Burning Man is an annual art festival, held in Northern Nevada during the last week of August. It’s a mind-blowing place to be. You will want to take photos.
As a photographer and former Burning Man Media Liason, here are some tips I’ve learned over the years about how to prepare for shooting photography or video during Burning Man.
1) Bring as much gear as possible to the Playa. The Black Rock Desert is a beautiful place. You do not want to be in the middle of the desert and think ‘I should have brought this’. Just bring it. Bring as many memory cards as possible too.
2) Consider your gear transportation. You probably are not going to be able to carry all of your gear over your shoulder. I would highly recommend bringing a bicycle with a trailer (think ‘bicycle child trailer’) to carry your gear. I also highly recommend bringing a bicycle and a lock!
Theft happens everywhere. But most of all, people may confuse your bike for a community bike which is intended to be shared.
3) There will be dust.
This dust is like smoke. There is no escaping it.
I highly recommend using electrical tape to tape up every possible crevice of your camera. I usually tape as close to the lens as possible. It would be ideal if you could avoid every having to change your lens (eg. you have two cameras with two lens). Never ever change your lens during a dust storm (whiteout). I have done this without damage however, by changing it blind in a closed knapsack. Pretty risky though.
I use a DSLR for the pro shots, and two or three weathered digital point-and-shoot cameras for the times when the dust kicks up. The dust storms, with the right lighting, can provide awesome shots. Len filters are also great.
4) Best time of day to get a shot.
The best time to get a shot is just before the sun rises and just as the sun is setting. I highly recommend the morning shots, because it’s a very different vibe of the city. Very sobering.
The morning and sunset are great opportunities to play with light. Which brings me to..
5) Shut off the flash.
Flash is useless at Burning Man.
At night, flashing will illuminate thousands of dust specks in your shot. Instead you can easily find light for your shots – almost anywhere. This is Burning Man.
I like long exposure shots at night and ambient lighted sound stages.
6) Consent is key.
Always ask first. Some people do expect some privacy at Burning Man, and besides it is the polite thing to do. Most people won’t mind, but they will appreciate you asking. You might also meet some great people in having a conversation with them. I have.
The big issue is if the subject is identifiable. Is their face in the shot? Are they full frontal naked? If not, you’re okay.
If you are planning on selling your work commercially, bring printed model release forms. Carry them around and get any subjects to sign them.
7) Relax.
Even if you are on assignment and you need to be working, putting the camera down and experiencing the event on its own for an afternoon may give you greater insight to what your surroundings are about.
8) Don’t be a darkwad.
Stay visible at night. Put mild lights on yourself, like a bike light, so you don’t get mowed over by a roaming art car or speeding bicyclist. I’m a fan of EL wire.
9) The Burn.
Arrive early to get up front. Like at least two hours early.
Be aware of the wind direction. You could have all sorts of trouble coming your way if the wind is against you, like smoke and immense heat once the Man falls. I witnessed high-flying flaming pieces of wood windblown into a crowd of people once. Literally, flaming boards fell upon people.
After the man has fallen, the crowd will move forward around you. If you have a tripod setup, you may need to pack up quickly and without warning or get lost in a people traffic jam.
10) Equipment cleaning.
Did I mention the dust?
