Parade Gloss

I carried along my Olympus XA to the Marigold Parade loaded with Kodak Gold 200.  The rangefinder image is lacking in contrast, so this was not the best choice for shooting in a very fluid environment.  Still, the camera always turns in nice images and I was happy enough with the results.

Tri-X

I have to confess that one of the main reasons I like to attend the yearly Day of the Dead Marigold Parade in Albuquerque's South Valley is the excuse it gives me to shoot some Kodak Tri-X.  It seems a film ideally suited to this sort of event. I'm always surprised by the fine grain of this fast film which looks good even in big enlargements.  Tri-X responds well to HC110 development, with good contrast and wide latitude which captures detail in shadows and highlights.  It is also pretty economical; the 24-exposure cartridges are just $4.49, and for a dollar more you get 36 at B&H.  I shot two rolls of Tri-X this year in a Pentax ME Super with the SMC Pentax-A f:2.8/135mm.

Parade's End

I had no better results processing Rerapan in Rodinal than I did with HC-110.  Also, the film jammed in the camera near the end of the roll; I had to cut it out in the dark bag and broke the plastic spool in the process.  Given the price-per-roll, that is likely the end of my experimentation with this product.   Still, I tend to like about anything I get out of the Foth Derby.  The camera seems to provide me a portal to a time and experience that would otherwise remain just out of reach.

the color

The auto-exposure, auto-focusing and the wide-angle lens of the Olympus Infinity Stylus make it a good tool for photographing events like the Marigold Parade.  I got less than optimal performance from it because I was rushing around shooting rather indiscriminately as the parade got underway.  I was also surprised when I processed the roll to find a couple of unfocused shots and one that was very under-exposed.  I've been shooting the little Olympus for years, and I think the battery is likely in need of replacement.

Retratos de Muertos

I took three cameras to the 2017 Marigold Parade in Albuquerque's South Valley.  A roll of Tri-X in the Leica IIIa was used up in minutes.  Last year's parade had a big political component just before the election.  This year, it was just a lot of people having a great time.

Marigolds

Albuquerque's South Valley celebrates the Day of the Dead each year with the Marigold Parade.  This year's celebration took place on the weekend before the national elections.

The last shot is from my Zorki 2C with the Jupiter 12 35mm.  The rest are made with the Pentax Spotmatic and the Mamiya 135mm.

Marigold Parade - 2014

We had our windshield wipers going all the way to the parade site, but I don't think a drop fell during the actual event.  In any case, nobody seemed at all concerned about the prospect of a little rain on the parade.

I wore my skull mask most of the time I was making pictures.  I added a few flowers to lighten the mood a bit. No one was shocked by my appearance, but I think it did give me a little more freedom of movement.

The theme of this year's event was "El Agua Es La Vida, No Se Vende Se Defiende".  So, the weather was appropriate, and it made the photography a little easier as well.

Quite a few causes and social issues were represented in the parade, but I didn't identify any actual politicians in spite of the nearness of the election.