After studying for a second-year diploma in history, Jean-François Castell enrolled at the Ecole Technique de Photographie et d’Audiovisuel in Toulouse. His photos of street artists earned him a double-page spread in Paris Match. A report on mopeds in Ouagadougou opened up new opportunities for him with publishing houses and agencies in Paris. In 1991, he completed a photo assignment in Croatia, the subject of a joint exhibition in Rouen. L’Evénement du Jeudi, La Vie and others published his pictures of the worn faces of refugees in Central Bosnia and of children in Sarajevo.

In 1992, he discovered street basketball. Le Figaro Magazine and La Vie published his first images, which burst with life and colour. The Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation awarded him a grant for a report on the social dimension of street basketball in France. “Under the basketball net, on housing estates, you’ll find all of the problems facing young people in the suburbs, but also the magical mix of cultures and races. In fact, the report on basketball was a pretext for learning more about this situation.”

Achievements since winning the grant
In 1995, the Castell report selected by the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation was published in France and abroad, and was awarded the Society prize at the Angers photojournalism festival.
In 1997, Jean-François Castell explored itinerant and nomadic lifestyles in France. Le Chemin de Papa, the first part of this investigation, appeared in 1999. This report was published around the world and received the Special Jury prize at the Angers Photojournalism Festival and came second in the Humanity Photo awards in 2001. The second part appeared as a documentary trilogy, Roule Roulotte, Rêves de Roulotte and Autour de l’Europe.
In 2004, his work appeared as part of Regards sur 10 Nouvelles Capitales Européennes on the Champs Elysées.
In 2005, he made a 26-minute documentary, Shetland Circus.
In 2005, Jean-François made a documentary, L’Enfant du Chemin, which followed a family as they travelled along the Santiago de Compostella trail on donkeys.