Pierre toutain dorbec biography definition and pictures

Pierre grew up in Orbec, Normandy, and Paris. His family moved between Paris and Orbec to accommodate Pierre's education and his mother's career. His artistic education began within his family; his parent's provided instruction in traditional techniques in drawing, painting, and sculpting. His grandfather, Gabriel, was a photographer in during World War I and his uncle Jean was also a photographer and artist.

Pierre's father, Jacques, was a known textile expert and designer, and later a painter. His mother, Francoise Fontaine, was a professional musician and opera singer. From his uncle, Pierre received instruction in photography and film development. Toutain-Dorbec was influenced by his grandparent's neighbor, the French figurative painter Pierre Laffille French, — , who remained a life-time friend.

At age 16, Toutain-Dorbec attended the Atelier de la Grande-Chaumiere, a renowned art school in Paris, where he received a classical education in fine art. While attending art school, Toutain-Dorbec supplemented his art education working as an assistant with the acclaimed German photographer Wilhem Maywald, who resided near the school.

By the end of , with the encouragement of his family Toutain-Dorbec left home to pursue a career as a photographer. He began his career as photographer in Vietnam. From to Pierre worked as a war correspondent, for both Gamma and Sygma press agencies, and as a free lance photographer.

Pierre Toutain-Dorbec's series of photographs depicting

His work focused mainly on Southeast Asia and North Africa. He covered his time in Vietnam and Cambodia with the Khmer Rouge a collection of those photos are archived at the Rutgers University. While in Burma where he covered the problems of guerrillas fighting the government, like the Karen. Toutain-Dorbec worked to draw attention to the problems of child abuse and child prostitution in Southeast Asia and problematic laws which could result in children being incarcerated alongside their fathers.