Sophie Bassouls, known for her captivating portraits of writers and artists, initially studied art history before embarking on her photography career. She took the helm of the photo departments at L’Express and later at Figaro littéraire in 1963. Married to Claude Bassouls, they founded the freelance photojournalism agency Rush in 1976. In 1986, she joined the Sygma agency, where she focused on literary news. Today, Sophie works as an independent photographer with a portfolio of over 3,000 portraits that capture the essence of both French and international intellectual and cultural figures.