Expression of Interest for 2026 closes on December 28!
THIS IS HOW THE CREW LEADERS WILL COMMUNICATE WITH YOU INITIALLY
Between the time you are accepted and the start of SXSW, you will receive a lot of incredibly important information from the leaders of the Photo Crew VIA EMAIL. Meetings, training, things to fill out, documents to sign, your schedule, your assignments... everything will be sent to the email account you provide, so make sure it is one that you check all the time. It is on you to keep up with Crew communication. Consider adding your email account to your phone and make sure it's set to sync.
THIS IS WHERE THE CREW LEADERS WILL MESSAGE YOU ABOUT TIMELY ISSUES
Slack is the Photo Crew's instant communication tool. You will receive an invitation to join the Photo Crew's Slack workspace once you have accepted your position on the Photo Crew. This is also the best way to connect with other Crew members on all things SXSW, housing, transportation, parking, food, etc.
Well before the festival starts you should get your gear in shape and make sure it is all working properly. Practice using your flash in different conditions and do some low light photography without flash.
Can you change a lens in the dark?
What is the highest usable ISO setting for your camera
Do you understand the relationship between shutter speed, f-stop and ISO?
What shutter speed is required to be used with your flash?
Do you know how to set a -1 EV negative flash exposure compensation for your camera so the flash will not overpower the available light?
What settings are needed for your camera with flash?
How do you get the best exposure when using bounce flash?
Establish a workflow for backing up your images from cards to a hard drive/the cloud daily
Study post processing techniques to correct for less than ideal lighting conditions
Learn how to add descriptive metadata to your images using IPTC metadata fields
Solidify your post processing workflow
Here's what you bring for your assignments every day:
Printed assignment list
Camera with fully-charged batteries
Lenses
Flash w/fully charged batteries
Extra camera and flash batteries - enough for up to 750 shots per shift
Empty SD/CF (memory) cards - enough for up to 750 images per shift
Official photo crew t-shirt (mandatory to wear while on assignment)
SXSW Badge
Comfortable shoes
Hearing protection (especially if assigned to a music showcase)
A light snack if you need it (venues always have water but not food)
Fully charged cell phone and phone charger
Photography Crew contact number: Put it in your phone as soon as you receive the number. (Goes live on March 8, 2026)
Rain gear for your camera
Park near a Metro Rapid or MetroRail stop outside of downtown and take the bus or train in, or park close to downtown and use a ride share service or a bike to get you the rest of the way.
While there is a lot of parking in and around downtown Austin, none of it is FREE.
Parking is at an absolute premium downtown during SXSW. Garages can fill up completely with downtown workers plus SXSW attendees.
Parking and transportation issues are not an excuse for being late.
If you're new to SXSW, you may be caught off-guard by how difficult it can be to drive and park downtown during the event. Heavy Austin traffic plus a ton of downtown road closures for SXSW can make for very slow going. If you do decide to drive and park downtown, these tips may help.
There are two large garages downtown: 5th & Red River and 2nd & Brazos. A quick Google map search for "parking" will yield many more options.
Map your drive time from your location to your parking destination AND your walk time from your parking spot to your final destination
Using micro-mobility devices such as scooters is done at your own risk
Get the Cap Metro app
Metro Rapid Buses 801 or 803
Runs north/south (801 Route + Schedule; 803 Route + Schedule)
Frequency varies by time of day; generally every 10 to 20 minutes
Best downtown stop is Republic Square Park which is a 10-12 minute walk to the Hilton
MetroRail (Route + Schedule)
Extended hours during SXSW
Can get very crowded at peak times
Schedule an Uber or a Lyft. Be prepared for the possibility of ride share surge pricing at peak travel times. Consider getting picked up or dropped off in an area of downtown that's less crowded.
Online or in person. Check out the Training & Workshops section for full details.
Before the first day of your schedule:
Pick up your SXSW badge at Registration
Grab your two official Photo Crew t-shirts and Crew lanyard in the Photo Crew Room
Note that lines at Registration lines will be long early in the festival. Check the SXSW web site for registration hours and make time to complete this before well before your first assignment. You will receive an email with more details about this process.