Fabrice Petruzzi story

Fabrice’s adventure into photography began a decade ago during a trip to Iceland with a friend, who already had many years of experience in his camera bag. Traipsing around behind his buddy, Fabrice began taking photos with his basic point-and-shoot camera. By the end of the week, he had taken thousands of shots, but he wasn’t happy. "We were visiting the same spots, at the same time, yet his photos had that extra edge.” 

Fabrice returned from Iceland with a new creative outlet that quickly became a passion. He took photo courses and upgraded his equipment. A few months later, his employer underwent restructuring, and Fabrice found himself with more time to go to work on his photographic style. He started thinking about turning his hobby into a career. 

Fabrice found a gig teaching a beginner’s class at The Photo Academy in Geneva. “It was pretty basic, the students were mostly looking to up their game on Instagram.” He also hosted astrophotography workshops and photographed weddings. “I was practicing, but it took me away from what I truly loved: landscape photography." Fabrice’s career in IT resumed and with it so did his focus on landscape imagery, he dedicated his free time to finding his next shooting location.

His adventures have taken him across Europe, from the fjords of Norway and the rugged cliffs of Scotland to the serene lakes of Switzerland. "I bought a van just before the pandemic, and with the roads almost empty, I spent weekends discovering beautiful places in Switzerland."

One of Fabrice’s most notable photographs is of a winding mountain road illuminated by car lights, a feat that required blending over 120 individual shots. "It was a technical challenge, waiting for the right conditions and then merging all the photos in Photoshop to get the perfect light trails."

However, the photograph that holds the most significance for Fabrice is a serene winter scene featuring three solitary trees standing on a snow-covered hill in Zug, near Zurich. This image was the fruit of two years’ patience and perseverance. "I first discovered the location through other photographers' work and spent hours on Google Maps and Street View trying to pinpoint the exact spot," Fabrice explains. "When I finally found it, I visited several times, but the conditions were never quite right."

Fabrice envisioned capturing the trees covered in fresh snow amid a crisp, pristine landscape, but snowfall in the area was rare and often short-lived. "I kept an eye on the weather forecasts for two years," he says. "Then, one day, I saw a snowstorm was coming. I just grabbed my gear and drove three hours to get there." He arrived in the countryside of Zug, central Switzerland at 2 pm to fresh snow but the crisp view of his dreams was covered in thick fog. "I couldn't see further than a few metres ahead, it was a complete white-out but thanks to my previous visits I knew exactly where to set up." He installed himself and his tripod atop a hill and settled in to wait. After just an hour, the fog began to lift, revealing the trees in their stark, wintry glory. "The scene was magical—white on white with just the dark silhouettes of the trees." Ten minutes later, the fog masked the landscape again. Fabrice stayed two hours until the light started to fade but the cloud never lifted again. 

He drove home in the dark, disappointed he hadn’t had the chance to shoot the sunset. But a surprise awaited him. When Fabrice imported the images onto his laptop he discovered that he had captured his dream shot after all. The resulting photograph even earned him a place among the top 101 shortlisted photographers in the 2021 International Landscape Photographer of the Year award. “I was featured alongside photographers I had been following for years. I was honoured.”

It was also not his first time in the spotlight. Back in 2016, Fabrice was featured among the finalists of National Geographic’s Landscape Photographer of the Year contest for his shot ‘Glen le Féerique’. “It was the first time I was travelling solo. I drove to the Island of Skye in the North of Scottland with a rental car and a tent in the trunk.” He visited the same spot three afternoons in a row, in the rain. On the last day, the sun came out for an instant. Fabrice was ready and captured the golden light bathing the wild Scottish island. 

Looking ahead, Fabrice dreams of photographing the dramatic landscapes of Patagonia and the diverse terrains of New Zealand. "These places are high on my list. The combination of mountains and sea in New Zealand, and the raw beauty of Patagonia, I just want to capture it all!"

For years, Fabrice’s free time and holidays were dedicated to photography. “I woke up at the crack of dawn for sunrise and could stay hours in place trying to anticipate cloud movements.” Today, he dedicates more time to his family and friends. “With experience, you learn to choose your moment.”

When he’s not exploring the world with his camera, Fabrice Petruzzi is an IT Support Specialist Trading at Pictet Asset Management. You can see a collection of his shots here or on Instagram @fabricepetruzzi. 

Four things Fabrice always brings on a photo mission:

• His camera: Nikon Z7II
• Three lenses: 16-24mm, 24-70mm, and 70-200mm to cover a wide range of focal lengths and scenarios. 
• ND (Neutral Density) and polarising filters, which help control light and reduce glare.
• A headlamp for visibility in low-light situations, essential during a mountain hike when night falls unexpectedly.