Advice for Warped Tour Newbie

DDCSD wrote in post #5876468
HUUUUUUUHHHHHH????????

lol, I don't need earplugs, but if he wants to hear, its probably a good idea to have them (he shall be quite close)

pr0digal wrote in post #5876687
lol, I don't need earplugs, but if he wants to hear, its probably a good idea to have them (he shall be quite close)

CAN YOU SPEAK LOUDER?!?!?!

good call on the ear phones. Every year i see the photographers have been in the pit so i might leave my 70-200 home to save some weight on my back

Woodja wrote in post #5877150
good call on the ear phones. Every year i see the photographers have been in the pit so i might leave my 70-200 home to save some weight on my back

I have shot more festivals than I can remember and the 70-200 is categorically the best lens for shooting from a festival pit. It's not always the solution but you definitely shouldn't be leaving it at home.

blackshadow wrote in post #5877212
I have shot more festivals than I can remember and the 70-200 is categorically the best lens for shooting from a festival pit. It's not always the solution but you definitely shouldn't be leaving it at home.

Yeah, but Warped is not anything like Reading & Leeds, or Download or any of the big European festivals. He will be shooting from right in front of a far from enormous stage. The barrier is only a few feet away from the stage.

Taken from the photo pit...

Woodja wrote in post #5874007
What lens should I primarily use? I was thinking Tamron 28-75 2.8 or 50mm? Maybe even Sigma 70-200 but it's really heavy.

Bring the 70-200. Better to have it and not need it then the other way around

Woodja wrote in post #5874007
Should I bring both my bodies? is there any secure place in the press area to store gear?

IMO you don't want to "store" gear, unless your absolutely positve you won't need it. Same argument as above.

Woodja wrote in post #5874007
I have some room in my bag leaving all my flashes behind so I can totally fit the majority of my bodies/lenses.

What do you guys recommend?

ps. I'm going and buying 2 more batteries and about 8gb more memory.

Thanks in advanced!!!

IMO 8Gb is not going to be enough if you shoot Raw. (which you should IMO)
Last festival I did, I filled about 15Gb IIRC.

Woodja wrote in post #5876116
they dont allow flashes that's why i'm leaving them behind

Bring them, if only for audience shots: Click.
If you browse the gallery, there's Exif in the images.

mono55 wrote in post #5877232
Yeah, but Warped is not anything like Reading & Leeds, or Download or any of the big European festivals. He will be shooting from right in front of a far from enormous stage. The barrier is only a few feet away from the stage.

If all shooting is done from the pit (which I wouldn't do), *maybe* the 70-200 isn't needed.
Your shoulder will suffer anyway, so I'd rather bring it.

When doing a festival (or any other shoot), I usually carry this around all day:

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Woodja wrote in post #5874007
I just got my credentials to shoot warped tour and I'm very excited. I've shot bands before but never a festival as large as this. I have a lot of questions I'd like to ask. I'm sure some of you have shot festivals even warped tour. Here are my questions...

What lens should I primarily use? I was thinking Tamron 28-75 2.8 or 50mm? Maybe even Sigma 70-200 but it's really heavy.

Should I bring both my bodies? is there any secure place in the press area to store gear?

I have some room in my bag leaving all my flashes behind so I can totally fit the majority of my bodies/lenses.

What do you guys recommend?

ps. I'm going and buying 2 more batteries and about 8gb more memory.

Thanks in advanced!!!

Bring the tamron and the sigma. I find that the best shots at Warped tour are crowd shots (intereeeesting people go to these shows). You will be shoting at iso 100, f12, 1/500. No need for 1.8 lenses. It is a desert where they host these shows (as long as its a sunny day out). Be Sure to drink plenty of water, bring sunscreen, and think about a bandana or 2. Depending on the venue, you will need it to be able to breathe in some of the areas due to dust (some shows are parking lots, some are fields).

WEAR WHITE! You will be standing in the sun all day, black is what the cool kids that go there wear, and it does get hot.

DO NOT store your bodies. DO NOT! There is NO safe place at these concerts. They let absolutely anyone into those tents that is even remotely close to press, so do not trust your gear with them. Bring your cam bag and a backpack to store everything else in. Do not being anything that you will not be willing to carry the whole day. 8gb memory will not cut it. I shot about 40-50 gigs at last years show (i brought my laptop to dump to in between shows- had 16gigs of working CF memory).

Word of caution, there is WATER at these shows. They have fire hoses that they spray in between shows from the stages. Be sure to stay away from these with anything less than 1 series and L lenses.

Also, crowd surfing. It will be plentiful. You will be shooting from the pit at every stage- which means you need to be prepared to be kicked, punched, and hit with flying objects. The pit at warped tour is interesting to say the least. Last year I was spit on by paramore, i got a water bottle to the lens/face, kicked in the head by a surfer, and hit in the head with a thrown cell phone (who throws a c ell phone anyways?). People throw water bottles at the stage, so bring a towel to wipe off your camera-- especially if its less than 1 series.


Pm me if you have any more specific questions.

No 70-200? I disagree. Shots with 70-200.

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All good advice here!!! You'll have to pick your battles though. There will probably be many bands playing at the same time that you want to shoot and the standard rules apply for every stage- first three in the photo pit then you're out. Since the schedule changes every day as far as when each band goes on the best advice I can give you is decide ahead of time who you want to shoot the most, then when you get there, grab the daily set list from the press tent, get acquainted with where the stages are and how far apart they are from each other, (I agree with everyone who said DO NOT leave your gear laying around here, you'll never see it again!) and draw up a plan of action. You're still going to miss shooting some of the bands you want but at least it helps.

I'm up in arms about what lenses to bring as well. It's usually a long, hot ass day, so be prepared to sweat your ass off and smell the lovely smells of everyone else sweating their asses off in packed photo pits (Warped Tour is notoriously generous with their photo passes so you'll be elbowing with quite an array of 'togs from pros to first timers - and yes, even point and shooters). I don't see myself using the 70-200 very often in the pits but it could come in very useful if you've missed the first three songs of a band and want to try to take some shots from the crowd.

Also, as others have noted, a lot of the shots are in the audience, in the booths, just the ambiance of it all so always good to be aware of your surroundings.

One last note..I'd show up a few hours earlier than it says to. I think most of the shows are saying doors at 12:00 but bands have set times as early as 10:30 ish. If the venue is letting people in that's a great time to catch some bands with less people shooting them.

Bring both the 28-75 and the 70-200 lenses. The 70 - 200 will be good for drummer shots and crowd shots. The flash isn't allowed for stage shots though you will see those with p&s using theirs during the day.

Sunscreen is a must and the wearing of a light colored shirt is smart. Warped for me is not in a dust bowl so that isn't a factor here as we have a grassy field. Drink fluids..

Watch out for crowd surfers! It gets crowded in the pits and not everyone watches what they are doing or the crowd coming at them. One year they threw us out after one song because it got rough with all the crowd surfers coming over the barricade.

Do show up early as some bands go on right after doors and you won't know know who until you get there. The times change each day. The bigger bands will always play later but there are some good bands that will go on early.

Do NOT leave your gear anywhere.. There is a press tent at each stop but that isn't a place to store equipment. You will get information about where that tent is when you arrive and they will have the set times there.

Bring memory, batteries, sunscreen, another shirt if you can fit it, comfortable shoes on your feet, etc.. and have fun!

wow guys amazing advice I can't thank you enough for all of this. I"m really excited and I think this could do wonders for my portfolio if i approach it right. Thanks again!!!

I hate shooting Warped Tour. Bring a telephoto. No flash. Bring as little as possible, it's going to be hot and you'll probably be annoyed and irritated by the end of the day if you're carrying around a huge bag of gear.

yea i'm sure I will but in the end it'll be great experience and i'll hopefully have some awesome shots.

I'm a bit late responding.. but hey, better late than never I guess.
I also got credentials for this year's tour (through Detroit.. Friday the 18th!!! ).
Typical notice from their media rep.. I get the first 3 songs, no flash, and they want notification of when things are going to be published (plus hard copies if possible).

If it's going to be anything like previous years, I'm only going to be taking my 70-200mm f/4L and my 18-50mm f/2.8 with my 40D and my XT. The camera bag is going to be stocked with extra batteries, CF cards, air rocket blower, umbrella (if weather looks iffy), and some water/snacks to keep me alive through the all-day event. No need to bring much else.

The stages SHOULD have barricades up, but you just never know, and it's possible that the crowd may have pushed those closer and closer to the stage throughout the day, leaving you little or no room to shoot from the pit.

If I were you, I'd take your 28-75 and your 70-200 without any hesitation. The 18-55 and 50 are such light lenses, I might throw them in as well if there was room left. While it's rough on your shoulders, taking both bodies will make it a lot easier to not have to deal with swapping lenses, and it may make it easier for you to move through the crowd. People have this thing about flashy gear that makes them clear out of the way.

Can't wait to see how your shots turn out.

Not done any of these but i would suggest a shoulder bag for the camera/lenses with a rucksac for everything else. Last thing you want is to have to remove your bag to get lenses.

I've blown the high frequency part of my hearing too, but sometimes I find myself right next to a speaker to get the angle I want, so I use them. Everyone that close should.

Yes. Poke the hood of your 70-200 f/2.8 over someones shoulder & they will usually give you more room. You can easily work your way to the front that way, without having to push through.