Francois Lochon began his career as a photographer with the Gamma agency in 1975, notably covering the travels of John Paul II, whom he followed around the world for 20 years. Since then, he has remained faithful to photojournalism, covering numerous current events in over 160 countries. His work has won three World Press Photo1 awards, and in 1984 he was awarded the Grand Prix Paris Match du photojournalisme for his images of the Iraq-Iran war. His passion for Antarctica led him to spend 6 months on the continent in several visits. An exhibition of his main photos, entitled Terre des Pôles, took place on the gates of the Jardin du Luxembourg in 2008.