Gérard Rancinan was born February 18, 1953, in Talence, southwest France just a few ocean-sprayed meters away from the picturesque port of Bordeaux. "When I was a child I remember seeing boats moored at the end of streets, horizons that seemed to stretch on forever. And without realizing it at the time, I breathed a mixture of perfumes from all four corners of the world - a calling to travel, you could say."

After a short but "pretty unbearable" period of study, Gérard directly entered the world of photojournalism as apprentice lab technician in the photographic department of the Bordeaux-based "Sud-Ouest" newspaper. After three years of working in the darkroom, Gérard became, at the age of 18, the youngest photojournalist in France, and was assigned coverage of the local Bordeaux news. "The best hands-on experience ever. You imagine covering three rugby matches all starting at the same time every Sunday afternoon, 15 miles apart. There's no time for rnessing about!" Wanting to climb the echelons quickly, some considered the "youngster" as just a bit too ambitious, and definitely overzealous for the somewhat tranquil routine of a picture department of a provincial newspaper.
Aged 21, Gérard was sent to the local agency of the newspaper in Pau in the Pyrenees region. "I started my career rather spoilt between two winners of the Albert Londres prize for journalism, Jean-Claude Guillebault and Pierre Veilletet. Our boss Henri Amouroux, made it quite clear that the best policy was head down and go for it. So of course, when I arrived in Pau, a clean, quiet town and about as boring as they come - I realized I had to prepare myself for a different kind of future."

"Whilst covering a range of events Gérard made the most of his spare time for producing his first major assignments in Kuwait and Portugal. Noticed by the newly-formed Sygma agency, he chose to be distributed by the latter in 1973. "Not only did I know about the work done by Sygma's major photographers, but I was faultless on LIFE's and Magnum's photographers, too. You could ask me anything you wanted about the photos of Cartier Bresson, Elliot Erwitt, Larry Burrows, Ian Berry or Co Retminster - they held no secrets for me. Not surprising really when you're in the deepest Pyrenees and you've got time to dream away."

After five years "... of razor sharp training in the adventure of photography", he was appointed staff photographer at Sygma in Paris. He not only covered worldwide current events such as earthquakes in Algeria, the incidents in Poland, war in the Lebanon, riots in England, but also sport - the Olympic games, the World Cup, the world athletic championships. Gérard Rancinan also photographed film shoots - Akira Kurosawa's Ran, Beneix' Betty Blue, Bertolucci's The Last Emperor, and covered features on people in show business, the fashion world, and movies. He took a keen interest in everything.
"Variety is the spice of life. 1 want to have a go at everything even although I feel more confident in certain areas. Change keeps you on your toes. It's like light pervading a house."

Gérard Rancinan rapidly became one of the agency's figureheads. His photographs were published in the most prestigious magazines in the world.

He won several major prizes including the first prize of the World Press four times over, once as runner-up and once as third, as well as the European set photographer's prize. At this point he decided to withdraw from competitions, and refused any form of distinction bestowed upon him.

"Pretension is like blinding light. I fear it will be like a constant reminder of the past, like looking in the rearview mirror. I want to be challenged by the present."

Concurrently with his aim for hard and fast current event coverage, Gérard Rancinan started composing reportages tuned to worldwide issues, and increasingly involved himself in the stories he had to tell. "I want to make use of the world about me, of its people, of the existence that unfolds before my eyes. I want to portray the world, dive in head first. I don't want to become an objective photojounalist, I want to involve myself completely and utterly. I want to give a personal view of a moment I capture, and reflect this as a player in the progress of civilization. I'm only interested in the present. I'm happy to relinquish the past and my future as well.
I take photographs to relate what people or events inspire in me. And more than anything I want my pictures to be shown and understood by as many people as possible. I don't know whether the photos describing the events I portray are exact, but they are true to life. Publication in revues has become my sole objective, the sole reward I enjoy."

Gérard left Sygma in 1986 to set up his own agency, but lightning success and the commercial intricacies of business rapidly demoralized him. "It was too proud an undertaking, too sublime, too complex to manage, too costly, too pretentious. I had lost sight of my only goal."
Three years later, he left the agency to become freelance. "As light as a feather, as free as a bird." He now scours the planet at a frenetic pace, leaping from one subject to another, producing the most incredible sagas coherent with events on our planet. Gérard hops from Tokyo to New York, to Munich to Madrid to Hong Kong to Rio.

Top magazines publish his work over dozens of pages. "I've made myself the biggest gallery in the world, the most prestigious museum." Although he is not a portrait specialist, his style and themes mean that he captures the most significant personalities of the world on film. "A true butterfly collector, snaps destined for eternity..." Over the past few years he has published his work, photos, words, and film under the title "Voyage au Pays de l'Homme".

Gérard Rancinan lives to the full on the planet Earth ...