After two decades behind the camera lens, photographer Isabelle Masoni is preparing to pass on her photography studio in Jussey while organizing one final magical Christmas celebration for the community. Her decision marks the end of a remarkable 50-year legacy of commercial photography in the small French town.
"I remember very well when I arrived as an apprentice at 17 and a half," recalls Masoni. "It was my teachers from the college of Scey-sur-Saône, Mr. Jean Laforêt and Mrs. Laurence Guillaume, who had recommended me." In 1992, the shy student walked through the doors of Robert Briffoud's studio, joining a renowned professional who had spent twenty years immortalizing weddings, communions, and school portraits throughout the region.
Briffoud, affectionately known as "Roby" by his mother, was born in Ain and moved to Haute-Saône at age 22 after meeting his future wife during a ski trip in winter 1968. "I was already employed in a studio in Mâcon and specialized in color printing, and to reward us, they offered us sporting outings," he remembers. Two years later, he worked briefly in Gray before settling in Fougerolles with his wife in 1974, explaining, "I quickly sought to establish myself."
The family moved to Jussey in 1976, purchasing a photography studio at 67 Rue Gambetta. "We had an employee, an apprentice, my wife and myself. Business was good. No one else was equipped, and to get a photo, you had to come through us," Roby recalls. Weddings, baptisms, and portraits quickly built the workshop's reputation. In 1985, thanks to a mini-lab, it became possible to develop film photographs in one hour and deliver them to clients the same evening at weddings – a revolution at a time when negatives were still transported by couriers.
However, the profession faced major upheavals with the arrival of digital technology and big-box retail stores. The shop moved to 18 on the same street and went through a more difficult period. It was in this context that Isabelle Masoni arrived as an apprentice. "I remember getting my first camera for my communion. It was a Kodak 126, and later, this profession immediately appealed to me when I saw my dad developing his photos at home when I was a little girl. I read his books. It pleased me," she confides.
After completing two vocational certificates and a Technical Trades Certificate with a focus on photography, she took over the studio in 2004 at 56 Rue Gambetta, under the name "Isa Photo." "Digital had already arrived in 1998. We were taught it without really knowing if it would work," recalls the photographer, who gained experience over the years. "The first cameras were enormous and the photos were of poor quality."
Despite technological developments, Isabelle continued to bring the studio to life with passion. "It's a wonderful profession made up of encounters and beautiful moments," she smiles. "It's no small thing to photograph babies who become children, teenagers, and adults who then come back with their newborns to take more photos."
For several months now, Isabelle has been reflecting on her future. "I would like to change activities, do something else, and pass the torch to someone who wants to set up shop," she confides, emotionally. She wishes to pass on her knowledge and accompany the successor in taking over the business. "My dream would be to pass on this profession that has brought me so much for twenty years."
For now, as every year, the studio will participate in Jussey's Christmas market on December 5th and 6th. "Parents will be able to leave with a photo of Santa Claus printed the same evening thanks to our elves who will prepare photo gifts," specifies Isabelle. Will this be the last Christmas for Isa Photo? The future will tell, but hope remains. "There are still beautiful pages to open and beautiful memories to take with you," encourages Roby, ready to don the red costume and legendary beard once again. "Don't tell the children, it's a secret!"
Between memories, technologies, and transmission, the Isa Photo studio continues to mark the memory of Jussey and its residents, representing a bridge between generations and a testament to the enduring power of captured moments.
