Capturing the Vibes: My Experience at Vegandale Philly 24
From Shy Photographer to Festival Explorer: A Day with Gajan’s Team at Vegandale Philly
A few weeks ago, Gajan reached out to ask if I knew anyone in Philadelphia with a drone who could do POV shots. That’s when I realized I don’t know many POV drone pilots and wondered if I should learn at some point. Of course, I’d need to figure out if there’s a real demand for that skill. When I told him I didn’t know anyone, he mentioned when and why he would be in town. I first met Gajan in March in New York City during a photo walk hosted by Leica Meatpacking. I had followed and watched his videos on YouTube for a while before meeting him. He asked if I was around and if I wanted to join his team for the day.
The goal was simple: do what I do—capture what I see and photograph as many people as possible with interesting outfits. As some may know, I’m not really comfortable talking to strangers, so I loved the challenge. When else could I walk up to people, ask them for a photo, and not worry about rejection? I had so much fun that it made me want to shoot more festivals. The funniest moments were when people asked if they had to pay for the photos I was taking, which was interesting in many ways that I might revisit later.
While there, I was just running around, trying to capture as much as I could. The lines at the vendors were so long that I didn’t get to try much. When I did catch up with Gajan and his team, it was just jokes about what we’d been seeing and how Philly is such an interesting place when it comes to the crowd.
I shared a few thoughts and ideas I had with Gajan about the future and where I want to be. I talked to him about my shyness and why I’m finally taking steps to combat that fear. He shared some great insights and reassured me that I’m capable of doing whatever I set my mind to.
I arrived around 1 p.m., but the first performance didn’t start until about 6 p.m. By that time, I was tired. I hadn’t been on my feet that long since working as a stock supervisor at J.Crew, running overnights. Polo G was the first performer. I wasn’t familiar with his music, and I’m not sure many in the crowd were either. I also think the crowd was tired and annoyed by the on-and-off rain all day, so I totally understand why their energy level was low.
When Saweetie came on with her background dancers, the crowd’s energy started to pick up. I was surprised that I knew a few of her songs. My taste in music usually has me listening to artists I grew up with, like Usher, Jay-Z, Childish Gambino, and Rick Ross!
When Rick Ross came out, the energy level hit 1000%. I think the crowd released all the energy they had left at that point.
Vegandale Philly 24 was a blast, and I hope to go again next year! I’ll just bring a chair for a few breaks.
I want to say thank you again to Gajan for allowing me to join his wonderful team for the day. Everyone on the team—Sharuka and Stephan—was amazing in their own right!