Jonathan Ducrest was born and raised in Switzerland, where his interest in photography was ignited with a point-and-shoot camera he received from his parents. The mountain vistas, atmospheric conditions, and dramatic scenery of the towering Swiss landscape, provided him with his earliest subjects.

In 1998 he relocated to the United States, where he settled in New York City. There, he expanded his practice into the urban canyons and architectural wonders of the metropolis, which drew parallels with his earlier scenes of nature's awe-inspiring power.

In 2013 Ducrest moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of new photographic discoveries. The West Coast's varied topography—deserts, oceanic horizons, and local styles—have provided a fresh set of artistic challenges, while also bringing together the varied strands of his visual palette from twenty-five years of experimentation and creative investigation. Ducrest's compositional skill, discerning eye, and cinematic sensibilities have made him one of the foremost practitioners of landscape, travel and urban photography working in the Los Angeles area. After 23 years in the U.S., he returned to his native Switzerland in early 2021 and resides in Zürich.

Ducrest's work has been collected extensively, by individuals, and major collectors, including Netflix. His photographs have been featured in many television productions—Disney-ABC, Warner Media and Apple. Jonathan collaborates extensively with Switzerland Tourism, showcasing his native homeland through his images. In spring 2023, his book Lockdown L.A. was one of the winning titles at the Belfast Photo Festival. In August 2023, reFocus Awards named him Photographer of the Year.