I photograph breaking news, sports and showbiz, and sometimes I cover conflicts too. My earliest memory of photography is shooting pictures on holiday when I was 13, using an old Nikon F. One of my friends showed me how to process film in his dark room, and I saw for the first time how the image I had shot appeared on the photographic paper. It was a revelation! I never went to photography school; I learnt through years of trial and error. My first assignment was for a small news agency, covering forest fires in the south of France. All summer, I went out and photographed pilots in their fire-fighting planes. The assignment that left the biggest mark on me was covering the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Some 800,000 people were slaughtered during the mass killings of Tutsis and moderate Hutus. It was the first time I was confronted with the sight of so many dead people. I had the feeling that I was a useless spectator, and at the same time, I felt the need to testify to what I had seen. Twenty years later, I still have the same horrible images in my mind. Impossible to forget. All sorts of stories excite me: sport, politics, showbiz, war and daily life. I never forget that we are fortunate to be here in the present, witnessing life and documenting events for others - whether they are good or bad. When taking pictures, I try to keep calm and just take the situation in. My biggest lesson has been that anything is possible, even if you think otherwise. As a photographer I just want to be honest and respect the people I photograph in all circumstances.  My NewsSign Out Sign InCreate your free profileSections news Alerts Editor's note: Photos were made available to NBC News today. France's upper house of parliament will this week debate a bill to ban children under 16 from attending bullfights inflaming tensions and enraging aficionados of the centuries-old tradition French legislation bans cruelty to animals and bullfighting is outlawed in most of France But bullfighting is allowed in the south in cities such as Bayonne Nimes and Beziers where it is regarded as a cultural tradition If we don't pass on the values of bullfighting to children they won't go to the bullring and it will stop,' said Christine Banuls a member of the La Embestida bullfighting association in the southern town of Bouillargues 'We have to give every parent and every child an opportunity to choose.' Although public opinion favours outlawing bullfighting in France with a majority of lawmakers wary of stirring up the southern heartlands Put to the Senate by centrist Samantha Cazebonne the new bill seeks to ban bullfighting and cockfighting in the presence of children under the age of 16 to 'protect them from exposure to violence' 'Allowing these traumatic shows to take place in the presence of children is inconsistent with the rest of our legislation' set to be debated on Thursday in the right-wing-dominated Senate Many so-called 'bull towns' depend on the shows for tourism and see the culture of bull-breeding and the spectacle -- idolised by authors and artists from Ernest Hemingway to Pablo Picasso -- as part of their way of life several hundred spectators gathered in Bouillargues to watch young aspiring bullfighters take part in one of the last bullfights of the season Three Spanish 'novilleros' -- novice bullfighters who have not yet been named matadors -- dressed in shining garb killed six young bulls from French farms Among the spectators in the almost full stands a dozen teenagers and children watched the 'novillada' -- a bullfight with young bulls -- to the soundtrack of the brass band took his eight-year-old son to watch the spectacle 'I was worried that the killing of the bull would affect him he's not that shocked,' said the 36-year-old The boy's father said he was not particularly upset by the proposal to ban children a spectator who came with a group of friends One of Boyer's friends brought along her four-year-old daughter Boyer said it was important for children to be able to attend Taking children to bullfighting was 'a parent's choice France is one of only eight countries that still allow bullfighting Colombia plans to ban the practice in 2027 Most places where bullfighting is legal allow minors to attend though they must sometimes be accompanied by adults denied that violence could cause trauma in a young audience 'Children have a very healthy relationship with death,' he said encouraging parents to see bullfights with their children who trains a dozen students aged between six and 22 at a bullfighting school in Nimes said banning minors would be an 'aberration' who is training in Nimes to become a bullfighter saw his first bullfights at the age of three I said to myself: that man in the middle of the ring could be me,' the 13-year-old said The Union of French Bullfighting Towns has introduced special prices for young spectators and this year offered tickets to 2,300 people under the age of 25 founder of the Jeunes Aficionados du Sud-Ouest (Young Aficionados of the Southwest) collective uses social networks to introduce young people to 'all the emotions you can experience in the bullring' Email: This email address is being protected from spambots Ten-year-old Nino might just be facing a young calf here but someday he dreams of being a professional bullfighter testing his skills against fully grown toros The youngster is an apprentice at the French Tauromachy Centre an institution in the south of France that trains youths in the art of the toreador and allows them to take part in practice bullfights during which they perform against calves but do not kill them another young apprentice at the bullfighting centre plays with Nino as he waves a matador’s cape The boys are enrolled in French public schools but which also has a following in parts of the south of France While other children their age might have pictures of their favourite bands or sports teams on their walls these boys’ bedrooms are decorated with posters of famous toreadors or bulls’ horns Nino reaches up to touch a practice bull at an arena not far from the French city of Nimes which hosts a popular bullfighting festival Models of bulls are used to help train the French Tauromachy Centre's students who take courses with a matador to learn the movements and gestures of the bullfighter in the ring Apprentices also train with calves in the surrounding fields during spring and regularly take part in beginner's bullfights against the animals Young apprentices at the French Tauromachy Centre practice a pass with a muleta A young toreador apprentice passes his cape in front of an artificial bull holds a sword as he strikes a practice bull during a course at the bullring in Garons who has been taking bullfighting courses for a year reads a bullfighting magazine at his house in Nimes who has been taking bullfighting courses for three years Solal practises a muleta pass with a shirt in the middle of the street Solal looks down at calves arriving at the arena in Bouillargues Nino waits to perform in the arena during the event Solal and Nino watch another youth take part in the becerrada