Highlight: A chance to check out the hottest new indie bands...
Lowlight: ...and the not so hot ones...
Fill in: With so many festivals around, shooting them has lost a bit of its thrill, and I had decided the inevitable rain forecasted for the Summer had put a bit of a damper on my enthusiasm for them. However this one-dayer was a fairly simple request from Redferns and as it didn't require camping overnight or wearing designer wellies I was willing to give it a go.
Getting a photopass for a festival is just the beginning. Each stage usually has it's own restrictions and each band on each stage will have further restrictions and this festival was no exception. The main stage was unusually a free for all most of the day with photographers being able to drop in at will to shoot whoever was on the stage, the only exception being the headline Franz Ferdinand which was the normal first three songs no flash. The second stage in a tent was bit more of a challenge. At first we were not going to be allowed in at all. Then when we were allowed in we had to stay close tot he crowd barrier (which is unusual as normally security prefer you to be out of the way and up against the stage). As the day went on more and more restrictions were put in place including not being able to stand in front of the stage, having to line up in the crowd until the band were actually on stage, only four photographers being able to shoot at any one time and only being able to shoot one song. Elsewhere, one tent was a free for all, one tent we could only shoot from the crowd and one tent banned photographers halfway through the event. This may seem a bit nightmarish, but there is always an over crowded schedule as far a photography is concerned at most festivals so the restrictions just made the juggling of the timetable easier.
Getting a photopass for a festival is just the beginning. Each stage usually has it's own restrictions and each band on each stage will have further restrictions and this festival was no exception. The main stage was unusually a free for all most of the day with photographers being able to drop in at will to shoot whoever was on the stage, the only exception being the headline Franz Ferdinand which was the normal first three songs no flash. The second stage in a tent was bit more of a challenge. At first we were not going to be allowed in at all. Then when we were allowed in we had to stay close tot he crowd barrier (which is unusual as normally security prefer you to be out of the way and up against the stage). As the day went on more and more restrictions were put in place including not being able to stand in front of the stage, having to line up in the crowd until the band were actually on stage, only four photographers being able to shoot at any one time and only being able to shoot one song. Elsewhere, one tent was a free for all, one tent we could only shoot from the crowd and one tent banned photographers halfway through the event. This may seem a bit nightmarish, but there is always an over crowded schedule as far a photography is concerned at most festivals so the restrictions just made the juggling of the timetable easier.
Tech Spec: My kits for festivals includes, two bodies, 24-70mm F2.8, 70-200mm F2.8, flashgun, storm jackets for the cameras, kagoul for me, a bottle of water, £5 for a dodgy festival meal and a good pair of walking boots. Good tip is to slowly sip your chosen liquid meal to reduce the necessity for toilet breaks....
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