübbig, the duo behind Alpstein Fotograf — a photography studio rooted in Eastern Switzerland.
Nature feels like home to us — especially the Alpstein in Appenzell. We love being around people who feel that same connection to the mountains.
What we love most about photography is meeting new people and telling their stories. Holding on to a feeling in an image. Creating something personal — maybe even a small piece of art.
Alpstein Fotograf
Why we are called Alpstein Fotograf
As photographers from Eastern Switzerland, we wanted a name that says something about where we come from.
Alpstein is called the mountain range in Appenzell that shaped us. Alpstein Fotograf means to us: work that feels close to nature, calm in tone and personal in feeling.
If you want to get to know the region better, take a look at our guide to scenic places in Appenzell.
OUR FIRST PHOTO OF THE MATTERHORN.
We had just bought our first camera — and a tiny tripod. Luckily, there was no wind that morning, and the rocks already carried a light dusting of snow.
Out of breath, we jumped off the train. In the last week before the time change in autumn, the Gornergrat railway gets you close to Lake Riffelsee just in time for sunrise.
And then there it was: Lake Riffelsee below us, still like a mirror — and behind it, the Matterhorn. The sky was pink. Alina was standing next to me. We were both completely in awe.
Click. One photo.
That image is many years old now, and we’ve returned to that same place many times — but no photo ever felt quite like the first one.
A perfect moment cannot be repeated. There is only one first time. And maybe that’s exactly what makes it so special.
Two perspectives. One calm way of working.
Chris & Alina
Alpstein Fotograf
That’s us: Chris & Alina. We’ve been a couple for over ten years. We laugh, we love, and we photograph what moves us.
Alina is calm and notices the small, quiet moments. Chris is organised and drawn to the bigger emotional scenes.
That is one of the beautiful things about doing this together: we help each other see the world from a different perspective.
Before we capture your story, we want to share ours.
How we met.
Anyone who has ever tried to write down their love story — or got stuck while writing their vows — knows how difficult it can be to find the right words.
I, Chris, met Alina at the Fürstenfest in Vaduz, the National Day celebration of Liechtenstein.
The fireworks had been cancelled because of the rain. My best friend and I were just about to leave when I heard Alina laugh for the first time.
That was the beginning of everything — and the start of the path that would one day become Alpstein Fotograf.
SMALL THINGS CHANGE EVERYTHING.
And then it all began.
Maybe it was a joke one of her friends made — I honestly don’t remember. But her laugh stayed with me.
Luckily, I found the courage to start a conversation with the girl whose laugh had caught my attention. A week later, we met again at her place for homemade cake.
And believe me — it wasn’t only the cake that kept our story going.
It is often the small, quiet moments — the random encounters — that change everything. At least that is what life taught me. And now it is your turn.
Photos form our trips
Your Swiss Wedding Guides
GET TO KNOW US A LITTLE BETTER
Our favorite camera:
Canon EOS R3 — big, fast, reliable
Our coffee order:
Cappuccino with oat milk or a double espresso
Our favorite season:
Autumn — for the colors
Dream destination:
San Francisco or Ascona
Our favorite kind of shoot:
Sunrise in the mountains
Something we have always wanted to do:
A safari in Africa together
Photography is our craft.
A beautiful image is like a good cup of coffee.
Coffee and photography have more in common than people think. Both take patience, care, and a lot of small decisions before they truly come together.
Photography is not just pressing the shutter. It begins with preparation, attention, timing, and a feeling for the right moment. Afterwards, it continues through editing, printing, and giving an image its final form.
We want to create photographs you can return to and still feel something. Images that grow in meaning over time — not because they change, but because life does.
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Photographers from Switzerland
Are you looking for a wedding or elopement photographer in Switzerland and want to find out whether we are the right fit?
Reach out for a free first call. A relaxed conversation usually tells you more than a hundred photos ever could.