International Hip hop festival
Before going any further, and for all my geeky followers, this entire festival was photographed with the CANON R3 and the CANON R5 both with their respective lenses, the RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM and RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM! Now that this is out of the way, let's dive into this.
Like a lot of events, the Who got the flower international hip hop festival had to cancel its 2020 and 2021 edition. In 2022, it came back stronger than ever and I was lucky enough to be once again the official photographer of this amazing event.
An exercise I used to be really comfortable with a while ago. Between 2011 and 2015 I covered multiple events, festivals, live shows, and especially concerts. I even considered being a concert photographer at one point.
I didn’t really have any plans at the time, so I simply followed my heart, and did my best to work with people I love and respect, and who treated me the same way too. This lead me to Pontcharra in 2017, and this year will be my 4th participation to this event.
The WGTF is the only hip hop event I am covering now, and probably the only festival I will work on this year.
I mentioned it earlier, It is not my first time, so it feels a bit like home. I haven't seen most of the people involved in this event since 2019, but it felt like it was yesterday. It seemed as if it never stopped! A lot of people seemed eager for their return, the event was sold out quickly. If you plan on stopping by next year, don't be stupid, book your seat in advance! You are warned...
There is something special about this event that is hard to describe. You have to experience it at least once in your life.
The collab'
Eight randomly selected duos of a dancer and a musician meet in a battle format. Musician and dancer move together, one accompanying the other.
The collab' this year didn't disappoint... Full of surprises and touching moments, literally anything can happen on stage. A show for all audiences, kids, families, people of all ages and origins were surrounding me. I do wish sometimes I wasn't there to take pictures, maybe one day I will also be there just to enjoy the show.
The highlight of the weekend is, of course, the 4 vs 4 breaking battles.
4 VS 4 Breaking
The highlight of the show! The best dancers in the world face off in fierce battles.
The festival has been renewed for 3 years. It is difficult to imagine how it is possible to surpass the previous edition every year. But they do it every time, so look forward to the next one.
Hats off to NEXT tape crew and all the amazing people that helped somehow make this event possible. Will I be there for the 8th year and 5th participation as a photographer? I don't know... It’s not only up to me…