Joy

Joy sets the spirit free

Looking

Looking for connection

is what we do

too bad it is seldom found

Letting Go

The true magic is in letting go

In the parade

Rarely do we truly see ourselves

as we parade through life

Learning to Fly

We can fly if we learn to let go

and let our wings carry us

Giving way

the parade of youth

gives way to age

and life takes on

a differnet meaning

reason to celebrate

We surrender our futures with parades

so that we can repeat our mistakes

and have another reason to celebrate

They filled the streets

They filled the streets, a photo by Damian Gadal on Flickr.

Trying a different approach to shooting the summer solstice parade...
going for the smack dab in the middle point of view.... and different
camera angles, high, low, and in between for something a bit more
dynamic...

and so they follow

and so they follow, a photo by Damian Gadal on Flickr.

I took a different approach to photographing the Summer Solstice Parade this year, trying to take shots from a child's point of view, smack dab in the middle of the action.

A wave of blue

A wave of blue, a photo by Damian Gadal on Flickr.

Moving out of the shadows were the possibilities that awaited us.

Rush of movement

Rush of movement, a photo by Damian Gadal on Flickr.

In a flurry of youth,
the rush of summer,
dreams were strong,
a rush move movement,
until the time passed by

One Cheer

One Cheer, a photo by Damian Gadal on Flickr.

Once cheer for a nation falling apart, a nation going backwards, a nation in decline...

We could do better if we were willing to put our differences aside.

Reaching Out

Reaching Out, a photo by Damian Gadal on Flickr.

Reaching out to persons unknown
from behind my mask that keeps me safe
and hides me from myself

Tune Pull

Tune Pull, a photo by Damian Gadal on Flickr.

It's been a thin year on new images for me. The bad economy, along with several other factors have kept from getting out to shoot as much and I'd like to.

The upside has been to use the time to process images that have been sitting untouched for a long time.

Eventually I'll need to replenish my "inventory" and change things up a bit.  Soon, I hope.

rolling by

rolling by, a photo by Damian Gadal on Flickr.

Like the days of our lives,
there's no stopping until the end...
Best to keep moving on...

Cow Girl Chorus Line

Cow Girl Chorus Line, a photo by Damian Gadal on Flickr.

I went out and shot a parade yesterday, and my favorite image of the day turned out to be this one... my happy accident.

I looked up and these cow girls started doing a line dance, unfortunately, or in this case fortunately, my camera wasn't in focus.

The bokeh look and feel are what makes this image work for me.

Party Time

Party Time, a photo by Damian Gadal on Flickr.

The annual Summer Solstice Parade is today, and it should be lots of fun to photograph. Now all I need to do is work up the energy to drive to town, find some parking and fight the crowds.

Good Seats

I tried using some fill flash to minimize some of the shadows in the face.... not sure if it worked as well as I expected, but I don't think it hurt....

The Crew

Ready in a moment's notice.

Flags Up

I've been photographing parades for years, I'd like to think that I'm getting better at it.... but it remains an elusive challenge.