Urs Bernhard photographs

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t working and playing with images and words, with stories and emotions – as a photographer, as a journalist and as a filmmaker.

I graduated with a MA degree in art history and philosophy from the University of Zurich in 1974. For some years I worked as a director and set designer for the stage and then as a journalist for Swiss television. The foundation for my work as television production director was the training I received at the BBC in London in 1979.

In addition to the career as a television production director I have always loved teaching – sharing my experience and knowledge with younger generations. I taught visual communication at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan from 1987 to 1993, during which time I also worked as a fashion photographer. Though I’m retired from television directing now, I continue to teach, actually mainly photographic workshops.

The move north to rural Sweden in 2007 spurred a growing interest in exploring the natural and human altered landscape with my photography. I now concentrate on personal photographic projects as I consider the still photograph to be more poetic than a film or motion picture.

I live with my wife, children’s book author and book designer Gudrun Thielemann, on Öland/Sweden.

In January 2022 I had the great pleasure to have been interviewed by Marco Annaratone for his very interesting Youtube channel. You’ll find the video down this page or click here.