The award-winning photographer and SPC Academy alumna recently created an extraordinary haute-couture gown using discarded newspapers. Conceived for the 2026 Earth Partner Prize, an international competition focused this year on the ecological crisis, the project was recently written up in the newspaper La Côte.

A fragile material with a powerful message

For Stéphanie, the gown was more than an ambitious styling exercise. It was a way to explore waste, consumption and the stories carried by the objects we throw away.

She invited people in and around Tolochenaz to contribute their old newspapers. In the end, Stéphanie incorporated pages from around 50 editions of regional newspapers and magazines.

Inspired by the dramatic silhouettes of Marie Antoinette’s era, she constructed a regal gown with a fitted bodice, a voluminous skirt and a train measuring approximately 1.5 metres. The skirt alone required eleven overlapping layers of newspaper, attached to a linen base using heat-set adhesive.

The result is visually spectacular—but also deliberately fragile. Paper is temporary and easily discarded, while the finished gown appears monumental and precious. That contrast lies at the heart of the work: what happens when yesterday’s news, much of it documenting the concerns and events of a community, is transformed into something impossible to overlook?

As Stéphanie explained to La Côte, the dress tells the story of a region—its worries, its projects and its successes. It also turns the written press into a kind of haute-couture fabric, giving discarded pages a second life.

Bringing the vision to life

Professional model Natalia Ruck, styled by Beauty Bee Makeup, wore the gown for a photo shoot in the fields of Tolochenaz. With such a delicate creation, there was no guarantee that it would survive being worn outdoors. Each section was constructed independently so that a tear or fall would not bring down the entire dress.

The shoot took place on 12 August, in the intense summer heat and close to the solar eclipse. The unusual light added another atmospheric dimension to the final photographs.

Beyond their beauty, the images invite us to think more carefully about the value we assign to materials—and about our own place within a culture of constant production, consumption and disposal.

An award-winning visual storyteller

In 2024, Stéphanie completed the 4-week SPC Academy program, an intensive and highly personalized learning experience that helped her further develop her technical skills and creative direction. Since then, she has built a distinctive body of work centred on emotion, introspection, resilience and human connection.

Since then, her photography has received extensive recognition both in Switzerland and internationally. In 2025, she won the First Public Prize at the SPC Photo Awards Geneva for A Fragile Journey. Her cinematic self-portrait Through Fire and Rain also received an Honorable Mention at the 2025 ND Awards. She has been selected seven times at the International Photography Awards (IPA), receiving an honorable mention three times. And the list goes on, not only because of her talent, but also because of her tremendous work ethic.

Proud to have been part of her journey

One of the greatest pleasures of teaching photography is getting to know photographers while their creative voices are developing, and then watching them carry those voices far beyond the program. Stéphanie’s awards and glowing press recognition are richly deserved, and we could not be happier to see her thriving.

Congratulations, Stéphanie. We are proud of everything you are accomplishing, and very grateful that the SPC Academy program gave us the opportunity to get to know you and your work.

Discover more of Stéphanie Vanden Berghe’s photography and read La Côte’s coverage of the newspaper-dress project.

The post Stéphanie Vanden Berghe Turns Newspapers into Art appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.

Prize Winners

Jury Prize

Tamron 150-500mm F/5.6-7 lens

Sabry Barlatey

Undercover

1st Place - Public Vote

SPC Photo Trip Voucher worth CHF 1500

Denis Berdoz

Bonne digestion !

2nd Place - Public Vote

Nisi Jetmag Pro Landscape ND Kit 82MAG

Benjamin Gaillard

Bec croisé des sapins

3rd Place - Public Vote

Shimoda Urban Explore backpack from GraphicArt

Veronique Sciretta

Eau Trouble

Public Vote: Most voted small print

Small photo printed big

Luca Russo

Golden Labyrinth

Bonus Prize: Pictrs Selection

Lifetime Ultimate membership at Pictrs.com

Christian Mair

U-Bahn

Sponsors

The post Winners: SPC Photo Awards Geneva September 2026 appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.

Winners

Jury Prize

CHF1500.- GraphicArt gift voucher

Valerie Calabro

The Gauchos

1st Public Prize

CHF 1500.- SPC Photo Trip Gift Voucher

Jürg Ludi

Wettstreit um das Fischchen

2nd Public Prize

Manfrotto magic arm kit, Lowepro protactic, Patona premium LED, Patona light stand

Hans Schaffner

Stille Begegnung

3rd Public Prize

Peak Design backpack

Thea Mihu

Harvested by Sun and Sea

Most-voted small photo

Shimoda Urban Explore backpack from GraphicArt

Daniel Helbling

Wintersymmetrie

Bonus Prize

Lifetime subscription to Pictrs

Fabienne Gassmann

Wild at Heart

Sponsors

The post Winners announced: SPC Photo Awards Zürich September 2026 appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.

Location: SPC Geneva, 5 Rue Henri-Christiné, 1205 – On Site, Part-Time (~50%)

This is a hands-on role at the heart of Swiss Photo Club in French-speaking Switzerland. You’ll be based in our Geneva office and studio in Plainpalais, work directly with the founder, and take care of everything that makes our courses, studio and exhibitions run smoothly in the region.

The role

Your week will look something like this: making sure the upcoming courses in Geneva, Lausanne and the rest of Suisse Romande are scheduled and staffed; answering students and prospective students by phone, email and chat, mainly in French; managing studio rentals and keeping the Plainpalais space in good shape; translating our newsletters and marketing content into French; entering instructor invoices; keeping our image databases in order; and, a few times a year, organising SPC Photo Awards exhibitions — from venue to printing to opening night.

It’s a role for someone who likes variety, is comfortable being the go-to person, and enjoys improving how things work rather than just keeping them going.

You

You live in Geneva or nearby and can be at the office at least four half days a week. You’re fluent in French and can understand and speak English at a conversational level — it’s the language of our internal team. You hold Swiss citizenship or a valid B, C or G permit. You’re organised, reliable and independent, and you like being around photography and creative people, even if you’re not a photographer yourself.

Practical details

• Part-time 50%: about 20 hours a week over 5 days; at least 4 days at the office, 1 day home office possible
• Start: September / October 2026, with a handover
• Pay: CHF 2130/month, plus free access to SPC courses and workshops
• Location: Geneva, Plainpalais

If you’re looking for a dynamic and impactful role in a growing creative company, fill in the form below. We look forward to hearing from you!

The post We are hiring! Operations Manager for Suisse Romande (Geneva, 50%) appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.

It’s a powerful symbol that deserves better than grainy, out-of-focus shots!

So here are four tips for you to learn before the first rocket goes up.

1. Scout your spot before dark

Figure out where the fireworks will launch from and get there early — the best vantage points fill up fast.

If there’s water nearby, stand on the opposite side from the launch point: you’ll get the fireworks and their reflection in the same frame.

Don’t forget composition! A little foreground interest adds depth to a photo that an empty sky lacks. If you’re near a crowd, a few silhouettes in the foreground add interest. If you’re at the lake, consider including some boulders along the shore.

2. Check the wind, then stand with your back to it

Smoke drifts. If it’s blowing toward you, your shots will fog up by the third or fourth burst. A quick check of wind direction tells you where to stand.

Use the interactive maps in the MeteoSwiss app to see live wind animations and current measurements in your area.

3. Focus on the first firework, then switch to manual

Let autofocus lock onto an early burst, then switch your lens to manual focus. In the dark, autofocus will hunt and miss for the rest of the show. But once you set manual focus once, it stays put.

4. Tripod, bulb mode, self-timer

A tripod is non-negotiable at the shutter speeds fireworks need. 2 to 4 seconds is a minimum; as long as 8 seconds may give you even better results, depending on what you’re looking for.

Bulb mode is also perfect for shooting fireworks. This is a setting that keeps the shutter open until you stop it, giving you much longer exposures than are typically possible. Start the exposure before the firework goes off and cover the lens with a piece of black paper or board. When the firework goes off, pull the board away. When it’s finished, cover the lens again and stop the exposure. Or wait for the next firework to expose it on top of the previous one, creating an image with multiple fireworks.

With long exposures (bulb mode or not), be sure to trigger the shutter with a 2-second self-timer rather than your finger — even a stable tripod picks up the shake of a button press.

Want to go further than four tips? We’ll teach you how to master low-light photography, including light painting and other fun applications, in our night and long-exposure photography courses: see upcoming dates

The post How to Photograph Fireworks: 4 Tips for Swiss National Day appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.

Gewinner

Jury Preis

Canon EOS R8 + RF 24–50mm F4.5–6.3 IS STM

Peter Fischer

Spur der Stille

1. Publikumspreis

CHF 1500.- SPC Fotoreise Gutschein

Alexis Darphin

Its a Hardturm life

2. Publikumspreis

Jetmag Pro Landscape ND Kit 82MAG

Willi Rubli

Hello!

3. Publikumspreis

Shimoda Urban Explore 20 – Boa

Sabine Pegoraro

Beautiful light Puma

Kleinfoto mit den meisten Stimmen

Polaroid Flip + Color Film Bundle

J. Aggeler

Liminal Lager – Bau 26

Bonus-Preis

Lebenslanges Abonnement für Pictrs

Dario Yarando

moments before impact

Sponsoren

The post Gewinner: SPC Photo Awards Zürich Mai 2026 appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.

Prize Winners

Jury Prize

GraphicArt gift voucher CHF1500

François Paccaud, «Je te vois… !»

1st Place - Public Vote

SPC Photo Trip Voucher worth CHF 1500

Thibaut Jossein, «Le vieil homme et la lumière»

2nd Place - Public Vote

Manfrotto 190XPRO Tripod &
Lowepro freeline backpack

Jean-Philippe Grandjean, «Breaking the ice»

3rd Place - Public Vote

Shimoda UrbanExplore backpack from GraphicArt & Patona fast charger bundle

Laura Fasel, «Surface trompeuse»

Public Vote: Most voted small print

Peak Design travel backpack

Haoyin Wu, «Sommet des Nations»

Bonus Prize: Pictrs Selection

Lifetime Ultimate membership at Pictrs.com

Jutta Joy Gross, «Iconic Presence»

Sponsors

The post Winners: SPC Photo Awards Geneva May 2026 appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.

The post Winners: SPC Photo Awards Biel/Bienne April 2026 appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.

Winners

Jury Prize

CHF 1500.- GraphicArt Gift voucher

Kateryna Polishchuk

The traces we leave behind

1st Public Prize

CHF 1500.- SPC Photo Trip Gift Voucher

Melanie Meister
Momentum

2nd Public Prize

Manfrotto Befree Stativ & Lowepro Trekker Rucksack

Dorota Couleru

The pool

3rd Public Prize

Shimoda Urban Explore

Sheila Hubschmid

Passion

Most-voted small photo

Patona Powerbank

Hazell Gabriela Moncada Medina

Hidden Sanctuary

Bonus Prize

Lifetime subscription to Pictrs

Rita Iten

aus dem Rahmen gefallen

Sponsors

The post Winners: SPC Photo Awards Zurich March 2026 appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.

Prize Winners

Jury Prize

GraphicArt gift voucher CHF1500

Jacqueline Perregaux : Défence Bleue

1st Place - Public Vote

SPC Photo Trip Voucher worth CHF 1500

Samuel Taverne : Un moment suspendu dans les nuages

2nd Place - Public Vote

GraphicArt gift voucher CHF500

Rechenzo Isles : Midnight Muse

3rd Place - Public Vote

Shimoda UrbanExplore backpack from GraphicArt

Maud Monnet : Just in time

Public Vote: Most voted small print

Small photo printed big

Carla Carapetyan : Inner walk

Bonus Prize: Pictrs Selection

Lifetime Ultimate membership at Pictrs.com

Judith Mijderwijk : Lago Federa

Sponsors

The post Winners: SPC Photo Awards Geneva February 2026 appeared first on Swiss Photo Club Blog.