5 Afrikaburn Photography Tips
Itâs clear from the outset that an Afrikaburn experience will reward you with some incredible images. However, as a photographer, it can be a little overwhelming. Thereâs fantastic content that already exists, so how could it possibly be topped?
Youâve got the whole week to photograph. So, spend those early couple days immersing yourself and enjoying the experience. Not only will it help you orient yourself and decide what to shoot, but your pictures will be better for it.
Here are 5 Afrikaburn Photography Tips to help you get the best content from the event.
Take Your Time
A photographer whose work I had seen from the year before told me they didnât touch their camera for the first two days. Youâve got the whole week to photograph. So, spend those early couple days immersing yourself and enjoying the experience. Not only will it help you orient yourself and decide what to shoot, but your pictures will be better for it.
Spare Batteries
Unless youâre staying at a well-organised campsite, youâre not going to have power. Take spare batteries. Hell, buy a solar charger if you can find one! You donât want your camera to die on you.
Filters
If youâre not strictly a blue/golden hour photographer, youâre going to need lens filters. While midday light can be harsh, donât waste perfectly good photo opportunities out of sun glare fear. Embrace it. You might capture one of your favourite images when you least expect it.
Tripod & Shutter Release Button
The other prime time for photographs is at night. All the burning happens after dark, and youâre certainly going to want to capture the burning of the giant Donnie Darko rabbit that youâve been marvelling at all week. On top of that, the mutant vehicles come alive at night. Many parade fairy lights and some even become dance-floors so, be sure to have this additional equipment to capture the Burn at night.
Extra Memory Cards
While you need to take your time before snapping, once you start â go wild! Having hundreds of images to sort through when you return to âcivilisationâ really helps with the post-Burn blues. Thereâs pure joy in discovering images you took without a second thought which beautifully encapsulate the magic of this experience.
Conclusion
Most importantly, photographing at Afrikaburn is about enjoyment. Take stock in the moments where youâre conversing with strangers. Offer to send them the images youâve taken by asking for their email or the postal address (a friend I went with sent her film photographs to the strangers she photographed). Photographing can be part of your gifting to people.
Some of my favourite images came from the moments in between. While it was incredible to capture some of the more remarkable things I had seen, it also encouraged real immersion into more minor moments like human kindness, meal sharing, playing, relaxing, walking and dust. So much dust!
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