A few more from the parade, taken with the Rollei. I have about 300 digital files to edit through before I post those – I switched to the Canon 5D after shooting these because the Rollei was rather labor-intensive and the lighting was rather dim, limiting me to slow enough shutter speeds that I was getting motion blur with a lot of images and I didn’t want to waste film. I think what came out best with the Rollei are images I’d classify as portraits. It excels at shooting people filling the frame at relatively close distances. Or maybe that’s just what I’m good at and I’m confusing the camera’s talent for my own.
Independence Hall, New Years EveFranklin Park AlleeFranklin Park FountainFranklin Square Carousel, StoppedFranklin Square Carousel in Motion
Some more of my night photography. I went to Philadelphia for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day this year. I wanted to see the Mummers’ Day Parade on New Years Day, which is a uniquely Philadelphia tradition. The best way to describe it for those who’ve never been is to say that it’s a bit like a PG-13 Mardi Gras (it gets the PG-13 for the alcohol consumption and the occasional bawdy reference in some signage). I’ll post my photos of the parade later – I still have several rolls of negatives to scan, plus a couple hundred digital images to edit before that’s ready. I went out on New Year’s Eve to have dinner, and dragged the Rollei along with me because I had seen the lights in Franklin Square Park on my cab ride from the train station to my hotel. I also thought about trying to get photos of the fireworks with Independence Hall in the foreground, but the buildings between the Hall and the river where the fireworks launch are too tall and you can’t see them. But I got my good night shot of Independence Hall anyway, so that’s my lead-off photo for this post.
Contrails, Dawn, Christmas Day 2012Dawn Sky, Christmas Day 2012North toward Sugarloaf, Dawn, Christmas Day 2012Sunrise, Trees, Christmas Day 2012Barn, Christmas Day 2012
I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at my parents’ house. The weather forecast was for rain. Instead, we got a surprise White Christmas! It was already starting to melt by noon on Christmas Day, but nonetheless, we had 2 inches of snow while it counted. These were all taken with my Canon 5D, and my big Christmas present, the 50mm f1.4 lens.
Zangief, from Street FighterThe Street Fighter Gang
For those who are too old (or too young!) to be aware of the video game, the above characters are from a video game series called “Street Fighter”. The series is immensely popular and has been around in some form or another since 1987. To me, they’re a little out of touch with the High Heel Race thing, as nobody in their group is actually in DRAG – it seems more like this was an excuse for them to wear their Halloween costumes one more time.
Save The Gay Barrier ReefPurple Gay Barrier Reef CoralGreen Gay Barrier Reef Coral
Until they got close enough to read their signs, I thought they were imitating the Carnival samba girls in their huge feather headpieces, just with balloons, as you could see their contingent from two blocks away.
The Evil Queen from Snow White?The Fanta GirlsHoney Boo-Boo and Mama
And another pop-culture reference that may be lost on some – it’s Honey Boo-Boo and her Mama June, characters from a reality TV show about a trailer-trash child beauty pageant contestant and her dysfunctional family.
Was that high heel or high hair race?The higher the hair, the closer to God?Anime flying ponies running for office?Sophia Grace and Rosie, all grown up. Be Afraid, Be VERY Afraid!Candy tits, hairy pits and abs to die for…Sally Bowles, perhaps?Cruella deVille wants her puppiesOld-fashioned GalRace Fan
All shot with my Canon 5D, 24-105 L zoom lens and 580EX flash.
This is Cookie Buffet, the drag persona of Christopher Dyer, a long-time DC resident and sometimes politician – Cookie Buffet, from Wikipedia
Panda Girl!Having FunChurch LadiesRunaway BrideAsian Schoolboys in HeelsAsian Schoolboys in Heels – the closeupAsian Schoolboys in Heels, showing their school prideSouthern Belle?Tired, and Fabulous!Vote For Me!
This is the first in a series – I’ll finish posting over the weekend, as I have over 200 shots to edit through.
All these were shot with my Canon 5D and the 24-105 L lens.
Remember what I said earlier about issues? Here’s another example of how issues have shifted – instead of HIV/AIDS, now we have PETA pushing to spay/neuter our pets. Again, an important issue – both of my cats are neutered. But “Condoms don’t work- spay your cat” doesn’t have quite the same impact as “Silence=Death”. Again, not that I’m wishing to go back to 1993 when people literally did drop like flies. Progress is a wonderful thing. The nostalgia is more for the sense of shared community that came with having an enemy to fight. We were all brothers then. Now we’ve got Thai restaurants and PETA selling us pad thai and feline gender reassignment surgery. At least the salespeople are cute 😀
Truly the gamut of images of Pride. I was most struck by the young Latino boy marching with ‘Mpoderate! (Empower Yourself!) a gay Latino/a youth group. Talk about an at-risk population – kids who are aliens in their culture in so many ways- coming from a foreign country and/or a home where English is a distant second language, a culture where male/female roles are rigidly defined and deviation is met with anything from disapproval to violence, and a range of religions that fervently discourage homosexuality, and it’s a wonder that many of them make it to their 18th birthday without criminal records, HIV infection, or getting hurt/killed. This is NOT to generalize that the Latino community is monolithically oppressive or that there are no happy healthy well-adjusted gay Latinos in the US. But the kids who use the services of ‘Mpoderate! are the ones who are facing all those kinds of oppressions. If you’re interested in finding out more about ‘Mpoderate and how you can support their services, you can check out the website for La Clinica Del Pueblo – they’re the parent organization.
Suspenders & Tutu
Muppet, Jockstrap
Fellow Photographer at Work
Pride in Honesty
Miss Gay Alexandria
Gay Mens Chorus – “Out of the Showers and into the Seats”
Sexy Dancing Boy ( I think he was selling underwear)
I’ve been attending Pride parades and festivals for over 20 years now. Every year is different, in every city. One thing I’ve noticed as a sea change from the early days is the switch in emphasis from AIDS/HIV (not that it has gone away, but it is now very much in the background, which is not necessarily a good thing) to gay families – the most wildly cheered groups are PFLAG (Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbians and Gays) and the gay parenting groups. There are as always the nearly naked dancing boys with the Supersoakers, the gay bars and the leather/sm/fetish clubs, along with drag queens galore. It is fascinating to see how the movement has changed as time has gone on… now that our basic civil rights are reasonably secure and the political focus has shifted from mere survival to guaranteeing the right to thrive. There’s a certain absence of frisson, rebellious tension and erotic possibility in the air that used to be there, and I’m not sure if it is because I’ve grown up or because the movement has.
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