Vicfalls Carnival

An extensive amount of work goes into shooting festivals before even raising the camera. Preparation and scheduling are key. Ensure all your gear is clean and ready and your shoes are comfortable.

To get the perfect shot, the photographer must consider the festival environment when determining the type of gear to be used. The low light conditions necessitate the use of large aperture prime lenses, but changing lenses on the fly in the throbbing mass of the audience in the dark can pose the risk of damage or aberrant dirt. The photographer must be adaptable with a broad range of skills and be comfortable shooting in manual. Personally I like dragging the shutter to create a little blur to highlight the energy and movement.

Etiquette is another critical consideration for photographers. No performing artist wants a constant camera flash in their face, nor does the audience want the silhouette of a photographer blocking their view of the stage. A festival photographer needs to be everywhere and nowhere.

There will be challenges. The location and set are fixed, lighting is erratic, and due to individual temperament, people can be difficult subjects so have a backup plan.

And finally, while capturing performing artists is, in itself, a requirement for festival photography, it’s important to immerse oneself into the festival to properly convey the sense of energy and excitement. Seek out the tiny, overlooked situations that hint at the emotional moment, a track crescendo or a bassline kick. Isolate your subject for impact while portraying the larger scene, showing the diversity of the audience as one, unified throng of people in their collective appreciation of a single moment. The grandeur of the Vic Falls Carnival is such a moment where the tribes of Africa come together as one.