Photography Tips – How to Capture Festivals

by Michael Lynch

The season is just around the corner. Warm weather and more daylight is a guarantee people will be out of their homes and into the streets. It’s Festival season, around the world and you can capture the faces, atmosphere and brilliant-colored costumes like a pro, with a few simple tips.

Zoom and Pan

Ideally, a tripod with a ball head or a monopod is preferred for steadying your shots but, often they are impractical. On a bright summer day you can get shutter speeds of 250 or higher. Zoom-in on your subject to eliminate any blown out highlights and smoothly, steadily move the camera to match the speed of your subject. Continuous Auto Focus and the Burst Mode on your camera should assure you some sharp photos.

Photo Tips for Festivals

Stage Performances at Night

Getting up close, off to one side is almost essential, if you want to avoid glaring stage lights. Here a tripod and higher ISOs are called for and a cable release or remote would be wise. Study the rhythm and movements of the artist while composing your shots. They are the keys to catching the best still shots, if you’re not deliberately trying to capture motion blur.

Photo Tips for Festivals

Street Scenes, Get Up High

Unless you enjoy post process editing and cropping, eliminate distractions, such as telephone wires by getting in positions where you can crop in-camera by zooming to eliminate them from the photo frame. Overhead crosswalks, bridges, balconies, stairwells, even some vehicles may provide you the elevation you need to compose a great shot. Just make sure you have permission before you climb on someone’s private property and above all don’t risk having yourself and camera come tumbling down trying to shoot a masterpiece.

Photo Tips for Festivals

In Close, Among the Crowd

A great way to get close to the action, yet, slightly above the mass of humanity popping-up and driving both your light meter and Auto Focus wild is to carry a small, two-step ladder. After determining which side of the street you’ll have the best lighting conditions to shoot from, find a spot where you can put your back to a telephone pole or wall. Set up the ladder, fold your tripod to use it as a monopod and adjust your position until you’re certain you are comfortable and secure enough not to loose balance should some reveler bump into the contraption. Unless you’ve traveled to a land where the people are 7-8 feet tall, you’ll have no problem with anyone obstructing the view and be able to shoot some fantastic close up shots.

Photo Tips for Festivals

Getting Down Low

When you’re not in danger of being trampled by a crowd and there’s a pretty blue sky, forget the tripod. Get down low where you can compose a shot with the sky as your background. Sit down and cross your legs, resting your elbows on your knees (or wherever they’ll reach to on your legs) and adjust your position until you’re steady. Now, you are the tripod.

Photo Tips for Festivals

Michael Lynch is an outdoors photographer and writer living on the island of Okinawa, Japan.
Published in several online magazines, he writes the weekly Camera Talk blog at In The Know Traveler.

Website: www.mikesryukyugallery.com

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4 Comments

Matt
May 8th
Great info. Situations like this should be the easiest go get great pics, but I often find I just have usless photos of crowds. Thanks for the tips
Sumitran
May 10th
Mike, great pictures. Your colours are so vivid and brilliant ! Is it because most of the snaps posted here are taken outdoors, with natural light ? Really arresting images !!

Carrying a two-step ladder may not always be possible, but getting down low to capture the blue sky is !!

Great tips. And thanks for sharing !

Best Wishes,

Sumitran
Michael Lynch
May 11th
Matt and Sumitran, thanks. Natural light, when used to your advantage is the best, especially on a bright and sunny day.
The ladder I carry is made of plastic. Folded and slung over a shoulder, it’s not much bother considering the advantage it gives you over the rest of the crowd!
Nancie (Ladyexpat)
May 24th
Wonderful shots and some great tips.