About a decade ago, I took photos at several raves and clubs using a DSLR and flashgun. But I eventually stopped photographing events.
I want to return to capturing raves and festivals using a compact camera and sometimes use my Fujifilm mirrorless. I usually go to psytrance and techno raves. So I would love to capture the scenes while matching with the vibe at the event.
To get some inspiration and ideas, I would love to learn about your favourite photographer (even videographers) who shoot at psytrance raves, festivals, and concerts!
Can’t say I know many, let alone by name - but I’ve got a funny little anecdote for you:
I’m a demoscener, and many moons ago I was asked to hack up some effects to run on e-waste as part of the setting for a series of three raves that had been funded to function as backdrops for a - sadly - unreleased Danish cyberpunkish sci-fi movie. These were to be held at Burmeister & Wain’s old machine halls on Refshaleøen in Copenhagen - an excellent setting for it. Martin got in on the game and used it to test their latest equipment.
Only trouble was, I had just returned from a demo party where I’d gotten very little sleep, and I had like a three day deadline, which didn’t help in that respect. I got it done, then helped as part of the stage crew and when the rave finally started, after… quite a few days without sleep - I finally completely conked out in the nearest place I could crawl to.
I woke up after some undefined amount of time, in the middle of a rave in full swing to a rather handsome fellow squatting while taking pictures of me with a lens assembly longer than my forearm. Very nice dude - when he saw me waking up, he immediately came over and apologized for taking pictures of me without asking first, but as he pointed out… I had had fallen asleep in a bean bag right in front of a massive bass driver powerful enough to make my hair flutter as I, uh, rested, and I could hardly disagree that me sleeping like a baby while hugging a subwoofer the size of a small car must’ve made for a unique motive. No idea where those pictures ended up being published, if they ever did.