Detroit Gay Pride 2014

[MIkhail]

Couple years back I went to downtown Detroit and realized that there is on-going Gay Pride festival takes place. Later I found out that it's a yearly event of which I was completely unaware of. I am not a reporter so my interests lay in beauty of form rather than in story or factual data.
Nonetheless, here are few shots I took then.

 

[DominikDUK]

I like the first Picture the best great composition. Looking at the pictures you wouldn't know that they were taken at a gay pride. I like the first Picture a lot.

 

[Huss]

The first photo is my favourite. Great composition.

 

[rhl-oregon]

Great series, thanks. I agree with Dominik--you show the human parade, the humanity without emphasizing the rationale for the gathering. But though a diversity of human beauty (and happiness) shines through, and despite what you say about reporting, I also think the series offers a subtle documentary turnabout, I.e., 'Here are some folks enjoying themselves--and by the way, many are gay.'

Only the image of the guy waving the bible with the jawstrap microphone suggests any controversy, protest, etc. on first view--though on second viewing, I realize the earlier image of him amid others shows some crowd feedback to him ;-)

 

[MIkhail]

Great series, thanks. I agree with Dominik--you show the human parade, the humanity without emphasizing the rationale for the gathering. But though a diversity of human beauty (and happiness) shines through, and despite what you say about reporting, I also think the series offers a subtle documentary turnabout, I.e., 'Here are some folks enjoying themselves--and by the way, many are gay.'

Only the image of the guy waving the bible with the jawstrap microphone suggests any controversy, protest, etc. on first view--though on second viewing, I realize the earlier image of him amid others shows some crowd feedback to him ;-)

The guy with he bible was not gay- he was an anti-gay priest of sort... trying to get these people to clean up, as far as I could figure out. He was received with humor 🙂

The thing about "gay specifics" is - I deliberately did not pursued the shots of man stripped down with dildos and BDSM equipment.
To me, this is way overdone (San Francisco shots galore) and does not take as much bravery as one might think. But even more importantly- it shows the approach to gay people as some exotic animals… I consider them the same people as I am so I used them in my pictures much as I would use any other people on a street. Again, this is not a reportage. Hope my explanations make sense..

 

[DominikDUK]

The guy with he bible was not gay- he was an anti-gay priest of sort... trying to get these people to clean up, as far as I could figure out. He was received with humor 🙂

The thing about "gay specifics" is - I deliberately did not pursued the shots of man stripped down with dildos and BDSM equipment.
To me, this is way overdone (San Francisco shots galore) and does not take as much bravery as one might think. But even more importantly- it shows the approach to gay people as some exotic animals… I consider them the same people as I am so I used them in my pictures much as I would use any other people on a street. Again, this is not a reportage. Hope my explanations make sense..

That's the right approach and isn't it also what gay prides are all about wanting to be treated like everybody else no matter the sexual orientation.

 

[rhl-oregon]

Yes, your approach was quite clear. That's what I meant to applaud. It was also clear that the man with the bible was in the scene but not of it. I'm glad you described your approach more for its own sake, as well as in distinction to the more flamboyant spectacles.