Pune Oktoberfest 2022

You can dance in any style as long as it blends with the beat and the music.

I am talking of the Oktoberfest held in Pune this year and the live band.

The one on the keyboard was versatile and at times I spied him with an accordian.

Many turned up in the German traditional outfit and were willing to pose for pictures.

There were photographers galore and the bigger the camera the more willing the people are ready to be clicked.

As for these beer spouts, I wonder if they are real pressure gauges.

First time I got to see a portable Beer dispenser. Away from the madding crowd quietly dispensing the Beer.

I liked the innovative T-shirt of a Beer stall by using the local language (Marathi) Loosely translated it means,"How about having a round of drinks today"

These transparent glasses are a good way of advertisement. Keep staring at the names till the beer is over.

Meanwhile there were frequent sorties to the beer bar for a refill.

Some even had long banners unfurled to catch the eyeballs

Saw this couple enjoying the music and they were light on their feet, so I dedicated a video totally on them (and sent them the video link) Don't miss the expression on that child's face at the bottom corner

In fact I captured many in action and made three small videos. Video 1 Video 2 Video 3 There is some more footage of the band and if time permits, I will upload them too. If you see most of the pictures above in fancy colours, it is because of the psychedelic lights that were used at the venue (and a nightmare for photographers) I mean just compare the two pictures below. It is the same singer Gisele in both the cases but see the difference the lighting makes.

Accessories used

Many a times people have asked me about the equipment that I use while covering an event. 

My idea of capturing an event is to present it in the most natural form. Which means, shoot when the subjects are not looking at the camera, or in other words candid pictures. You may have to wait for "that moment" to click the right and lively frame. Look at the two pictures below and you can judge for yourself. 

picture clicked at "that moment"

posed picture clicked by the "photographer" 

And if it is a picture where all are looking at the camera, then make it a lively picture:

For an outdoor event, I use two cameras. One for still photographs and one for videos. To make it hands free I use shoulder straps. These can be used as a single strap (for one camera) or double strap. 

Your camera is safe tethered to the end of the belt.

Reminds me of an incident when I was covering the Oktoberfest a few years ago at Pune Race course. I was using these shoulder straps with two cameras hanging on both sides. A guy walked up to me and said "you are the most dangerous guy in this party" I asked him why, to which he replied "there is no saying which camera you will pick up and start shooting"

For capturing videos I use my mobile phone (iphone 6s plus) I have been using this for the last six years and I find that the image stabiliser is very effective. To hold the mobile, I use a mobile holder. This can be screwed onto one of the shoulder straps. The mobile holder has three cold shoe mounts  and some 2 and 3/4 threads by which one can attach lights, if required. 

While using the mobile for shooting, do not zoom in. The minute you zoom in, you are compromising on the quality. 
The sound recording quality of this mobile is not very good so I use an external mic. Care should be taken that a TRRS adaptor is used which is compatible with the iphone socket.  

I have used a Boya mic. The advantage of this mic is that you don't need batteries for it to function.

It is advisable to use a "dead cat" (wind jammer) on the mic as it cancels external wind disturbance. 

After capturing the event, I mix the video clips and still pictures to string them up to make a short video. The software used for this is imovies and it comes free with a Mac or iphone. If you are using Windows, then Movie Maker is good enough and it comes free with Windows.   

As far as possible keep the video short as the attention span of the viewer will not be more than seven to ten minutes. 

Additionally, I use a reusable cable tie on the holder to strap on my mobile charger. This comes in handy to charge the mobile without interrupting the shooting.

The final assembly will look something like this :

Coming to the camera, you will be surprised to know that I usually use a point and shoot camera. They give equally good results. It is not necessary to use a DSLR or a mirrorless camera. This three minute film was captured by a point and shoot (Canon SX60 HS) and that too without a tripod (hand held) 

Photography is nothing but playing with the light. While clicking, I prefer the back light. It makes the subject stand out with perfect outline. 

Another tip, always, always use a lens hood. It makes a lot of difference in the final result. If the camera doesn't  come with one, buy it separately.  I bought an additional lens hood for my Canon SX 60HS 

The barn door effect is always a plus point while shooting. 

Pune Oktoberfest 2016

It is the third week of October and the Oktoberfest is over in Pune.  It is one opportunity where I get to click some good candid pictures, like this one - a special kiss: 

Or the one of this couple who were totally engrossed by the music belted out by the live band.

I tried to click this child enjoying a ride, but the parents spotted me and was quick with an appropriate smile. 

Conducted by the IGCC (Indo German Chamber of Commerce-Pune) it is held every year at the Pune Race Course premises.

Youngsters and the not the so young come for a swig and  to shake a leg: 

Some like to pose with the band while others are real quick in posing when they see that my camera is pointed at them (taking selfies has made them an expert in this field) 

In this video you can see how this guy below (in red tee shirt) got himself into this funny pose.  

Did make a few videos and uploaded them on You Tube, while some are on the FB site of Pune Oktoberfest.

If you are patient enough, you can get some profile pictures with a good dark background.

Space is the main constraint especially when it comes to dancing, and trying to capture some action in that crowd is not easy. 

Apart from the beer, there was a constant flow of some  good German food.

Earlier during the day, there was the horse race with some of the sponsors keen to see their horses win. 

At this enclosure, I saw this bell, probably hanging there from the British era. It may not be in use now, but I like the shine on it. 

Also saw this photographer catching a few winks while taking care of his gear too. 

Got some more footage of the dance and the band in action. Will link those videos here later, once I compile them.