Born in Lille, I am a father and an independent photographer. I studied Khâgne (a two-year intensive preparatory course in humanities) in Lille, a master of British and American literatures in Nice and a master of Journalism in Paris Sorbonne University before heading to London for internships at the Sun, the Sunday Times and The Guardian. My first full-time job was local reporter at Var Matin (Fréjus, Saint-RaphaëI and Saint-Tropez offices). In 2007, I moved to China where I started to document the preparation of Beijing 2008 Olympics. My pictures were published in L’Équipe magazine, France’s prestigious sports publication. Back I Paris, I was involved in the launch of investigation media Mediapart.fr. In 2009, I came back to China to settle down as Beijing correspondent for Le Temps, Le Soir, La Vie and Le Monde Diplomatique publications. I was shortlisted 3 times for the Albert Londres journalism award and brought a scoop for AFP: the first picture of escaped Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng at Beijing hospital. After 10 years in France – lately as Le Monde correspondent for Région Centre Val-de-Loire – and several assignments to Morocco, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, China and South-East Asia, I am planning to move back to China as a journalist and news photographer.

During 20 years of freelance journalism, I think developed 3 skills: 

– I can quickly build trust with strangers from all walks of life.

– I know how to unearth untold stories and tell them in a precise, visual and sensitive way. I like to find the little story that will help understand the big one.  

– I can work fast, alone and under time pressure.

I enjoy the strength of untouched and often uncropped images. Photographers Marc Riboud and Song Chao, film directors Ken Loach and Jia Zhang Ke, writers Nicolas Bouvier, Tiziano Terzani and Peter Hessler are my sources of inspiration.

Ken Loach: “The only thing that mattered to me was telling stories, period. But authentic stories, as close as possible to people and their social reality. Human stories that expose our contradictions, our suffering, our stupidity, our humour, the obscenity of certain behaviours. And stories that reflect my vision of the world“.