The work of photographer Gérard Uféras (b. 1954, Paris) covers a compelling and charming array of subjects, from glimpses of life behind the scenes at the opera and ballet, to marrying couples and their families on their wedding day, to the spontaneous energy and interaction of crowds at carnivals and sporting events. With the discreet but unerring eye of the seasoned photojournalist (he began a long association with Libération newspaper in the 1980s), Gérard Uféras captures people from all walks of life in moments of contemplation, creation and camaraderie, resulting in a body of work that offers a rich and nuanced picture of humanity. Published to coincide with a retrospective of his work in 2025, this book presents the photographer's own choice of some of his finest work from a long and distinguished career. What emerges most strongly from this collection is Gérard Uféras's great passion for favorite themes such as music, theater and dance, but, perhaps more resoundingly still, his profound empathy and respect for his human subjects. "From opera, ballet and fashion to street carnivals and Paris weddings, French photographer Gérard Uféras delights in capturing theatre, beauty and joy.A new book, Grace and Fire, brings together work from across his career, including fashion shots and documentary pictures taken at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the Teatro La Fenice in Venice and the Notting Hill Carnival in the UK." ― Black+White Photography "From opera, ballet and fashion to street carnivals and Paris weddings, French photographer Gérard Uféras delights in capturing theatre, beauty and joy...A new book, Grace and Fire , brings together work from across his career, including fashion shots and documentary pictures taken at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the Teatro La Fenice in Venice and the Notting Hill Carnival in the UK." ― Black+White Photography "Multi award-winning photojournalist Gérard Uféras has been producing incisive work over the past four decades, and his latest exhibition and book reveals his personal take on a range of subjects, from the Bolshoi ballet through to the multicultural nature of French society." -- Terry Hope ― Professional Photo Exhibition was featured in Var-Martin. -- Var-Martin Born in Paris in 1954, Gérard Uféras first picked up a camera at the tender age of eight, and throughout his childhood he pursued the two great passions - photography and art - which were to define his career. In 1984 he began to work regularly for the French newspaper Libération , which published many of his photographs and organized the first exhibition of his work. In 1986 he was involved in the creation of the photographers' agency Vu, while in 1993 at another agency, Rapho, he met Willy Ronis, who with Henri Cartier-Bresson and André Kertész was to influence his subsequent work. Another of his great loves was opera and the theatre, resulting in publications and exhibitions such as Un fantôme à l'opéra (on Europe's greatest opera houses) and Un pas vers les étoiles (on ballet at the Paris Opéra). After a series of immensely successful exhibitions in some of the most prestigious locations - including the Maison Européenne de la Photographie and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France - in 2023 Gérard Uféras was made a chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and his work entered the collections of the Médiathèque du patrimoine et de la photographie (MPP), the home of France's photographic heritage.