Burning Man 2012 Photo Tips: See You in BRC

posted August 23, 2012 in Happenings, Photographer Resources

Burning Man will be larger than ever this year, with over 60,000 people. I’ll be one of them, in uniform, camera in tow.

After months of planning and geeky camera testing, I prepare myself for my 2nd trip to Burning Man in Black Rock City (BRC), NV. I’ll be shooting a personal project involving families and couples in love on the playa. This time, I’ll be shooting medium format with a few modifications to my Scout uniform.

If you see me, don’t be afraid to introduce yourself! I’ll be happy to take some time and create a portrait for you.

While I don’t have any tattoos, piercings, and have never smoked anything in my life, I embrace this safe community whole-heartedly. I’ll be staying with the same friendly crew I met in 2010 w hich included photographers Nick Adams, Becker, John Mireles, and album company owner Tony Bisson. After the online lottery ticket sell-out fiasco, I secured a $390 ticket, thanks to Tony!

Friends helping each other out is makes Burning Man such a great community. The people are friendly, creative, and represent all walks of life from Google engineers, Vegas-circuit acrobats, and HDR-landscape photographers like Trey Ratcliff.

This year’s theme: Fertility 2.0.
wpid-PastedGraphic-2012-08-23-11-30.tiff We’ll arrive Sunday evening to set-up camp most likely near the Esplanade on Alyssum, near 6:45 mark or so. The 2012 City Plan names annular streets like Begonia, Iris, and Kingcup, but getting there early allows you to get the choice spots to camp (click for high res):
If you are a photographer and this is your first time to Burning Man, know the rules and etiquette. My top tips:

Be friendly. Random acts of kindness are awesome.
Take care of yourself. Hydrate well, savor sleep, eat smart.
One of my favorite places to meet and greet and shoot (aside from the playa) is Media Mecca during their happy hour from 4:30-6pm. Photographers, videographers, and bloggers from world gather to enjoy shade and a cold drink. Lots of creative discussions and projects kick start here.
Don’t get too hung up on equipment. They are creative tools. I say bring whatever gear you might need to create images you love: a flash, bring a medium format camera, a 5 foot octabank, a holga… whatever!

In 2010, I brought my Nikon D700 with the 85mm 1.4 and 24mm 1.4 and loved the combo… shallow depth of field, versatility, sharpness. I’ll do the same this year when I’m not shooting with a strobe.

To help you prepare, I share with you 10 tips on how to select the right gear to bring to the playa:

Bring your favorite camera. Seriously, it won’t do you good sitting at home. I’ve never had any issues with gear on the playa, knock on wood. And if you have a wedding or portrait session right after Burning Man, save a good camera at home just in case.
Make gaffer tape your friend. It won’t leave a sticky residue on surfaces and does a great job to seal your camera’s sensitive parts, especially around crevasses and the lens mount.
Leave the lens on. Changing lens isn’t a good idea, especially in a dust storm.
Choose the gear that compliments your style. If you like shooting JPEG in available light shooting at 1.2, perhaps a sun shade will be your friend, like my friend Becker shoots. If you gravitate towards lighting, I dig the irreverent behind-the-scenes from Joey L’s philosophy and lighting.
Buy gear insurance. I spend about $600 a year to insure my gear so I can bring it to wild locales without worries. I recommend these guys.
Don your media pass. If you have any intention for commercial use of your images (i.e. a gallery show or book), press here.
Model releases. Permission is better than forgiveness on the playa, I go paperless with the Release Me iPad app, an easy way to obtain a pro model release. You can also get dial-up speed wi-fi in center camp, but I’d forgo it unless you have kids and a wife at home.
Use a desiccator. This is a great way to protect your gear once the playa dust covers your gear. Place a few small silicon gel dessicators in your gear bags to help absorb moisture that make playa dust crud babies. Essential IMO when traveling back home to humid climates.
Bring a fat tire bike. Bikes are part of the Burning Man culture. Sure, it requires planning, but they are worth it and help getting around and exploring far easier. Don’t forget a bike lock (just don’t loose the key).
Pack accessories. I’d consider a name tag for your camera, an ND filter (3 stop at least), polarizing filter, tripod, cleaning supplies, plenty of memory cards, and some cards to share with your contact info.

Interested more in Burning Man? I’m always happy to share stories of my virgin experience at Burning Man along images from a wedding at Burning Man. Ask away in the comments section below… I’d love to hear from you!

Here’s a little happiness from Burning Man 2011:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQPQn9TLpPY&feature=channel&list=UL[/youtube]