My Parents:

Dad during his Military Time, Photo taken in Senegal during the Algerian Independance War. He served in the Colonial Troops as a "Tirailleur Sénégalais"

Mum, a true Parisian Girl with very unique ideas. She joined my Dad after he got stationed in Republique Centrafircaine, back in 1962.

Mom got easy with the African life, going to the local market was not more to her than shopping at the "Place des Fêtes" of her Parisian Youth.

Mom and Dad were very unconventional relaxed people. In fact they decided to get away from the to complex and strict French Society at the end of the 50ies. Africa was the best place to be after all.

 Dad, a scientist was trying to develop techniques for improving the bovine production. Here he is getting Krutchev and Kennedy, a pair of long horned Semi wild African Bororo Bulls to the plough. My Dad has become over the years one of the World Expert of the sub-saharian zones. Today retired, he has still a name in his field.

 I was born near Orleans (the Old Orleans, in France) in 1964. One thing my Mom liked was to dress me up like mee Dad. Very often I would have the same colored shirts.

My Nanny was named Mathieu, a typical indigeneous guy, he was the cook and the majordome of my parents, sleeping often at the front of the door of my parent's hut. Not by devotion towards his bosses but for the fear to be killed and eaten off (and he was not totally wrong so my parents said). Those days were full of colors…

One photo taken while I was wandering into a Pygmes camp. This photo has been salvaged as the forest was so humid that the slides lost their colors.

Parents had given me a "kitten" which has grown up too big too soon. They had to get rid of this panthera the day it tried to kill me off. Hmmm, did you say not too conventional, eh?

  Although I was young, flowers were my favorite. A early passion for color and photography some would say.

 In 1967, Parents bought Toupiargues, the family residence is still with us today. A old mension built in 1791 and totally restored. I spent a lot of my youth helping out Dad to re-build this place.

The photo taken for the first day I used a bycicle. The Car is a Renault R16.

1968, the birth of Christel, my sister.

Circa 1969 Till 1975, we were living in Africa, in Saint Louis du Senegal Chris, a slim girl near the Bougainviller trees, in Senegal.

In 1970, Flo, the youngest had come. She completed the family. Born in St Louis, this detail confused some Black American Custom Officer from Missouri when she crossed the border of USA coming from Canada…

Mom was not happy to be the subject of a photography.

We don't have many records of her. Unfortunately she passed away in '97 at the age of 62

Dad, his three kids with him, picture taken by Mom..

Our Nanny, Adama was not desguised but accepted to pose for the photo. Adama, a mother of 12 children at the age of 40….

Much later, in Ethiopia, circa 1976. Due to conditions, it was difficult to get film, Dad did not make so many pictures at that time.

Chris and I, behind, the Ethiopian Plateau.

Typical Teenager Activity, photograpy and cars (pretending driving)

Family Week End Trips in Ethiopia.

Circa 1984, The Two sisters.

Christel remained a fierce blonde Girl next to our Dog

Circa 1984, a young lad, playing cards with Flo, the Brunette.

My last days in Africa, I was 20 then. After the Baccalaureat in Ethiopia, I went back to France for joining a engineeniring school ( http://www.esiea.fr )

The same guy, around 20 years of difference.

At that time, I had already been broken out by a motorcycle accident. One leg was severly damaged. 20 years later, still on a motorcycle, a huge touring bike (taken in April 2003 by my partner in life).