Until recently, I’ve preferred the combo of a rangefinder-type camera (Fuji x100x, if digital; Lomo Apparat 21mm if film), getting there hours too early, and then holding my space up front for the next four hours if that’s what the crowd density required, in order to attempt to take some pictures. I could travel light and security was fine with it small cameras like those, probably 90% of the time.

But this year, I expanded my arsenal a bit with a new camera that has a few more options (Fuji X-T5). While it’s fun to have choices and it was wild to watch the lights strobe through the circular lens filter (like watching a late 90s music video happen in front of me). I definitely hit an I Think You Should Leave “I’ve got too much shit on me!” moment standing in the wings of the Tower Theater that night while fumbling through filters in the shadows.