Film Concert Photography in 1988 - Johnny Hallyday Live at Vincennes
French rock legend Johnny Hallyday may be little known in the English-speaking world, but this concert, held on March 20, 1988, at the esplanade of the Château de Vincennes in Paris, was a key event in both the presidential campaign of Jacques Chirac and my early days as a freelance photographer.
Shooting a national event with a manual Nikon FM2
In 1987 and 1988, I was starting out as a freelance photographer in Lille. I covered political rallies and press conferences in the run-up to the French presidential election. Back then, I had no accreditation, but I did hold a professional card from the Union des Photographes Créateurs, a card that looked very much like an official press pass and opened a surprising number of doors.
One of my proudest moments came when I managed to join Jacques Chirac’s two-day campaign trip across northern France, rubbing shoulders with seasoned photojournalists from national newspapers and agencies. It was an intense and invaluable learning experience, shooting quickly, discreetly, and creatively under real-world constraints.
A concert in a political setting
In March 1988, I heard that local political groups were chartering buses to attend Chirac’s final campaign rally in Paris. With no car of my own but now holding a driver’s license, I took the opportunity. Upon arrival, I quietly split from the group and made my way to the media section. My photographer’s card once again granted me access, this time to the press platform facing the stage, far better than the pit below where most fans and activists were crammed.
The event took place outdoors, in mediocre light, with the crowd buzzing in anticipation. And then, unexpectedly: Johnny Hallyday walked on stage to perform. He wasn’t on the official program, he was there to warm up the crowd before Chirac's speech.
Concert photography on black-and-white film
I had never been a huge fan of Hallyday’s music, but I instantly recognized the visual opportunity. I loaded a fresh roll of Ilford HP5 400 ISO into my Nikon FM2, paired with a Nikkor 400mm f/3.5 IF-ED telephoto lens. I shot the entire 36-frame roll during his performance, making sure to keep my shutter speed high enough to avoid motion blur in the low light.
Back home the next day, I developed the film myself, made contact sheets, and sent them to several Paris-based photo agencies, hoping to get a foot in the door. Though none replied, I would later join the renowned agency DPPI in September that year, a key milestone in my career.
Rediscovering the negatives, 36 years later
I had never printed these images. I simply filed them away after reviewing them briefly with a loupe on the contact sheets. More than three decades later, while scanning my archive of black-and-white negatives, I came across that roll again.
Using my Nikon Z8, a macro lens, and a JJC film digitizing adapter, I rephotographed each negative and imported them as RAW files into Lightroom for conversion and editing. The results exceeded my expectations. The contrast, the grain, the expressions, everything came to life in a way I hadn’t fully appreciated at the time.
Selected photographs from the concert
Below is a selection of high-resolution images from this analog concert reportage, digitized with care and precision. For me, they represent both a political era and a turning point in my photographic journey.
Click on the images below to view them full screen.
All photos are copyright protected © Sebastien Desnoulez. No reproduction or use is allowed without written permission.
Legal Notice
About the Author
Sebastien Desnoulez is a professional photographer specializing in architecture, landscape and travel photography. Trained in photography in the mid-1980s, he covered Formula 1 races and reported from around the globe before devoting himself to a more demanding fine art photography practice blending composition, light and emotion. He also shares his technical expertise through hands-on articles for passionate photographers, built on a solid background in both film and digital photography.
Tags
