Ernst Scheidegger was born in 1923 and lives in Zurich. Following training as a window designer, he received photography training with Hans Finsler at the Kunstgewerbeschule Zurich. From 1949-1952 he worked as an exhibited designer for the Marshall Plan in Paris, and then as a free-lance photographer for the Magnum agency. He taught at the University for Design in Ulm and prepared a school for design in Ahmedabad, India. From 1960-1980 he was the editor of the photo supplement "Das Wochenende" for the newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung. At the same time he operated a gallery and a publishing house, and made numerous documentaries for Swiss television and Swissair. He also made filmportraits of artists (Max Bill, Alberto Giacometti and Hans Erni among others.)

"...I wish to document Giacometti's personality. I do so using photographs taken almost continuously from 1943 up to the time of his death; these were the twenty years in which his art became well-known. During this time, I took countless photographs, only a small number of which appear in this volume.
Alberto Giacometti's nature, work and thoughts fascinated me and other friends tremendously. I was one of the lucky ones allowed to experience his life. Unfortunately I recorded few of our conversations and his thoughts. My encounters with him, and the resulting photographs, were of a more intimate, personal sort.
Giacometti was not a legend to me. I treasured his absolute will for freedom. He was often cunning and harsh with his judgements and opinions, yet at the same time sensitive. His contradictoriness-- often described by others-- to me represented an expression of his personality, fervent existence and presence.
I loved and respected this man"
--Ernst Scheidegger