Why I’m Going Full Frame at The Brit Fest

This weekend I’m heading to The Brit Fest in Altrincham, a celebration of British music, creativity and culture, and I’ll be photographing the action with my full-frame cameras.

Festivals are brilliant places to shoot. The colour, the energy, the characters, there’s never a dull moment. But they’re also unpredictable. You’re often dealing with changeable weather, fast-moving performers, and tricky lighting, especially when the sun dips. It’s exciting, but it’s demanding.

To give myself the best chance of capturing those decisive moments, those shots that feel alive, I’ll be working with two trusty Nikon DSLRs, the D3 and the D5. Both are full-frame workhorses.

So what exactly is full frame?

In simple terms, it refers to the size of the camera’s sensor. A full-frame sensor is larger than the one you’ll find in most standard digital cameras. This bigger sensor can gather more light, which is a huge advantage when working in low-light conditions — like the darker corners of a stage, under coloured spotlights, or in the middle of a cloudy evening set. It helps me keep the image quality high, with less grain and more detail, even when the lighting isn’t ideal.

I’ll be using a two-camera setup, one slung over each shoulder, so I can move quickly and stay in the moment without stopping to change lenses mid-set. It keeps me in the rhythm, just like the performers I’m photographing. One camera will be fitted with an 80–200mm lens for those close-up details and compressed stage shots. The other will carry a 24–70mm for wider scenes and more immersive crowd moments.

Both lenses are fast, opening up to f/2.8, which simply means they let in more light and allow me to work faster in darker settings without losing sharpness. It also gives a beautiful soft fall-off in the background, which helps isolate the subject, be it a lead singer mid-chorus, a dancer caught in a spotlight, or a fan lost in the music.

Festivals like The Brit Fest are a real test for any photographer, but that’s part of the thrill. You’re working with the unknown, always adapting, always watching. It’s about staying ready, responding quickly, and trusting your gear to keep up.

If you’re at the festival, look out for me, I’ll be the one down the front in the photographer’s pit between the stage and the crowd, camera in each hand, chasing the next great frame.