New York Mermaid Parade Saturday June 23rd

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Calzone

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This is a billboard for the other thread titled "Big/Special June Meet-Up."

Some of use are grouping up at 59th and Lex at 7:00 AM Saturday for the hour long local subway ride to Coney Island.

Another place to group up is at the staging area near the beginning of the parade route.

DISCLAIMER: NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE PUBLIC NUDITY.

Cal
 
These parades are always hot, miserable, and full of mentally-ill exhibitionists.

Relentless, scorching sun, too many screaming people, all with cameras taking the same dull photos.

I was dragged there twice. Never again. Trust me.
 
jsrockit said:
I'm sure that may be a good day to blind people with my bright legs.
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I'm sure they are mighty white. LOL.

BTW I proudly display my ugly legs. I don't think I'll shave them for this event. Five years ago, when I ran the NYC Marathon, I shaved my legs because I'm an old cyclist who use to race.

Funny thing about how I ran my first Marathon is that I didn't perform all the events needed to qualify. It happened one Friday just two days before the event when suddenly a friend at work, an elite runner, offered me his bib so I could run in his place because he had fallen ill.

Basically I ran the event in under five hours without having trained. Not bad for at that time a 49 year old. Anyways near the end when I got into Central Park it seemed like I was on a tread mill. Basically I was hallucinating because I repeatedly passed a marker for the 4 mile mark it seemed several times. Also I repeated to myself Central Park isn't really this big. LOL.

The next day I could barely walk, and I had to use my arms to drag myself up stairs. I called into work and asked for a sick day, but my jerk of a boss asked me if I wanted to use one of my vacation days, but I told him, " Look, when your head hurts you use a sick day. My legs hurt: give me a sick day." :bang::D:)

Cal
 
I Love Film said:
These parades are always hot, miserable, and full of mentally-ill exhibitionists.

Relentless, scorching sun, too many screaming people, all with cameras taking the same dull photos.

I was dragged there twice. Never again. Trust me.
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Sorry you had a bad time.

Accually there is a bit of a challenge not to waste film and end up with snapshots that were taken by some tourist. Last year I ended up getting some rather wonderful bokehed portraits of a rather beautiful girl with a 75 Lux shot wide open. You wouldn't know it was taken at the Mermaid Parade.

I took a series of shots of her putting on her makeup using the mirror on a Vespa. She was wearing a retro Navy uniform from the forties and overall it comes across as a retro pinup shot from the forties. In one shot it appears she took notice of me and out of all the shots I say its the best.

My girlfriend stated that the shots are rather remarkable in that it captured a series of intimate moments, and I think I will display this work as a series that leads up to her noticing me.

My first year shooting this event I ended up with a series of shots taken with a Rolleiflex. This pole dancer actually displayed her talent for my camera by hold her poses so I could get my shots. She jumped up the pole; inverted herself; and then went spread eagle. Her body with the pole made a full frame crucifix on my square negative.

Like I said, Sorry that you had a bad time at the two Mermaid Parades you went to. This will be my third.

BTW it seems that many many people who are hard core film user come to this huge event. Lots of old retro cameras.

Cal
 
I Love Film said:
These parades are always hot, miserable, and full of mentally-ill exhibitionists.

Relentless, scorching sun, too many screaming people, all with cameras taking the same dull photos.

I was dragged there twice. Never again. Trust me.
Click to expand...

Ut oh... I'm being dragged there this year. Hope I don't feel the same way. And, who isn't mentally ill these days? :D
 
What time does the parade start? There is a very outside chance I can come down this Saturday.
 
Dont like a big, splashy parade? You must be the one there who DIDN'T have a cocktail. This parade is exhibitionism at its best, with some exceptional creativity. Can't wait to see the happy throngs. I'll be bringing my Mamiya C220 with the 105 portrait lens.
 
The parade begins at 2:00 PM, but the best time to shoot is in the morning. Last year I was there at 10:00 AM, but this year a group of us are leaving from 59th and Lex at 7:00 AM. The subways all run local and it will take about an hour to get there.

Figure around 1:00 PM the place will be totally mobbed and by then its pretty much done for shooting for me. I'll likely leave at that time.

Basically in the morning you end up with very friendly cooperative models who will pose for you, but this is soon followed with a New York frenzy as noon approaches. There's quit a ground swell to the mobbing. That's me.

This year we are going especially early to try and capture an empty Coney Island. I expect that we should be there shortly after 8:00 AM or so. I'll be one of those mentally ill exhibitionists mentioned above who will more or less be dressed like a wealthy Japanese Tourist sporting hopefully a retro Fuji GM670 and and a pimped out Pentax P67II. Also look for a tall skinny Chinese guy with a ponytail and an arrogant chin beard.

Cal
 
thambar said:
Dont like a big, splashy parade? You must be the one there who DIDN'T have a cocktail. This parade is exhibitionism at its best, with some exceptional creativity. Can't wait to see the happy throngs. I'll be bringing my Mamiya C220 with the 105 portrait lens.
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Wise choice. Isolating your subject is a great idea. I'll be shooting a 100/3.5 on the Fuji and using a 105/2.4 on my Pentax.

Basically this event is an art parade. but someone else called it "The Gay Pride Parade for straight people." LOL.

Cal
 
I might come down early too. I don't like it when it's too hot and crowded, I get tired easily. Hopefully I could get closer with out walking too far. There will be better light to work with. It will be a challenge to find shots that are a little different from everybody else. Watch out for the Filipino dude with crutches. :)
 
malkmata said:
I might come down early too. I don't like it when it's too hot and crowded, I get tired easily. Hopefully I could get closer with out walking too far. There will be better light to work with. It will be a challenge to find shots that are a little different from everybody else. Watch out for the Filipino dude with crutches. :)
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If you come by the staging area you really won't have to move around much. My first year I got there at 10:30 which was fine, but last year I got there at 10:00 and it definitely was better it that I fell I didn't miss anything. This year we are going extra early to capture some emptiness.

Cal
 
For anyone who wants to meet us, we should be in Coney by 8:00 or so (just to photograph in Coney in general before the parade). We can give out our phone numbers if you guys want to meet later.
 
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