1,000 Words: Doug Van Sant
Name: Doug Van Sant
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Occupation: Photographer
On assignment at events in 2016, including: Pyrofest, Empire Music Festival, Buku Music Festival, Euphoria, EDC Las Vegas, and Nocturnal Wonderland, to name a few.
Reminiscing on: Last weekend. I was in Pennsylvania shooting Pyrofest—literally a festival thrown by a pyrotechnics company to celebrate pyrotechnic arts—and I got overcome with emotion in a way I haven’t felt before. They were playing electronic music in sync with some of the most indescribable pyro I’ve ever seen, and I actually started tearing up. My wife started tearing up, too.
Looking forward to: EDC Las Vegas. There’s so much happening that it’s impossible to capture it in the way you absolutely want to. But this will be my third year, and every time, I get more comfortable with what to expect.
First experience with electronic music: At a warehouse party in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 2001 or 2002. It was really an art venue, but sometimes they would have DJs play. My friend wanted me to come out that night; DJ Shadow was spinning. I didn’t really know anything about it, but I went with him and got hooked.
Because: The music was percussion-heavy, and as a former drummer that resonated with me. I also liked that it wasn’t mainstream. It was underground, and it felt good not following the usual protocol of every 20-something I was living around. Even today, as EDM has grown, it’s nice being involved in something most 40-year-olds roll their eyes at.
So then: From North Carolina I moved to Tampa, Florida, where I got into writing about music. When I’d cover a show, I’d bring a camera to take pictures of people and entice them to read my column that way. Somewhere along the way, photography took over.
Most memorable shot: It’s from Beyond Wonderland 2014. It was one of the first times I decided to get into the crowd, and I was working my way to the middle when I saw a couple of girls on the shoulders of their boyfriends in front of me. Somehow, I just knew. I was like, “This is the moment.” It turned out to be one of the most ridiculous photos I’ve ever taken. One of the girls just happened to turn so I could see her profile, both their hands were in the air, and there was an Insomniac flag flying off to the left. The crowd around them was complete madness. I don’t even know how I did it.
Which led to: That photo set the bar for me. From then on, my method of shooting has been to get into the middle and shoot from the fan’s perspective. I want my photos to make you say, “Oh god, I remember that moment,” or “Oh god, I want to be there.”
My job is nuts because: Sometimes I have close calls. At EDC Mexico last year, we needed a closing image, so I tried to get to the middle of the crowd at Tiësto. It was so densely packed that the only way in was through the pit by the stage, so I got a security guard to hold my camera while I climbed over the barricade. I literally couldn’t move, but I was getting my shots. Then Tiësto comes up to the edge of the stage and holds up his headphones, and I realize he’s going to throw them into the crowd, right where I’m at. I felt the entire crowd surging, and I thought I was going to die. The other photographers on my team thought I was going to die. When he finally did throw them, I swear I left the ground for a good 30 seconds and just rode the crowd—shooting the whole time.
Best festival Instagram tip: Turn your flash off. Just turn it off. If you’re using any sort of modern smartphone, you don’t need it. There’s so much light happening at these events. Flash makes festival photos look so ugly. Other than that, it’s all about timing.
Above & Beyond Acoustic Tour—it was such an honor shooting six shows on the tour.
A State of Trance 600 at Madison Square Garden. My first shoot at MSG.
ASOT600 at Madison Square Garden was a turning point in my career.
My all-time favorite image shot at Beyond Wonderland Bay Area 2014.
Showing off my landscape photography with the cherry blossoms of Washington, D.C.
Tale of Us breaking in the Jungle at the BPM Festival. This shot is significant because I’m using off-camera lighting to make the shot.
Speakers, the beach and house music at the annual BPM Festival in Playa del Carmen.
Yellow Claw at Buku Festival in New Orleans. I love the darkness of this image. He reminds me of a warrior in an anime film.
Continuing on the warrior look. Yellow Claw had the absolute best lighting at Buku.
One of my favorite cherry blossom sunrise photos. The range of color in the sky was unreal!
My first time shooting and attending EDC Las Vegas in 2014. This is one of my all-time favorite stage production shots.
Molotov at Empire Music Festival in Guatemala. This one is probably my favorite live band photo.
Closing out Empire Music Festival in Guatemala with lights, confetti and pyro.Feeling the moment at Empire Music Festival in Guatemala.
Another moment of bliss at Euphoria Music Festival in Austin, TX.
Golden hour with performers at Euphoria Music Festival in Austin, TX.
Dillon Francis is pleased—at Euphoria Music Festival in Austin, TX.
Above & Beyond at Euphoria Music Festival.
Armin van Buuren controlling the lights at Lights All Night in Dallas, 2014.
My wife with a massive wall of fireworks in front of her at Pyrofest, 2016.
Probably the single greatest pyro/fireworks show I’ve ever seen—at Pyrofest, 2016.
More epic pyro at Pyrofest in Western PA.
Echosmith at Rock in Rio USA. I love that I was in the right place at the right time to catch her smile with those beautiful visuals behind the band.
Taylor Swift at Rock in Rio USA. Probably one of my favorite photos from the festival.
Eric Prydz with his daughter at Ultra Miami. I’ve got crazy photos of pyro, lights, lasers and such. But this is one of my favorites, because it was such a great moment between an artist and his child. I’ll never forget it.
We pulled together a gallery of our favorite photos by Doug. Check it out here.
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