Les Rochats, a welcoming land under the snow (News 2016, by Odile Meylan) - Swiss Press Award

Odile Meylan

photographe, Lausanne, 1972

Born in Lausanne on October 17, 1972, Odile became a primary school teacher at 23. But very quickly, a deep desire to see more of the world took hold of her. She put down her chalk, grabbed her backpack, and set off to travel the world. Back in Switzerland, she bought her first SLR camera and began her photography career. Self-taught and passionate, she sought every opportunity to learn more. She took evening classes, worked as an assistant to various photographers, and finally went to New York to hone her skills at the International Center of Photography (ICP). In 2002, she was hired by the daily newspaper 24 Heures to cover the national exhibition Expo'02, and later as a PR photographer. Odile has collaborated extensively, notably crossing the Atlantic on the Queen Elizabeth II for Animan magazine. For the NGOs Medair and Terre des Hommes, she has produced photojournalism reports in Afghanistan, Sudan, Pakistan, Colombia, and Angola.