Born in 1927 in Avenches, Switzerland. Died in 2007 in Montreux, Switzerland.

Yvan Dalain attended the photography class of Getrude Fehr at the Ecole des Arts et Métiers Vevey. Throughout his career he was one of the leading Swiss photojournalists, but he also worked as an advertising and fashion photographer for agencies such as Magnum, Rapho and others. His photographs were printed in several publications, including «Du», «Die Woche», «L’lllustré», «Jour de France» and many more. He was committed to the tradition of pre-war Swiss reportage photography, influenced by prominent photographers such as Arnold Kübler and Gotthard Schuh. From 1959 on, Dalain worked as a producer and director for western Swiss television. He made numerous documentaries and feature films, as well as live broadcasts. In 1984, the film “au coeur du racisme” documented racism in Switzerland in a way that was unique to date. After his retirement in the early 1990s, Dalain wrote several novels – some of them autobiographically inspired – which were also awarded prizes. 

Yvan Dalain’s works are represented in national collections including the Fotostfitung Schweiz; Fondation Auer Ory pour la Photographie, Switzerland; Schweizerisches Sozialarchiv; Schweizerische Nationalbibliothek.