Photo Tip of the Week: How to Shoot Festivals & Events (Part Two)

In part two of this series on photographing festivals, Robert Keeley discusses how to shoot in challenging light conditions, approach visitors and participants, and how to cover night performances.

For photographers, covering festivals and events is a great exercise to take on because within such an intense timeframe and tight geographic space you can face a wide array of technical and creative challenges. Shooting these celebrations encourages quick thinking, adaptablity, and a variety of technical expertise with the aim of securing creative results.

In part one of this series we looked at broad concepts, such as doing your research beforehand, planning which kit to use and how to carry it, and keeping open-minded about the task and any opportunities which might arise. This week I’ll discuss a couple of technical and human elements which can create problems when you’re shooting, and how to handle them.

01 MIND THE LIGHT

While flexibility and planning are the keys to shooting interesting images at a festival, one aspect which can be particularly difficult to cope with is the highly variable lighting. Ideally you can work on a lightly overcast day with little harsh shadow. Poor weather is the bane of outdoor festival organisers, and for this reason a lot of events are planned for summer or spring. Whilst you can’t guarantee anything with the weather, generally these times of year offer the best chance for good conditions.


I asked these visitors if I could grab a quick shot. I positioned them facing slightly away from the sun so they didn't get irritated by the light, but there was enough light to model their features. I took a few shots very quickly. 16-35mm lens @ 20mm focal length, 1/200s @ f/14, ISO 200, -0.7EV.

But just as likely you’ll be faced with extremely hot days (along with attendant harsh shadows) or grey and possibly rainy conditions. Of these choices, days with harsh shadows produce the biggest dilemma for photographers. Stalls and stages at festivals are rarely placed with consideration for photography, so you’ll have to cope with a wide variety of lighting situations. If you’re shooting a stall or stage, you can often take advantage of the fact that they create even light. But it’s worth remembering that if harsh lighting is creating dramatic shadows right across your scene, it’s sometimes worth not even taking a photo.

If you really want the shot, try to place the shadow in an area of the composition where it might assist in minimising distractions (across the background). Another effective strategy is to use flash (either a pop-up unit or a dedicated add-on flash) to push extra light into the foreground of your scene. If you have an SLR you can dial in some under-exposure if you have a bright background, then use the flash to light up your foreground.


At this stall at the Japanese Summer Festival I was shooting into the sun. I underexposed to get some detail into the brightly lit background, but added some light from a dedicated flash unit to balance the scene. Harsh lighting is something you may have to cope with at summer events. Sometimes it will even pay to avoid taking a picture.


At this public dancing ceremony at the Japanese Summer Festival, I broke into this ring to capture the lead performer. Shooting against the sun, her face was a little underexposed. It was subsequently lightened a bit in software.


To cover my bases, I also shot a similar image using flash. In this instance I needed to reduce the flash intensity a fraction to create a more balanced scene. The closer you are to a subject, the more you may need to consider adjusting the intensity of your flash unit. Alternatively, I could have stepped back a fraction.

02 APPROACHING PEOPLE

One of the great attractions of many festivals for photographers is that the participants are relaxed, and many are even showing off! In these circumstances they’re frequently happy to be snapped. So don’t be afraid to approach people, especially if they have a role where they’re engaging spectators.

If you see something interesting – street actors, stall holders, sports people promoting something or even interesting visitors – jus ask them for a photo. Ask politely if they mind being photographed. Walk away if they decline, but be ready to shoot immediately if they’re open to the prospect, so you don’t waste their time. Where possible, face your subjects away from direct sunshine so they don’t have to squint.


At the Canberra Multicultural Festival there was a wide variety of different food stalls. It's worth photographing some to add colour to your portfolio of event images.


Some participants are clearly there to attract crowds! They are obvious subjects to photograph. Street performers are being paid for their presence, and they usually make for good photographic raw material. With this stilt walker I used flash as I was shooting against some strong light.

It’s also a good strategy to fire the flash, even in daylight, so you can minimise harsh shadows and fill in under any hats or caps they might be wearing. Ask them to remove any sunglasses (commonly seen on bright days) because people’s eyes say a lot about them. But if they won’t, don’t push it. Finally, shoot at a so-called ‘normal’ exposure, then dial in -1/3EV, or even two. This ‘bracketing’ technique should ensure you cover any possible latitude problems in difficult outdoor lighting. At each exposure setting take two or three images, especially with groups of people. This will cover for anyone who blinks as you shoot. Closed eyes look terrible, but they happen a lot!

If you work quickly a maximum of six images can be done with a minimum of fuss. It’s worthwhile engaging in some light conversation about your subject’s role at the festival as you shoot, to relax them. Of course, to do all this efficiently, even with willing subjects, requires practice. So shoot family members and friends using these techniques first, then you can repeat these steps smoothly out in the field.


03 NIGHT & DAY

Some festivals may run over several days, meaning you can return to reshoot scenes you missed, and some may extend from daylight into the night. If so, they usually have events specifically designed for night settings. Whether that’s carnival sideshows or fireworks displays, you have the chance to add some variety to your portfolio of the event. While daylight shooting at busy festivals usually works best without the distraction (and weight) of a tripod, night shooting is very different. Tripods can be really useful in these circumstances.


As day turns into night, your shooting program will change. A tripod can be useful to shoot fireworks or moving carnival attractions. At other sideshow events, the artificial light supplied will be enough, as it was here. 16-35mm lens @ 16mm focal length, 1/50s @ f/4, ISO 2000, -0.3EV, no flash.

If you’re shooting fireworks, set the camera on your tripod and experiment with long exposures. The light trails of exploding rockets can create great effects. Moving carnival rides and also look good, especially ferris wheels, when shot over 15 seconds or longer. It’s also worthwhile to note that great images can also be made during that transitional period as the sun sets and artificial lights begin to fire up. If your festival runs into the night, make the effort to stay around and keep shooting. You could end up with some great results.

Festivals and large events offer a great opportunity to fast track your knowledge about a whole range of styles, so if there’s one in your neighbourhood, get down there with your camera and start shooting.