Coney Island Mermaid Parade in Color

Attending the Coney Island Mermaid Parade was a goal of mine for a while that culminated as an opportunity to set new limits for myself. I had just acquired a DSLR camera after some years of experience with analog, shooting mainly B&W although I would travel fully armed with 2 Nikons, one loaded with Tri-X and the other with Kodak Velvia color slide film. This event, however, clearly called for color so I was excited yet apprehensive because I needed to really get out of my comfort zone on both fronts. Originally the parade began as a way for the community to celebrate self expression and artistic individuality, soon growing to attract hundreds of thousands from all over the New York area and beyond, and I wanted to document and try to capture that spirit. In doing so I found myself caught up in the feeling, much lighter than I otherwise would with my old equipment plus I was still able to attain the vivid color I had grown to love in Velvia but without the cost of expensive film and special developing. I used a zoom lens for versatility which also proved to suit the occasion, a perfect fit overall and I'm quite positive about how everything came together for this project.