Francesco Ruggeri was born in Catania, he mastered in Psicology in Padova. Following his passion for photography he moves to New York where he lives, has his professional training and works.

 

Based on his studio "123 fifth" he does advertising and corporate photography for american and italian clients. His reportages talk about deep social issues in those years in the States: racism, fundamentalism, the winners and the loosers of the Big Apple. Looking briefly trough his portraits of those years and later we find: Wall Street magicians, belly dancers, actors, rock stars, biospherians, italoamericans, a unique caricaturist, top models, frightened tunafish, famous because rich, rich because famous, French Quarter girls in New Orleans, many others, common people that usually don't find a place in a biography.

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In 1992 he moves back to Sicily following his roots, since then his studio is in Catania.

He does advertising photography for many clients, among them: STMicroelectronics, 3Sun, J.Walter Thompson, De Beers, Citibank, New York University, Mondadori, Fodor's, Sheraton, Esso, Trony, Teatro Massimo Bellini, La Sicilia, Condorelli, Marella Ferrera, Torre del Grifo Village, Baia Taormina, Multiservizi, Sole, Conmar, Sicep, Sat, Sac, Moak, Mad.

His pictures are pubblished on international and italian magazines: New York Times, Newsweek, Business Week, Smithsonian Magazine, Epoca, Venerdì di Repubblica, Sette del Corriere della Sera, Dove, Capital, Class, Max, Ciak, Panorama, Espresso, Marie Claire.

 

IN 2004 he publishes "Sensi, Donne sull'orlo dell'isola" with the interviews of Elvira Seminara, Domenico Sanfilippo Editore, portrait stories of women in Sicily.

 

From 2007-2008 to 2009-2010 he is professor of "Fotografia e comunicazione: teoria e tecnica" at the Facoltà di Lingue e Letterature Straniere, Università di Catania.

In 2008-2009 he is professor of "Fotografia dello spettacolo" at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Catania.

From 2009-2010 to 2010-2011 he is professor of "Storia e tecnica della fotografia" at the Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia, Università di Catania.

From 2011-2012 to these days he is professor of "Storia e tecnica della fotografia" at the Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell'Università di Catania.