Images for applying the techniques of illustration and narrative

My chosen subject  the Assignment 5 project was this year's Brighton and Hove Pride event . The intention was to tell the story of the Parade and Park Event from the point of view of the participants and the community i.e. the residents and visitors to the city who watched or joined in the day's events. Capturing the parade was a real challenge as I wanted to not only represent the participants but also capture the effect of the parade on those lining the streets to watch it go by. While I knew the route in advance and could arrive before the start time to wander through those gathering to walk  or ride on the floats, much of what I wanted to capture meant walking in the Parade and taking photographs on the 'hoof' so to speak. Unlike the professional photographers who, I noticed were placing themselves at certain vantage points,I felt my approach, which while giving me quite a few headaches re composition and lighting etc., did allow me to capture some more spontaneous shots. That said, while I had difficulty reducing the number of images to what I needed for the story, the technical quality of some of the photographs were not the standard I would have wished. It proved quite a learning exercise and with hindsight I would introduce some 'vantage point' opportunities into the shoot to complement the pre parade shots and the 'en route images'.

The following images are then the final selection for my story and I include them here to allow me to provide the technical detail and the reasoning behind the actual image. The final result i.e. the magazine cover and illustrated story will follow in a separate post.






P436: f8 @ 1/60  ISO 200 43mm  cropped 

P436 is my favourite image taken at the end of the Parade when the floats were parked up. I was looking for an image to use to illustrate the colours of gay pride but avoiding the ubiquitous rainbow flag. This imaginative float does just that ..the composition made more interesting by being able to include the small figure at the bottom right...an echo of the rainbow image. I chose this eyecatching image for the cover of the magazine as the theme for the Brighton and Hove Pride was the 'United Colours of Pride'






P434 : f2.8 @ 1/640 ISO  4mm cropped

I really like the movement in the above image and that it represents very accurately the Pride Brighton & Hove theme itself i.e. the subjects  'united ' in carrying the rainbow flag, itself  symbol of gay pride. Perhaps it over eggs the the symbolic side of things but the sense of forward movement captured in the image does give a sense of gay pride and progress. Although taken at World Pride earlier in the summer, it represents the essence of what the parade  was all about and so fits well with the story.






P437: f8 @ 1/60  ISO 200  +0.3exp. 18mm cropped

  
With this kind of subject, obviously you cannot go back another day when the lighting is better or your vantage point better placed. Occasionally the parade stopped briefly though, allowing for this kind of shot. I like the different emotions on the faces of the two protagonists facing the camera lens. Excitement, contentment, a feeling of being in the moment and enjoying it perhaps?




P438: f8 @ 1/80  ISO 200  +0.3exp. 25mm cropped  WB daylight

I followed this group for a while trying to capture their enthusiasm and excitement and eventually managed this shot which freezes them in mid stride so to speak. It has vigour as an image but I really didn't get the lighting right at the time nor had the time then to really experiment with exposures.



P439: f8 @ 1/80  ISO 100 21mm cropped

Thinking in advance of using a double page spread to look at whether the Pride Parade was more about politics or carnival meant finding images which suggested 'carnival' on the day without relying on obvious stereotypes. This group posing for other cameras while waiting for the start of the parade caught my eye. Luckily I was able to capture them unobserved which makes for a more natural composition. The bright light on the seafront was difficult.




P440: f8 @ 1/80 ISO 100  18mm 



P441: f8 @ 1/100  ISO 200  +0.7exp. 34mm cropped

A second double page spread focused on the reaction of those watching the Parade go by.




P442: f8 @ 1/100  ISO200  +0.3exp.  34mm cropped 

What I was looking for were examples of individuals or crowds joining in the 'carnival' or 'protest' aspects of the Parade. Again it was more a question  of taking images on the hoof adjusting exposures etc. sometimes by way of trial and error.  As the roads narrowed towards the Parade's end i.e. Preston Park, many people watched from their homes often from upstairs windows which provided opportunities to show people enjoying the spectacle.




P443: f8 @ 1/160 ISO 200  +0.3exp.  55mm cropped

Originally I cropped P443 more tightly to focus just on the main figure at the window to highlight the greeting but in doing so the picture lost context in favour of a slightly larger and more exuberant wave. I reverted to the above slightly cropped version which I feel works better in light of the story I wanted to convey i.e. people in their homes watching and enjoying the parade.







P431 : f8 @ 1/50 ISO 200 +3exp. 55mm WB Daylight


The image above struck me as eyecatching....the flamboyant masked character in the foreground lifts the eye to the traffic sign, the yellow illuminated lettering of which links back to the gold mask while setting the scene and adding to the carnival atmosphere and glitzsyness  of the event.






P445: f8 @ 1/60  ISO 200  +0.3exp.  18mm cropped

This image captures a number of responses - the man at the front looking out towards the camera but not aware of it has a slightly quizzical/ bemused expression  though obviously part of what is going on as he wears a Pride whistle contrasts with the two women over on the right who aware of the camera lens are posing for me.


The last three photographs were taken at the Park Event where most parade participants and spectators ended up joining hundreds already there enjoying the venue.

Taken at the Park Event the image below makes an obvious reference to role of the city council in supporting the parade and event but what particularly struck me was the juxtaposition of the promotional board with its wording i.e. 'Coming out with Pride' and the two figures behind it - one more out in view than the other.




P435: f8 @ 1/200 ISO 200 25mm cropped

I made a conscious decision not to illustrate the organised activities but to try and capture both fun and seriousness of the day. 



P446: f8 @ 1/200  ISO 200  55mm cropped



P447: f8 @1/125  ISO 200  55mm 




Looking back now at these pictures, I feel that given the circumstances i.e. trying to capture a moveable feast so to speak, I did manage to get enough images to illustrate my intended story. With hindsight, I would probably approach the exercise differently on the day if I go back next year. It became very obvious  early on that a 70-300mm lens would have given a different and additional interesting dimension. I had decided to use only my Canon 500D with its 18-55mm lens to avoid having to carry a tripod around all day to give me more flexibility and speed of movement. I would take both lens or my bridge camera next time plus tripod and use the route differently. I also need to think hard about how to take better images in the weather conditions that presented rapidly changing lighting conditions.