Photographer, lecturer, pastor

«Nature has to be felt,» said Alexander von Humboldt – and precisely this feeling is at the core of Silvia Trüssel's wildlife photography. For over 16 years, she has been repeatedly drawn to Africa, especially southern Africa with a focus on Namibia. She spends several weeks a year on the move: gamedriving, with great patience and great joy. She prefers to travel with an off-road vehicle, roof tent, and camping gear – self-sufficient, individual, nomadic.

 

In recent years, she has also taken up reportage and documentary photography – especially in the areas of arts, crafts and small businesses. She loves to portray people in their natural environment, unposed and honest. Making their stories visible is important to her.

 

In 2023, she decided to professionalize her passion as a sideline – under the motto: «Time for unposed images and real life.» She continually seeks connections to her ministry. This led to the 2024 exhibition «Crafts of Farewell,» which will continue to be shown at various venues.

 

Whether in photography or pastoral care, Silvia Trüssel's focus is on the gift of life – with all its stories, disruptions, and beauties. It's about looking closely, listening and telling stories. Or as Henri Cartier-Bresson put it: «Photography is nothing – it's life that interests me.»

Exhibitions and more

  • Two lectures at the International Photo Festival Olten (2025)
  • Conception and implementation of the exhibition «Craft of Farewell» (from 2025, different places)
  • Participation in photoSWITZERLAND 2024 with the project «The last hatter in Switzerland», leading the seminar «Capturing the art of craftsmanship» and participation in an artist talk
  • Participation at photoSWITZERLAND 2023 with two projects: «Good hope in South African» and «... and the world keeps turning» (Wildlife) and participation in an artist talk
  • Participation at Embrach Photo Gallery (fogae) for Portrait photography exhibition 2022/23

Awards

  • Calvendo Gold Prize for the «Wild Okavango Delta» calendar (2023)
  • A picture in «Best of photoSWITZERLAND» (2023)
  • Calvendo Gold Prize and the Jury Prize in the Craft Photography category for the «Ceramic Dreams» calendar (2022)

Photographic Education

  • June 2024: Participation in the environmental photography festival in Zingst (D) with various workshops in landscape photography
  • May 2022: 3-week workshop in Humanitarian Photography at Anna Lusty in Cape Town.
  • August 2019 to March 2020: Basic and advanced module of the course Photography CAS. Auditing of the degree by the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). Due to the corona crisis, it was no longer possible to attend the final module.
  • Since 2009 in self-study with various lectures at Nikon Switzerland, workshops on various topics, photo trip in Botswana with professional photographer James Gifford as well as tours with professional photographer Peter Haarhoff in and around Cape Town

Equipment

I am on my way with a Nikon Z and various lenses, love the filter system from Nisi, tripods from Sirui and Gitzo and backpacks from F-Stops and Lowpro.