For those of you attending this year for the first time or if you need some reasons to go back I thought I'd share some shots from the last couple of years.

This is a great opportunity to shoot some really interesting subject matter and almost everyone there EXPECTS photos to be taken of them so it is a lot more comfortable if you aren't used to shooting people ( like me )

If you haven't been before I have a couple of tips.

  • Get there early - Everyone has open fires in their camp areas so there is often nice wafting smoke around that really adds to the mood especially with low morning sun.
  • Don't take the wide angle - There are a lot of people at this event, both visitors and participants, for me I want to try to show as little of the visitors as possible to give a more authentic look and feel.
  • Shoot with shallow DOF - Often visitors can be blurred enough to make them look like participants with the right f-stop It also allows for the background to blur and really focus on the character.
  • Don't take a tripod - There is no room, too many people and it just gets in the way.
  • Consider the sun - If you are going to shoot the jousting, sit at the northern end of the stands so you are shooting to the south, that way you won't be looking into the sun, colours will be much brighter too.


If anyone else has been please feel free to share your thoughts.