Jean Larive is a graduate of the Sorbonne university. He subsequently taught philosophy for 15 years before deciding to push down the walls and make the leap to a career in photography and journalism. He favors a long-term documentary approach, and has worked on stories ranging from the place of foreigners in French society to the memory of twentieth century conflicts in Europe. His ongoing projects include work on the "Jungle" in Calais, supported by the Centre National des Arts Plastiques and a shared project on Central Europe with Jérémie Jung of the Signatures agency.

He regularly collaborates with the French and international press (Le Monde, Libération, L’Obs, VSD) and international institutions and associations (UNESCO, Cimade). He was a laureate of the Special Award of the Association of Journalists of Social Information (2013).

Born in 1969 in Orleans, France, Jean Larive lives and works in Paris.