So... I have no idea how to even start this one.

When I got the news that I was going to be part of the media team for Warped Tour, I had literally just gotten home from my vacation in New Brunswick and I cried. Like, a lot. Because what the actual fuck?

I genuinely couldn't believe it. I had somehow manifested this and let's be real, photographing Vans Warped Tour is basically every elder emo's dream, including mine. This was one of those things that felt so far out of reach that I never really let myself believe it could actually happen.

And then suddenly, there I was with a media pass.

At Warped Tour. In Montréal.

And the funniest part? I had only officially made the switch from photography being a hobby to actually trying to make a career out of it three months earlier.

Three. Months.

I'm still not sure my brain has fully processed that.

The first day was definitely the hardest one physically. I think a big part of it was simply being unfamiliar with the site. I spent a ridiculous amount of time walking around trying to figure out where everything was, where I needed to be and how the hell I was supposed to get from point A to point B without missing anything. And of course, my raging toothache decided to tag along for the weekend. The same toothache that I had been pushing through and eventually ended up in the ER for on Sunday. So you know, perfect timing. But honestly? I would do it again.

At first, I definitely had that feeling of "I am not supposed to be here." I still couldn't quite believe that I was actually there as a photographer and not just as some random girl who bought a ticket to go scream at bands. Eventually though, the imposter syndrome started to go away and I was able to actually enjoy myself.

Was it hard? Absolutely.

Am I satisfied with every single photo I took? Truthfully, no.

I'm very much not equipped for shooting a festival like this yet and there were definitely moments where I could feel the limitations of my gear and my experience. There are photos I wish I had gotten, moments I wish I had handled differently and things I know I'll be better at next time.

But do I regret doing it? Fuck no. If anything, it just gave me even more motivation to keep working toward better gear and more experience before next year.

The weather was probably the biggest challenge of the entire weekend, especially on day two. My body already isn't particularly great at regulating its temperature so the heat hit me hard. I felt weak more often than I'd like to admit and at one point during the Simple Plan meet & greet line, I genuinely came pretty close to heat stroke. Which was... not ideal. Then, because apparently my camera also wanted to participate in the suffering, it overheated too. Which meant I didn't get to photograph Of Mice & Men. That one still hurt.

Other than those two major things — and you know, the whole tooth situation — the festival itself actually went pretty smoothly and there was so much that made all of it worth it.

I got to see bands that had been on my bucket list for years as well as bands that I remember screaming the lyrics to in high school. These are songs I used to listen to while being an angsty teenager and now I'm standing there with a camera trying to capture the people who made them. It's one of those moments where you realize that somehow, without really noticing you've gotten older and somehow, the things you dreamed about when you were younger are starting to happen.

The podcast that brought me out to Warped Tour, which is the podcast I usually work with, also got the chance to interview The Devil Wears Prada, which made my little 13 year old emo heart very happy. We also got to interview Peer Pressure, Basterds and Sudden Waves, which was such a cool experience. I'll link the podcast down below because honestly, getting to experience this whole thing alongside them made it even more special.

Speaking of things that happened during the weekend, I also got to meet deviilbby in the media tent. At the time I had absolutely no idea who she was. I was getting ready for an interview so I completely forgot to ask her name and basically walked away thinking "oh, that was a cool person I just met." Then later that night my tattoo artist posted a picture with her and tagged her. So obviously I went to her profile and yeah she's about a thousand times cooler than what I originally thought. So thank you to my tattoo artist for accidentally solving that mystery for me LOL.

One of my favourite moments of the entire weekend actually had nothing to do with the bands. During Escape the Fate's set on day two, I got to photograph a newlywed couple who had gotten married right before coming to the festival. They were still wearing their wedding dress and suit at Warped Tour. I don't know why, but that was just so fucking cute to me. Out of everything I photographed that weekend that's probably my favourite non band related moment!

Food and drinks were also predictably expensive, because Parc Jean-Drapeau is gonna Parc Jean-Drapeau. Luckily, between the toothache and the heat, eating wasn't exactly high on my priority list anyway. I did find a place giving away free refillable water bottles though. That and the water machine in the media tent became my absolute lifesaver for the weekend. On day two I also discovered the employee only area, which had food that was way cheaper than the main festival areas. I got a cheeseburger. It tasted like they had boiled the patty. So while I appreciated the cheaper food, I would've happily paid more for a burger that didn't taste like it had been cooked in a bathtub. And unfortunately that burger ended up being my last solid meal for a hot minute because my toothache decided it had had enough of me.

And then came the closing set. Simple Plan.

Which is kind of insane when you think about it because they're a Montreal band so having them close out the festival in their hometown just felt right. There was absolutely no way I was missing that set even knowing that it meant getting stuck in the yellow line metro traffic afterwards. Simple Plan was part of the soundtrack to my childhood before I even knew they were the ones behind some of those songs, including What's New Scooby-Doo. An emo hearing the G note at an MCR concert probably couldn't scream as loud as I did in that moment. I'm not even a huge Simple Plan fan but they played pretty much every song I actually listen to from them so it ended up being a fun set to attend.

Looking back at the weekend now, I'm still kind of in disbelief. Not just because it was Warped Tour but because of how quickly everything has changed. Three months ago, I was still figuring out what it meant to take photography seriously. I was still trying to convince myself that maybe I could actually do this and now, three months later, I was standing at one of the most iconic festivals in alternative music with a media pass and photography pass bracelet around my wrist photographing bands I grew up listening to.

I still have so much to learn. I'm still not completely happy with my gear. I'm still learning how to work in environments this big. I still have moments where I feel like I somehow slipped through the cracks and someone is going to realize I'm not supposed to be here. But then I remember,

I was there.

I did the work.

I took the photos.

I made it through two days of heat, exhaustion, a dying camera and a tooth that was actively trying to ruin my life.

I got to experience something younger me would've thought was the coolest thing in the world.

I'm still so incredibly grateful to Vans and Quebec Moshpit for believing in me enough to let me be part of their media team. I genuinely don't think I'll ever have enough words to explain how much this meant to me. This weekend wasn't perfect. I didn't get every photo I wanted. My body fought me the entire time. My camera overheated. My tooth tried to kill me. I ate a cheeseburger that tasted like boiled sadness. But somewhere between all of that, the music, the crowds, the interviews, the photos, the heat and the absolute chaos, I got a little glimpse of the photographer I'm becoming. And honestly? I'm pretty fucking excited to see what's next.

Until next year.

— with love, Sixx