Hey there,

I’m Naomi, co-founder of Behind The Lens. I’ve been photographing concerts for about a year and a half, and a few weeks ago, I had the incredible opportunity to go on my first tour. TesseracT brought me on the road for a five-week tour across Europe and the UK. It was an intense and rewarding experience that pushed me both creatively and personally.

I still can’t quite believe it happened. Touring with a such a band, and for my very first tour? Definitely not on my bingo card. Every single day felt surreal, and looking back, it still does.

In this post, I’ll walk you through my experience on tour, the lessons I’m bringing back, and why I want to share this. When I was preparing for this tour, I struggled to find real insights on what it’s actually like, especially from a photographer’s perspective. Hopefully, this helps others who are stepping into tour photography for the first time. Let’s get into it!

How I Landed the Opportunity

People often ask me how I got this opportunity, and honestly, I was just as surprised as anyone. The band first reached out to me in September, and I received the official offer in early October. At that point, I had never met them, barely spoken to any of them, never been on tour, and had never even worked directly with a band for a show. So you can imagine my shock when I got the offer.

The opportunity was both exciting and terrifying, but I knew I couldn’t pass it up. Who knew if I would ever get another chance like this? I accepted the job and spent the next few months mentally preparing. Thankfully, I was able to take five weeks off from my full-time job as a full-stack developer without any issue. Balancing photography with a full-time job had always been tricky, but this was my first time fully stepping into the world of music photography without my usual work schedule.

Preparing for the Road

Since this was my first tour, I had to figure everything out from scratch: what gear to bring, what to pack, logistics, professional insurance, and more. Being the organisation fanatic I am, I even created a Notion page with checklists and content ideas I wanted to capture, which helped me feel at least somewhat prepared.

Gear Choices

I packed two camera bodies—my main Sony A7IV and a backup Sony A7C. My lenses included a Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8, my favourite, and a Sony 20mm f/1.8, which I hadn’t used much before. I also brought a Polaroid Go for fun shots, along with a bunch of SD cards, batteries, and an external SSD for storage.

Pre-Tour Strategy

I spent time brainstorming workflows, from shooting to delivery. I knew I needed to balance capturing the energy of live shows with behind-the-scenes moments—something new for me. To stay organized, I relied on Lightroom presets for a consistent editing style, pre-designed templates for daily posts, and a structured workflow to keep up with the sheer amount of content I would generate. This worked well for photos, but videos? A whole other story, which I’ll get into later.

First Days on Tour

The first show was in Vauréal, near Paris, which made my first day of travel easy. But meeting everyone for the first time? That was another story. As an introvert with social anxiety, stepping into a tight-knit crew was intimidating. On top of that, everything was new: touring, working as a band’s photographer, living on a bus, and being away from home for over a month.

Thankfully, my friend Philae came with me on the first day, which made the whole experience much less overwhelming. Having a familiar face around helped calm my nerves as I braced myself for meeting a brand-new crew. To my relief, getting to know everyone went way smoother than I had anticipated. We were a big group, but everyone was so warm and welcoming. It was a lot to take in at first, but slowly, I realized just how much we all meshed. From the conversations to the inside jokes, I could tell this was going to be a memorable experience.

Sleeping in a moving bus was strange at first, but exhaustion won, and I passed out quickly. By the end of the tour, I actually needed the bumpy ride and motor noise to sleep peacefully. It became a comfort I hadn’t realised I adapted to until I got home and struggled to sleep in total silence.

Capturing the Tour

As the tour photographer, my job was to handle all content. That included photography, videography, and daily social media posts: designing, scheduling, and posting updates so the band didn’t have to think about it.

Shooting Strategy

The goal was to capture every aspect of the tour: shows, backstage moments, soundchecks, and daily life. With 27 shows across 37 days in 17 countries, I had plenty of time to gather content. If I messed up one night, I had many more chances to get it right. Over time, I learned the set, the band’s movements, and key moments like the crowd jumping during Echoes, Acle’s iconic hair flips, or Dan’s interactions with fans during King. I made sure to get a bit of everything each day.

At first, I hesitated to step on stage, fearing I’d be in the way. Looking back, I wish I had been bolder. The band was completely open to me moving around, but I imposed limits on myself that weren’t necessary.

Content Challenges and Lessons Learned

Managing social media in real-time was another challenge. Even with templates, I underestimated the time it took to copy my photos and create the daily carousel, which meant I didn’t dedicate enough time to video editing.

Beyond that, I struggled with creative fatigue and imposter syndrome. With so many shows, I felt my shots becoming repetitive. To counter this, I set small personal challenges, like focusing on different angles or crowd reactions. I also took short breaks to step back and reset. I alternated between photo and video each night to keep things fresh.

Fatigue was another challenge. Shooting daily, sleeping on a bus, and constantly moving left little time for rest. I adapted by pre-editing soundcheck photos immediately, backing up files while traveling, and forcing myself to take small moments to breathe. Next time, I’d structure my workflow even better to avoid burnout.

Memorable Moments and Achievements

During the tour, I had the chance to work with the opening bands in different capacities. I shot a full show and a promo session for Novelists. With The Omnific, I photographed several of their shows, shot video content, a dedicated promo session. One of the most exciting aspects of my time with them was being involved in filming and capturing behind-the-scenes moments during their recording session with Dingwall.

Beyond my own work, I was proud to play a part in making music photography more inclusive. Through Behind The Lens, I helped facilitate a collaboration with TesseracT to provide photo pass opportunities for female and non-binary photographers. Representation in this field matters deeply to me, and it was rewarding to support others in gaining access to shows and growing their portfolios.

We will share their amazing work soon on our Instagram page and in our photo galleries.

Working with such an incredible band and crew made this experience truly unforgettable. From day one, they welcomed me into their world, offering guidance, support, and plenty of laughs along the way. Their professionalism and passion for what they do were inspiring, and being part of that dynamic pushed me to elevate my own work. It wasn’t just about capturing performances, it was about documenting a journey, and that wouldn’t have been possible without the people who made every day on the road meaningful.

Final Thoughts

My first tour was an intense mix of excitement, self-doubt, exhaustion, and fulfillment. I learned a tremendous amount, not just about photography and videography, but also about resilience, adaptability, and how to navigate the fast-paced world of touring. I made mistakes—some small, some frustrating—but each one was a stepping stone to growth.

Would I do it again? Without a doubt. And next time, I’ll be even more prepared, more efficient, and more confident in my abilities.

There’s so much more I could say about this experience, and I know I can’t cover everything in one post. If there’s anything specific you’d like to know more about—gear choices, workflow, social media strategy, balancing photography with personal well-being on the road, or anything else—let me know! I’d love to dive deeper into the topics that interest you and maybe even turn them into dedicated posts.