Everyone Loves a Parade

One of those traditions that kick off the New Year is watching the parades on television. The floats, costumes, crowds and action of the parade are enjoyable to watch. Equally enjoyable to watch are live parades including local 4^th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and St. Patrick's Day parades. Record these parades in your scrapbooks. Here are some ideas for photographing, journaling and designing layouts about parades.

Photography.

• Costumes and Floats. The most memorable and spectacular elements of the parade are often the various costumes and floats on display. Keep your camera handy for the fun and unusual things to see. Try close-up shots that highlight a portion of the costume or float. Try wide-angle shots that give the total picture of the costume or float.
  
  
• Crowds. People in the crowds can be just as interesting. Photograph people who may be dressed up, waving flags or shouting. Don't forget any spectators who attended the parade with you.
  
  
• Environment. Photograph the street, the signs and the people along the parade route. These things will give an overall sense of the parade.
  
  
• Action Shots. Often there are individuals in the parade who are moving at a speedy pace. Use a high shutter speed and ISO 400 to capture the action.
  
  
• Camera Angle. Keep your photographs interesting by mixing up the camera angles. Let the camera angle emphasize the action. In Sue Thomas's photograph of a girl in a Halloween parade, she tilted the camera to capture the atmosphere and action of the parade.

Journaling and Layout Design.

• Focus on a Photograph. Do you have a special or spectacular photograph from the parade? Focus on that photograph. Tell the story of the parade, using that one photograph to relate the event or your feelings about the event. Maybe the photograph represents something or someone special. It's okay to emphasis one photograph with a story or even just a title. Let that special photograph shine.
  
  
• Focus on the Event. In your journaling or design process consider what about the parade you want to record. Consider the things that happened at the parade, the things you saw, the sounds you heard, and the things you did. Gather photographs that support your memories of the event. Write the story that relates to those photographs. If your layout uses several events consider breaking the layout into sections for each event.
  
  
• Focus on History. Is the parade historic or memorable through time? Is there something special about it for you and your family? Is it special to your city? Maybe the parade is relatively new but has a story about its beginnings. What makes it historic? After choosing your journaling, consider your design. For a historic look, consider neutral colors. Alternatively, use bright colors to highlight the atmosphere of the parade or traditional colors of the holiday. In my layout about the Anoka Halloween parade I recorded how it is the oldest known Halloween parade in the United States. To highlight the holiday, I used black and orange.

• Focus on Traditions. What traditions surround the parade? What happens at the parade every year? Does your family have a spot where they watch the parade every year? Is there a favorite food, float or group that participates in the parade every year? All these traditions can become journaling topics. Use embellishments or colors that relate to the tradition. If possible use memorabilia over the years.

Take your camera to your next parade and record the action. You'll have material for some great parade-themed layouts.

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