Johanna Unternährer Fotografie

A seven-strong studio in central Switzerland

Johanna Unternährer Fotografie is a photography company whose team of seven photographers covers weddings in Lucerne and across central Switzerland. The team is stationed in Lucerne and Sarnen and travels to whichever venue the couple chooses, and the footer also lists a studio in Zurich. Weddings are one part of a wide business that also covers company portraits, hotel, food, product and architecture photography, events, school photos, families, babies and portraits. The wedding page promises weddings photographed authentically, unposed and with a lot of experience, and the FAQ backs that up with a figure: more than 300 weddings photographed.

The studio's stated aim is not to produce catalog pictures but to record real feelings. In the original German, they want to "euch so zeigen, wie ihr wirklich seid" (show you as you really are). Hair is allowed to fly, the light stays as natural as possible, and a real laugh counts for more than a perfect pose.

Published prices

Unusually for Swiss wedding photographers, the studio publishes three clear price points. Every package includes a preliminary meeting, a venue visit if needed, travel costs up to 1 hour from Lucerne or Sarnen, all technically good images in color and in black and white, delivery on a USB stick, and a web album for guests.

The civil ceremony package starts at CHF 680 for a short wedding at the registry office. Coverage is possible from 1 hour, it can be booked Monday to Friday, and it covers a short couple shoot, the ceremony and the congratulations. The next package, from 7 hours, costs CHF 3,400: the photographer stays until just before dinner, with a maximum presence until 19:00, and covers getting dressed, the couple shoot, the ceremony, the apéro and group photos. The all-inclusive package costs CHF 4,500 and runs the whole day, up to a maximum of 14 hours, from getting dressed in the morning through dinner to the wedding dance and the party; the page adds that they stay as long as it makes sense.

An album is not included in any package. The pricing section puts it at around CHF 1,000 depending on the book, and the FAQ breaks that down as CHF 800 for the design plus printing costs of CHF 200 to 300, passed on without a markup. For couples on a tighter budget, the FAQ offers an apprentice and a junior photographer from the team at lower rates, below the market price. The studio places its own rates in the middle price segment.

Planning and the first meeting

Chemistry between couple and photographer matters most to the studio. After an inquiry they meet the couple in person as soon as possible, either at the studio or at the couple's home, to talk through wishes and expectations calmly. The FAQ calls this meeting very important before a booking and recommends scheduling it early. Couples get a simple contract, which can be seen in advance.

They also offer planning help: advice on a sensible schedule for the day, recommendations for other wedding suppliers and small insider tips. Couple portraits are best done before the ceremony, they suggest, so there is no time pressure; they usually plan about two hours for the couple shoot, including a change of location. For couples who feel unsure in front of the camera, the team helps with posing. An engagement shoot is available as the one-hour Small Shooting for CHF 380, with 20% off when the wedding is booked too.

On the day they aim to stay in the background while catching the important moments, and to think along rather than just stand behind the camera. They will support the best man, maid of honor or master of ceremonies, help a planned schedule run smoothly, and step in when nerves flutter before the ceremony or rain dampens the mood. A rain alternative for the couple shoot is agreed in advance.

Delivery and the practical details

The FAQ answers most of the questions other photographers leave open. Images usually arrive within two weeks, with one month set in the contract. Couples receive all technically good images at full resolution; as a rough guide the studio mentions about 800 images for a 7-hour reportage and about 1,200 for a full day. All images get a basic edit for exposure and the studio's color style, and heavier retouching is charged. The guest web album stays online for at least 6 months.

Couples normally book a single photographer. A second photographer can be requested, and an apprentice or intern sometimes joins for practice at no charge. The studio does not make wedding videos or offer a photo booth, but recommends partners for both, and it can bring its own drone on request. The photographer usually eats at a guest table and dresses simply, mostly in black.

On cancellation, the contract says a short-notice cancellation is paid unless the couple cannot go ahead for health reasons, and the page says it will look for a solution in that case. If a photographer falls ill, they write that it has happened only once in more than 300 weddings, and another team member went instead.

Timing, language and weddings abroad

The FAQ recommends contacting the studio a good year before the wedding for the best chance of a free date. Weddings abroad are possible too: they say they enjoy two or three weddings abroad a year. The phone number is 041 211 00 40.

The site is written in German and does not say whether the team works in English, so couples from abroad should ask about that in their first message. Travel beyond 1 hour from Lucerne or Sarnen is not priced on the page.

Who it suits

The studio suits couples marrying in central Switzerland who want natural photography and clear, published prices, from a short weekday civil ceremony to a full day. Couples who like detail before they commit will find the FAQ unusually complete, and the size of the team has already covered for an ill photographer once. A testimonial from a 2021 reportage praises Johanna as sensitive and attentive, and for recording emotions as well as moments. The caveats are the German-only website and a single photographer as the default.