hey Eric!!! Congrats on your gig!!!! sorry i can't help you with much except the freaking out part about being around people. first of all, try to start to desensitize yourself a little. every day (or night) until the photo shoot, start putting yourself in places where there are lots of people and practice taking pics. focus on your breathing and photography. try to tune out everything else. say a specific phrase over and over to help you focus. i say a prayer over and over in my mind when i'm nervous. or i hum a tune. or you can repeat an affirmation in your head...anything that keeps you focused on the task at hand. start with a smaller crowd then the next night go to a more crowded place. You don't wanna wait till the night of the shoot and go there around all those people and freeze up. just shoot pictures and deal with being around people BEFORE the event. i'm not sure that i would even approach the people. i would just kinda hang out and take candid pics. i think those usually make the best ones. i wouldn't ask them. that's just me though. i would just shoot. If you've been invited and have been given unrestricted access to the ship by the owner who is paying you to take pics, i would just take pictures. I would take pics of the band without asking them. i would think they would expect that. Perhaps it might be good if they give you some kind of ID to wear so people know you're they're officially??? i just like to watch people. turn the sound off my cam. watch them in conversation or whatever they're doing and shoot, shoot, shoot. try to be as inconspicuous as possible i guess...well, as inconspicuous as you can be with a cam anyway. try to stay in the shadows and shoot candid pics. that's the best advice i can give you. not sure if it's good advice...take what you like and leave the rest! Hey Eric...You're gonna do GREAT!!!!!!!!! Believe it!!!! :) Huge congrats, again!!! :)