I am a traveler. a photographer. a storyteller.
I have always been a traveler and a wanderer. Travel for me is not about vacations; it is my way to learn about a world that I care deeply about. There is nothing that energizes me more than to be in a foreign environment trying to uncover some of its secrets.
I have an insatiable curiosity about other cultures and their ways of life.
Not that life is easy everywhere and I have seen plenty of very challenging situations. But I always find beauty wherever I go.
It is this beauty and an urge to share it that got me into photography. After an unsatisfying career in academia, a few years ago I decided to act on my passion to see some of the more remote regions of the world, and share what I find. I am a self-taught photographer, but I have tried to work on my skills diligently. As you can see from my images in the galleries, my true love is to photograph people; I rarely photograph landscapes or landmarks. Although I enjoy shooting portraits, what I really like is capturing “snippets” of people’s lives and documenting small events, from cultural rituals to daily life activities.
And I like to tell stories, so I started a blog where I can have images and words. It is not a typical travel blog with tips of where to go on a next vacation, nor is it a typical photography blog with only the best images captured on a trip. It is a blog where I tell stories and select the images that help tell the tale. If you take the time to look at some of the posts, please do leave a comment. The comments are another way for me to learn, which is my deepest passion. If you prefer to communicate with me directly, send me a message using the box below or I an be reached at [email protected].
To a beautiful world,
France
Please be aware that all the images on the site are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without permission.
Contact France Leclerc
Awards
2022
- International Photography Award (IPA), People, Traditions and Culture, Honorable Mention, The Mundari and their Treasured Cows
- Paris Prix de la Photography (PX3), State of the World, Shortlisted, The Mundari and their Treasured Cows
- ND (Neutral Density) Award, People and Culture, Gold Star Award, The Mundari and their Treasured Cows
- Meitar Award for Excellence in Photography, Finalist, The Mundari and their Treasured Cows
- Miami Street Photography Festival, 3rd Place, The Celestial Ladies
- Paris Street Photography Festival, Finalist, The Celestial Ladies
2021
- Voyage Travel Awards, Sense of Place Category, Finalist, Raffia
- Black and White Photo, Spotlight Award, Proud Wodaabe Boy
- All About Photos, Travel Photography, Particular Merit Mention, Proud Wodaabe Boy.
- International Photography Award (IPA), People and Lifestyle, Honorable Mention, Out for Prayers
- 16th Julia Margaret Cameron Award, Culture and Daily Life Category, Honorable Mention, The Wodaabes, Nomads of the Sahel
- 16th Black and White Spider Awards, 3rd Place with Honor Distinction in the Children Category, Appleby
- Siena International Photo Award, Honorable Mention, Journeys and Adventures Category, Out for Prayers
- Portrait of Humanity Award, Finalist, Among the Sheep
- Paris Prix de la Photography (PX3), Gold Medal, Street Photography Category, Out for Prayers
- Paris Prix de la Photography (PX3), Bronze Medal, Press Category, Raffia
- Paris Prix de la Photography (PX3) State of the World, Shortlisted, Life at the Ranch
2020
- 15th Black and White Spider Award, Nominee, Woodabe Children
- International Photography Award (IPA), Events, Traditions and Cultures Category, Honorable Mention, Ganga Sagar Mela
- International Photography Award (IPA), Events, Traditions and Cultures Category, Honorable Mention, Gerewol Festival
- Paris Prix de la Photography (PX3), State of the World, Shortlisted, Ganga Sagar Mela
- Paris Prix de la Photography (PX3), State of the World, Shortlisted, The Last Train to Bishwa Ijtema
- Paris Prix de la Photography (PX3), Portraiture, Honorable Mention, Water Gypsies
- Urban Photo Award, Street Category, Semi-Finalist, Feet First
- 15th Pollux Award, Culture and Daily Life Category, Honorable Mention, Water Gypsies
- 15th Julia Margaret Cameron Award, Culture and Daily Life Category, Honorable Mention, The Last Train to Bishwa Ijtema
- All About Photos, Travel Photography, Honorable Mention, Raffia
- Focus L.A. Top 20 finalist, Colorful Curls
- Portrait of Humanity Award, Shortlisted, Wodaabe Girls
- San Francisco Bay International Photography Awards, Gold Medal, Feet First
2019
- 14th Pollux Awards-Culture and Daily Life, Honorable Mention, Fishing for Life
- All About Photo, Street Photography, Particular Merit Mention, Colorful Curls
- 14th Julia Margaret Cameron Award-Culture and Daily Life Category-Winner, Children of Mongolia
- All About Photo, The Mind’s Eyes, Particular Merit Mention, Among the Sheep
- Photo-Lucida Critical Mass, Finalist, Irish Travellers Who No Longer Travelled
- Travel Photographer of the Year, Finalist, Appleby Horse Fair
- TIFA (Tokyo International Photo Festival), Bronze Medal, Among the Sheep
- International Photography Award (IPA), Feature Story Category, Honorable Mention, Fishing for Life
2018
- Paris Prix de la Photography (PX3), Gold Medal, Portraiture/Culture, Among the Sheep
- Chromatic Awards, First Place, Among the Sheep
- Siena International Photo Awards, Finalist, Boy Among the Sheep
- PDN World-in-Focus competition in the Travel Story Category, On the Road in Dhaka
- International Photography Award (IPA), Feature Story Category, Honorable Mention, Irish Travellers
2017
- Paris Prix de la Photography (PX3) Portraiture/Culture, Bronze Medal, The Frankincense Boy
- PhotoLucida Critical Mass, Finalist, My Paradise
- Travel Photographer of the Year Award, Finalist, Small Town Timkat
- APA National Award in the Photojournalism Category, Railroad Tracks
- PDN World-in-Focus competition in the Travel Portrait Category, Among the Sheep
- International Photography Award (IPA), Tradition and Cultures Category, Honorable Mention, Small Town Timkat
2016
- International Photography Award (IPA), Feature Story Category, Honorable Mention, Off The Grid
- International Photography Award (IPA), Tradition and Cultures Category, Honorable Mention, Hola Mohalla
2015
- Paris Prix de la Photography (PX3) Portraiture/Culture, Silver Medal, Baking Bread in Ladakh
- Paris Prix de la Photography (PX3) Portraiture/Culture, Bronze Medal, Getting Ready in Ladakh
Publications
- Lens Magazine Photo-Essay “The Mundari and their Treasured Cows“. Issue #100, Janury 2023
- Dodho Magazine Photo-Essay “Tribal Dances“, Issue #20, March 2022
- All About Photo Magazine, Travel, “The Wodaabes, Nomads of the Sahel” Issue #20, August 2021
- Portraits of Humanity, “Among the Sheep”, Vol. 3, Hoxton Mini Press, 2021
- Shadow and Light Magazine, “Kazakh Childhood” Nov/Dec 2021
- Dodho Magazine Photo-Essay “Kazakh Children“, Issue #16, March 2021
- Lens Magazine Photo-Essay “More Colorful than Life“, Issue #74, November 2020
- Shadow and Light Magazine, “Wodaabe Herder Boy“, Sept/Oct 2020
- Lens Magazine Photo-Essay “A Wodaabe Gathering“, Issue #70, July 2020
- Portraits of Humanity, “Wodaabe Girls”, Vol. 2, Hoxton Mini Press, 2020
- Dodho Online Magazine, Photo-Essay “A Wodaabe Gathering”
- Dodho Online Magazine, Photo-Essay “La Romeria del Rocio”
- Dodho Online Magazine, Photo-Essay “Irish Travellers”
- Dodho Online Magazine, Photo-Essay “Brick-by-Brick”
- Dodho Online Magazine, Photo-Essay “Heavy Loads of Colorful Fair”
- All About Photo Magazine, Travel, Benin: “Raffia, Palm Oil and Voodoo”, Issue #11, April 2020
- All About Photo Magazine, Street, “Life in the Streets”, Issue #8, November 2019
- All About Photo Magazine, The Mind’s Eye, “Among the Sheep”, Special Issue, 2019
- PDN (Photo District News), “Among the Sheep”, December 2017
- PDN (Photo District News), On the Road in Dhaka, December 2018
Exhibitions
Curated Group Exhibitions
- Miami Street Photography Festival, History Miami Museum, December 2, 2022- January 3, 2021
- Jeonju International Photography Festival (with EOMS) South Korea, September 23-October 9, 2022
- Eyes on Main Street, 8th Ed., Wilson, NC, USA, October 20, 2022-March 30, 2023
- Women Street Photographers, Hyderabad, India, November 18-December 19, 2022
- PHOTO IS:RAEL, International Photography Festival, November 23-December 3, 2022
- Eyes on Main Street, 7th Ed., Wilson, NC, USA, October 20, 2021-March 30,2022
- Focus PhotoLA, Los Angeles, CA, September 16-September 19, 2021
- Women Street Photographers, 59 Rivoli Gallery, Paris, July 26-August 8, 2021
- Finding the Light, an exhibition at Photo-Place Gallery, Middlebury, VT, December 31, 2020-January 21, 2021
- Women Street Photographers, ArtSpace, New York City, NY, December 11-28 2020
- Center for Photographic Arts, 2020 International Juried Show, Carmel, CA, November 14-December 20, 2020
- Women Street Photographers, State Historical Museum, Chelyabinsk, Russia, August 27-September 27, 2020
- 14th Julia Margaret Cameron Exhibition, Foto-Nostrum Gallery, Barcelona March 4-28, 2020
- 13th Julia Margaret Cameron Exhibition, Gallery Valid Foto, Barcelona, October 9-26, 2019
- Women at Work, an exhibition at PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT, November 7-30, 2019
- Travel: Places and Faces , an exhibition at Photo-Place Gallery, Middlebury, VT, November 7-December 9, 2018
- Dnj Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, July-August 2015
- Los Angeles Center of Photography, Los Angeles, CA, July-August 2014d
Exhibitions
- Solus World View Visceral Dance Company
Performance inspired by my images- July 2017