New York Mermaid Parade 2015: Saturday June 20th

[Calzone]

Wow you guys have this thing licked!

Any good festivals or events in the fall? Im still itching to get out your way.

Best of luck gentlemen!

B-9,

There is always something going on in NYC. No shortage of events. Check in closer to your trip. We live in a very dynamic city.

Use to have "Fashion Night Out" but things kinda got outa hand where crowds couldn't be controlled and this annual event was cancelled. Too bad because this was a good event for me. One year I blinded people on 5th Avenue with the most powerful flash made for my Pentax 67II. Runways set up on the sidewalk on 57th Street, and at Berdorf window displays had live models.

The Gay Pride Parade is the next big parade later this month I believe, and there is this Dance Parade where I shot lots of "Street Porn" by exploiting a pole dancing school in a staging area. One girl almost kicked my Mamiya 6 with 50/4.0 (28mm FOV) out of my hand when she opened her legs while pitched sideways. The staging area was near the Flatiron Building. Kinda stumbled into this event when I was searching for this convergence of reigious people who were warning us that the end of the world was happening, but it seemed like they already had ascended because I couldn't find any of them in Union Square.

Last summer instead of going to the Climate March I wandered into Brooklyn and discovered that they were taping The Dew Tour (skate boarding and Freestyle BMX). Due to the overlap I basically was able to shoot and cover this event without being mobbed by a crowd. I returned Sunday for another day of shooting. This was all about "Street Style."

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I'm looking forward to the cooler and overcast weather... should make photographing a lot more comfortable.

This opportunity means I will likely use my Fuji GL690 with my Plaubel 69W to shoot 6x9 exclusively. I'm going big camera for this year's event. I was going to use my Rollie 3.5F with the Plaubel 69W.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

WEATHER UPDATE: Tomorrow is suppose to be cloudy, but the forecast is now for a 40% chance of PM showers.

Cal

 

[jsrockit]

I hope it is cloudy to be honest.

 

[Calzone]

I hope it is cloudy to be honest.

John,

Sunday is going to be a washout due to remnants of "Bill."

Saturday looks to be cloudy for sure with an increasing chance of afternoon rain. 72 degrees is kinda perfect. I don't think the lower temperatures will effect the usual levels of public nudity except "nipple factor."

Early morning shooting looks to be a great opportunity to have diffused brightness without the baking sun, heat and humidity that makes NYC like a sweaty armpit that generally is the weather for the Mermaid Parade.

Cal

 

[stompyq]

Well that's a bummer. I was hoping for blazing sun so I can shoot Ektar 100. Now it looks like I'll have to shoot the stuff under overcast skies!! Not good. And 72F is borderline cold for me. Much prefer the 90F heat

 

[jsrockit]

Go back to Sri Lanka and bring the heat with you! 😉

 

[Calzone]

Well that's a bummer. I was hoping for blazing sun so I can shoot Ektar 100. Now it looks like I'll have to shoot the stuff under overcast skies!! Not good. And 72F is borderline cold for me. Much prefer the 90F heat

Diffused lighting with puffy clouds appeals to me.

Mucho Acros which I think I will pull to 80 ISO. As long as there's bright light I'm cool, but I have a plan "B" is I have to drop ISO to 50 to deal with the 1/500th speed of a leaf shutter. I'll be bringing some Tri-X to capture the Coney Island subway terminal when its empty. I'll be playing around a lot with developers doing crazy things.

Last year I carried 3 fully rigged Leicas of which one had my 21/3.4 SEM mounted. This year I want to capture some of the same landscapes in 6x9.

The light I figure is right where I want it.

Cal

 

[stompyq]

Go back to Sri Lanka and bring the heat with you! 😉

You know I want to. Would solve a lot of problems for me, even if temporarily.

 

[stompyq]

Still debating if I should pair the Rolleiflex with acros and the pentax 67 with ektar or just use the pentax alone. The cloudy skies make me want to carry the rolleiflex!!

 

[Crazy Fedya]

It looks like rain. I think I will hang home.

 

[kkdanamatt]

Arrived very early, took some shots and left before anything really happened. It was very overcast, drizzly, and windy.
Then we went over to Little Odessa (Brighton Beach) to grab some grub.
Here are a few shots.

 

[kkdanamatt]

Here's my friend, Louis Mendez, 75 years old, with his assistant. Mendez has been photographing Coney Island since 1954.

 

[jsrockit]

Yep, same thing for Cal, Pramodh, and I. Arrived at 8:30, left around 11:30 am after talking with Louis. Just seemed like a bust this year.

 

[photomoof]

A lot of photos in the Daily News -- no one stayed?

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2015-coney-island-mermaid-parade-gallery-1.2265388?pmSlide=1.2265365

 

[kkdanamatt]

Yep, same thing for Cal, Pramodh, and I. Arrived at 8:30, left around 11:30 am after talking with Louis. Just seemed like a bust this year.

You're right, John, this year was a bust....good choice of words.

I've been to Coney Island for the past few years and it has gotten boring.
Same with all the NYC parades: Gay Pride (I photographed the very first one, June 28, 1970), Puerto Rican Day, St. Patrick's Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving Day, etc.

The only NYC parade that still kicks a little ass, IMHO, is BROOKLYN'S WEST INDIAN LABOR DAY PARADE.

 

[Calzone]

You're right, John, this year was a bust....good choice of words.

I've been to Coney Island for the past few years and it has gotten boring.
Same with all the NYC parades: Gay Pride (I photographed the very first one, June 28, 1970), Puerto Rican Day, St. Patrick's Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving Day, etc.

The only NYC parade that still kicks a little ass, IMHO, is BROOKLYN'S WEST INDIAN LABOR DAY PARADE.

This Dance Parade I kinda stumbled into when I was looking for the people who thought Arm-Ma-God-En was going to happen was a very cool event due to the pole dancers. About as close as sex on the Street as in the 70's as far as being "Street Porn."

Cal