Handpan Festival France 2017 - 4th edition
June was the coming back of the Handpan Festival in France, located in Mèze in a beautiful winery.
For this 4th edition, an impressive line-up with many international & talented artists attracted thousands of festival enthusiasts (see the line up at the end of the post)
During the day and despite the heat we could enjoy an incredible diversity of stands, often in a 'pay what you want' moral/ethic : handmade jewelry, health-related services, vegetarian & organic food - most of them related to l'Univers des 7 Chakras.
A festival where people come so natural, free, themselves.
I used to tell things with my stage photos through my facebook photography page - in case you missed it, you have albums there.
My Concert Photographer Experience
Writing this article is for me a way to show some pictures not shared yet even on social medias, and mostly to relate the story of a short but intense event that I've experienced one eye closed, the other in the camera.
As the official photographer, meaning I was allowed to go on the stage, my experience and point of view is very particular, unique in its own way.
I think I want to tell that story of a festival through the eyes of someone who is 'here and everywhere', but also with no-one.
It is the feeling you have when it's over and you ask yourself 'where is everyone?' .. well, the answer is 'everyone is in my camera'.
So let's get straight to the point, when you are surrounded by hundreds of friends and people you'd like to talk to & jam with, taking 8000 pictures in 4 days can be extremely tiresome and frustrating and you'd better lOve that with all your heart - like I do ! : )
Being on the stage with my camera is the most enjoyable experience I could look for, being myself a musician and knowing most of the artists I'm 'shooting', I usually guess their next moves, their next facial expression, next feeling in advance.
It requires a huge amount of concentration, all my senses are solicited and I try to play with some elements that I can't control myself, like the lights or smoke effects on the stage.
Then you realize.. you are listening with your eyes, not your ears.
Raph - Kerdane family
When the show is over, you remember emotions you've seen but most of the time you can't remember what you felt about a touching melody, because in this precise moment, you had your eye sharp and your finger ready to catch the moment that will last forever.
And whether you caught it or not, that moment will never happen again, fortunately the melody will.. maybe ;)
Cendre Osmoza from KosmoZ
Emotions in the Moments
This moment above is one of the pictures I love the most and I can still remember perfectly when it happens, Cendre from the band Kosmoz had just finished singing a song called 'dragonfly' and as she was beginning another one, that dragonfly answered to the invitation and landed right on her hand. Of course no one could notice it in the public because of the distance, but people can discover it now.
You can wait for a moment like that for hours, you can't predict when it happens, or what will happen and this is why you can never lose your focus - in my opinion.
The Energy and the Emotions coming from the people are the things that I'm looking for and trying to catch, and I am in fact living the Festival and concerts not only for a few days but for months.
Even if it is a tremendous amount of work of selecting and post processing, it is my pleasure to be able to give you all, through my shots, some memories that you can keep with you.
Many others photos are to come, keep posted, register share and comment if you liked it!
Thanks to all the people who made it happen, and to all of you for your feedback & support.
Curious about the next adventure? Check the Griasdi Handpan Gathering.
Sending much love
V.
Laurent Sureau / Kabeçao / Jimmy Sellem
Line-up : Emma Mumi & Jacky O, Almaveda Duo, Laurent Sureau, Simon Hang Miloon, Jérémy Nattagh, Adèle Blanchin, Amina, Zalem, Flo, David Charrier, Archer & Tripp, Ido Baum & Maya Knoller, Davide Friello, Yakch'é, Mayuko Taki Mano, Ozali, Kosmoz, David Kuckhermann, Dodjoma, Twinpan, Kabeçao, Nadishana, Marcel Hutter, David Hauser, Albino Sala ...
