Patrick Gripe

He discovered photography at a photo club in Elancourt, a west Parisian suburb. It was love at first sight and he knew it was for life.

He finished top of the class in Ivry-sur-Seine’s photography school, and got his first freelance work with Le Figaro and Libération. He started working with L’Equipe Magazine at the end of the 90s. He found an endless source of inspiration in the world of sport, with its powerful stories, rich characters and soul-inhabited stadiums.

Through the precision of his images and ability to capture an atmosphere, he excelled in the art of visual story telling. When he spoke about his work he said he just wanted to be an eyewitness to a reality where the human spirit is the main subject. He died suddenly and unexpectedly on the night of the 4th October 2010, at the age of 47.