Bidz
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Music Festival Tips?
- Thread starter Bidz
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itsdavedotnet
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EARPLUGS.
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Bidz
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itsdavedotnet
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good. Editing right now, I'll write some more in a min 
just had to get that out the way 
just had to get that out the way Its loooong hard work with lots of boring bits in between. can't be asked any more.
But if you really have to
Contact bands before hand through PR etc you may be able to blag some posed stuff...If you don't ask you don't get.
Go well prepared, money, kit, food, reading stuff and laptop if possible
Earplugs
Change cards if doing loads of shots
Do as much in camera editing as possible if no laptop. Otherwise you get back to several thousand shots to edit.
Be prepared to be tired. Very tired
Look for crowd shots and interesting candids. Often a lot more interesting things going on in the crowd and on the periphery than on stage. There are only so many shots you can take of the same bloke on a guitar!!
There are serial thieves at these events, look after your kit, particularly if camping.
They can be great fun, hope the sun shines for you
But if you really have to
Contact bands before hand through PR etc you may be able to blag some posed stuff...If you don't ask you don't get.
Go well prepared, money, kit, food, reading stuff and laptop if possible
Earplugs
Change cards if doing loads of shots
Do as much in camera editing as possible if no laptop. Otherwise you get back to several thousand shots to edit.
Be prepared to be tired. Very tired
Look for crowd shots and interesting candids. Often a lot more interesting things going on in the crowd and on the periphery than on stage. There are only so many shots you can take of the same bloke on a guitar!!
There are serial thieves at these events, look after your kit, particularly if camping.
They can be great fun, hope the sun shines for you
DuncanDisorderly
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Who are you taking shots for?
In the last 12 months I've done quite a few festivals and have learned that the organisers (and papers) - slightly disappointingly - are not really interested in cool shots of the bands, they want the crowds and atmosphere.
I love taking bands, and from your linked previous festival, so do you!
The reasons are fairly easy to explain.
The band shots could be taken at any festival. The bands provide their own promo shots, so even if the band comes back to the festival next year they are unlikely to use your photos for publicity. Good shots capturing the festival atmosphere are likely to get used in reports of this year's festival and to promote next year. In the festival website gallery, crowd shots always get the highest number of hits on the festival website.
I think it's important to include some band shots; but in my early festivals I did kind of get fixated taking them and wasn't thinking about what was really needed.
If you are taking for the band - that's a whole different ballgame
Here's a band shot - could be taken anywhere
With a press badge on, people will ask for their pictures to be taken, they often turn out to be nice images.
With a press badge on, you won't get glowered at wandering around with a big camera.
Try stuff and see what happens - to get to this high spot I had to squeeze through a lot of people, no problem with a bit of courtesy and a press badge
All the above shots were Status Quo and the Bootleg Beatles at Glastonbury Extravaganza; I was lucky enough to get a press pass to take pictures for the organisers.
My main 2p to add to the earlier suggestions - talk to the venue security boss before things get busy, he will know what restrictions are being enforced. Restrictions will vary venue by venue and artiste by artiste; don't make assumptions.
In the last 12 months I've done quite a few festivals and have learned that the organisers (and papers) - slightly disappointingly - are not really interested in cool shots of the bands, they want the crowds and atmosphere.
I love taking bands, and from your linked previous festival, so do you!
The reasons are fairly easy to explain.
The band shots could be taken at any festival. The bands provide their own promo shots, so even if the band comes back to the festival next year they are unlikely to use your photos for publicity. Good shots capturing the festival atmosphere are likely to get used in reports of this year's festival and to promote next year. In the festival website gallery, crowd shots always get the highest number of hits on the festival website.
I think it's important to include some band shots; but in my early festivals I did kind of get fixated taking them and wasn't thinking about what was really needed.
If you are taking for the band - that's a whole different ballgame
Here's a band shot - could be taken anywhere
With a press badge on, people will ask for their pictures to be taken, they often turn out to be nice images.
With a press badge on, you won't get glowered at wandering around with a big camera.
Try stuff and see what happens - to get to this high spot I had to squeeze through a lot of people, no problem with a bit of courtesy and a press badge
All the above shots were Status Quo and the Bootleg Beatles at Glastonbury Extravaganza; I was lucky enough to get a press pass to take pictures for the organisers.
My main 2p to add to the earlier suggestions - talk to the venue security boss before things get busy, he will know what restrictions are being enforced. Restrictions will vary venue by venue and artiste by artiste; don't make assumptions.
OP
Bidz
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Thanks for the tips, sadly I'm only reading them after I'm back.
What of that I didn't know before, I pretty much learned in a few hours.
Myself and the tog I went with built up a great rapport with the security team who were incredibly friendly whilst being fantastic at their job - the same could be said for everybody at Lodestar Festival this weekend, not just the security, PR team, organisers, techies and bands that we worked with and around, but also the crowd to. It's the candids that I love the most.
There wasn't much pressure on me for this so I kinda used it as a chance to try things out etc, ended up with a big headache on Saturday night from the noise and the heat but I think I did okay. I'll post a critique thread, maybe.
Lots of good, small bands was a refreshing change for my ears too!
Thanks lads.
What of that I didn't know before, I pretty much learned in a few hours.
Myself and the tog I went with built up a great rapport with the security team who were incredibly friendly whilst being fantastic at their job - the same could be said for everybody at Lodestar Festival this weekend, not just the security, PR team, organisers, techies and bands that we worked with and around, but also the crowd to. It's the candids that I love the most.
There wasn't much pressure on me for this so I kinda used it as a chance to try things out etc, ended up with a big headache on Saturday night from the noise and the heat but I think I did okay. I'll post a critique thread, maybe.
Lots of good, small bands was a refreshing change for my ears too!
Thanks lads.
DuncanDisorderly
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Looking forward to seeing them 
brad_wakefield
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The sercurity at Glastonbury are far from friendy! looking forward to seing your pictures, i was going to serjest that you take a shammy to keep your kit clean.