Tour Life: What It’s Really Like to Shoot 5 Cities in 7 Days

Everyone Thinks It’s Glamorous… Until You’re Living Out of a Camera Bag

People think tour photography is wild parties, flashing lights, and front-row action.

And yeah, sometimes it is.

But more often? It’s airport terminals, long soundchecks, constant gear checks, and editing in uncomfortable seats at 6 a.m. with dry eyes and an aching back.

This is what it really looks like to shoot five cities in seven days, flying with artists, moving fast, staying close, and delivering content at the speed of social.

The Rhythm: Fly. Soundcheck. Shoot. Hotel. Backup. Airport. Edit. Repeat.

Every day on tour follows a rhythm. A brutal, beautiful rhythm.

1. Wake up early, fly to the next city.

2. Head straight to soundcheck.

3. Grab food (if there’s time).

4. Shoot the show — from soundcheck to encore.

5. Return to the hotel, exhausted.

6. Back up your cards. Import everything into Lightroom.

7. Edit 3–5 selects immediately — the artist or manager wants them live now.

8. Sleep.

9. Wake up and edit the full set at the airport the next morning.

10. Send a polished gallery before takeoff.

11. Land. Do it all again.

You don’t get time to “settle in” or reflect.
You shoot, deliver, move. And try not to leave anything or anyone behind.

What Makes It Work: Preparation and Trust

When you spend all day with artists, it’s not just about taking good photos. It’s about:

• Knowing when to shoot and when to back off.

• Being emotionally in tune with the people you’re documenting.

• Carrying just enough gear to be flexible, not so much that you become the slow one in the group.

• Having systems in place: backup drives, preset folders, export templates, Wi-Fi fallback plans.

You’re not just a photographer, you’re part of the team. That trust is everything.

The Highs

• Getting the shot you know will live forever in that artist’s memory.

• Seeing a photo you took go viral before your second battery even dies.

• The post-show adrenaline when the crowd screams and you’re still in the pit, goosebumps everywhere.

• Sitting next to the artist on a flight while they scroll through your shots, smiling.

The Hard Parts

• Being always on, no real personal space, no day off.

• Editing with sore wrists in airport seats while people walk behind you.

• Losing track of days, meals, and normal sleep cycles.

• The emotional weight of trying to be creative when you’re physically maxed out.

• And yeah, gear anxiety every time you check your bag.

My Workflow Survival Kit (Mentally & Technically)

• 2 camera bodies (so I never switch lenses mid-show)

• 3–4 cards per shoot

• Fast backup SSD (plug-in at the hotel)

• Lightroom Classic on my MacBook, with smart folders & presets

• Mobile tethering or hotel Wi-Fi for gallery delivery

• Airport editing ritual: headphones on, coffee, edit everything before the next soundcheck.

Tour photography isn’t for everyone. It’s intense, isolating, and physically demanding.
But if you love the rush of creating something in the middle of chaos, if you get high off that one perfect frame that no one else could’ve gotten, then this might just be your thing.

Because even when I’m editing half-asleep at the gate…
I know I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.