Over Easter, the students of Shearwater Steiner School's IT Multimedia and Photography classes gathered outside the media gates of Byron Bay Bluesfest. Nerves and excitement for what lay ahead pushed us forward into the festival, guided by our teacher Endre.
We collected our wristbands and prepared for our first experience in the pit at the media tent. As school students, we haven’t had much exposure to professional creative projects and we all gained insight and perspective into the realities of being a professional photographer. Our experience at Bluesfest was a priceless one that we will never forget, it inspired and evoked creativity within all of us.
We were sat down by David Harris, a music industry photographer since the 80s. He taught us some basics to the cameras and gave us a few personal tips. For example, he only uses AV (aperture value) when taking photos. The lovely crew around us all separated to different stages to capture the singers under the magnificent lights. What really sets the vibe of the atmosphere is the crowd screaming, dancing and cheering to their hearts' content.
The coloured stage lighting travelling through the dust and smoke added drama to our photographs. The smoke caused the images to appear full of energy and helped to diminish the hard shadows in the background, minimising the need for editing, other than a few touch ups using exposure and shadow tools.
As well as being able to experience taking photos of talented artists, we also had allocated free time when we were able to enjoy the music.
As one of the student media crew gushed: “Immersed within the crowd of people from all walks of life, the sound seems to connect and unite us. The music helps to remove any judgment or prejudice we might feel toward one another."
"As the sound emerging from the speakers vibrates my sternum and travels through me, I can’t help but feel at peace. Everyone is on the same wavelength, we are all touched by the sound waves of the same artist.
"Iggy Pop, at the age of 73, rocks the stage, for two whole hours - a powerful and emotional performance; creating an unforgettable atmosphere. The music is insane and Iggy Pop himself is an inspiration.”
We collected our wristbands and prepared for our first experience in the pit at the media tent. As school students, we haven’t had much exposure to professional creative projects and we all gained insight and perspective into the realities of being a professional photographer. Our experience at Bluesfest was a priceless one that we will never forget, it inspired and evoked creativity within all of us.
We were sat down by David Harris, a music industry photographer since the 80s. He taught us some basics to the cameras and gave us a few personal tips. For example, he only uses AV (aperture value) when taking photos. The lovely crew around us all separated to different stages to capture the singers under the magnificent lights. What really sets the vibe of the atmosphere is the crowd screaming, dancing and cheering to their hearts' content.
The coloured stage lighting travelling through the dust and smoke added drama to our photographs. The smoke caused the images to appear full of energy and helped to diminish the hard shadows in the background, minimising the need for editing, other than a few touch ups using exposure and shadow tools.
As well as being able to experience taking photos of talented artists, we also had allocated free time when we were able to enjoy the music.
As one of the student media crew gushed: “Immersed within the crowd of people from all walks of life, the sound seems to connect and unite us. The music helps to remove any judgment or prejudice we might feel toward one another."
"As the sound emerging from the speakers vibrates my sternum and travels through me, I can’t help but feel at peace. Everyone is on the same wavelength, we are all touched by the sound waves of the same artist.
"Iggy Pop, at the age of 73, rocks the stage, for two whole hours - a powerful and emotional performance; creating an unforgettable atmosphere. The music is insane and Iggy Pop himself is an inspiration.”