Mario Heller

Photo: Birgit von Bally

mail@marioheller.ch

+49 176 750 313 73

Mario Heller is a Swiss photojournalist and photo editor based in Berlin. Before turning to photography, he worked as a pastry chef. He graduated from MAZ Swiss School of Journalism in 2015.

His work focuses on long-form reportage from remote or politically complex regions, including Barentsburg, Narva, Nakhchivan, and the Armenian village of Hawresk in northern Iraq. In 2026, he was named Swiss Press Photographer of the Year. His work has also received the LensCulture Critics' Choice Award and the Swiss Storytelling Photo Grant, among others.

Since 2023, he has been a member of Panos Pictures in London, which distributes his stories internationally. Since 2021, he works part-time as a staff photographer and photo editor at Tagesspiegel in Berlin. Between 2018 and 2020, he contributed to Bild am Sonntag. His reportages have appeared in The Guardian, Die Zeit, Süddeutsche Zeitung, NZZ, Republik, Newsweek, and de Volkskrant, among others. Alongside his editorial work, he collaborates with NGOs and commercial clients including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Exhibitions & Prizes

Work & Study

Member of Panos Pictures (UK)
2023 – present

Member of Panos Pictures (UK)

Full member of the international photo agency, with global representation and distribution.

Photo Editor at Tagesspiegel (GER)
2021 – present

Photo Editor at Tagesspiegel (GER)

Staff photographer and photo editor. Shooting portraits and stories in Berlin, editing images for the daily newspaper, and researching photographs for the company's online platforms and magazines.

Photography Director at LOLA Magazine in Berlin (GER)
2019 – present

Photography Director at LOLA Magazine in Berlin (GER)

Photographing and writing features for print and web. Shaping the visual identity of the magazine together with the editor-in-chief. Selecting images and assigning photographers for each issue.

Artist in Residence at Lyceum Alpinum in Zuoz (CH)
2020 – 2021

Artist in Residence at Lyceum Alpinum in Zuoz (CH)

Documenting the daily life of the Swiss boarding school and developing a new photographic language for its internal and external communications. Managing social media accounts and establishing a coherent visual identity.

Photo Editor at BILD am SONNTAG in Berlin (GER)
2018 – 2020

Photo Editor at BILD am SONNTAG in Berlin (GER)

Photo editor at one of Germany's largest Sunday newspapers. Shooting portraits in Berlin, editing images, and shaping the paper's visual language. Collaborating with the art direction and editorial team, researching and assigning photographers.

Photo Editor at mmpro in Berlin (GER)
2017 – 2018

Photo Editor at mmpro in Berlin (GER)

Producing stories and writing texts for photo-driven features. Coordinating photographers and sourcing images for publications including "Der Schweizer". Working closely with the editorial team.

Photographer at Aargauer Zeitung in Aarau (CH)
2015 – 2017

Photographer at Aargauer Zeitung in Aarau (CH)

Photographing portraits and reportages for the daily newspaper, alongside developing and publishing own editorial stories.

Photographer for Kinderdorf Pestalozzi in Thailand
2015

Photographer for Kinderdorf Pestalozzi in Thailand

Embedded reportage documenting three remote schools in northern Thailand, produced for the charity's website and publications.

Study at MAZ – Die Schweizer Journalistenschule in Lucerne (CH)
2014 – 2015

Study at MAZ – Die Schweizer Journalistenschule in Lucerne (CH)

One-year programme in photojournalism with a focus on editorial photography and the media industry. Masterclass with Peter Van Agtmael and Didier Ruf.