bio 2018 Apr 11

1964 born in lucerne, "the city of lights".

1977 "initiation" of my photographic eye and work: my brother Hans - he was already a very talented painter in zurich at that time - made a gift: he gave me the "ritsch-ratsch-klick" pocket camera Agfamatic 2008 with two exposure settings sun and clouds; my mother bought me the amazing flashcubes, very cool!

1978 first contact with an slr (single-lens reflex) camera and a sort of real glass mounted on it: my brother Kurt let me use his Asahi Pentax, a very handy and nice mechanical camera with ttl (through-the-lens) metering and aperture priority: I photographed my first diapositives on Kodachrome 64 film - what a great moment!

1981 with the money of my first three apprentice salaries I bought the Minolta XG-M 35mm slr camera with the MD ROKKOR 50 mm 1:1.7 lens, mr. Klopfenstein himself explained me the camera in all the details. having two very traditional photographer dynasties - Photo Klopfenstein and Photo Gyger - in the same adelboden mountain village I grew up, in combination with the vast treasury of nature around me, this all provided me an excellent field of practice. at that time the Kodachrome 64 was the "one and only" available reversal film, so my photographic eye was used to see the world in the legendary kodachrome colours. I purchased the film in the small coop "konsum" super market. for me it was the greatest joy and anticipation when - after having captured what interested me - I had to wait a good week to get the developed and framed diapositive slides back from the eastman kodak photo lab in lausanne. as far I remember, the 36 exposures - including shipping bag, development and framing - was about an 11 swiss francs investment.

1981 my father Max and my brother Kurt had put the Sigma High-Speed Zoom f3.5-4 80-200 mm lens under the christmas tree - from now on I was proud owner of a "big telephoto" lens.

1982 my foster brother Peter invited me to learn in his little photolab how to make own black and white prints. he let me expose, develop, water and dry my first little posters, that was an impressing "chemical experience"! I was amazed to see how well some soulful moments from my trip to paris could be transformed and conserved on such a flat two-dimensional photo paper.

(story to be continued - will be completed soon)