Posts Tagged ‘rainbow’

Shooting the pride parade was a lot different from shooting the dyke march!  The pride parade is much bigger and by necessity much more tightly controlled.  I was able to walk alongside the women in the dyke march but the streets were barricaded and non-participants kept off the route for the pride parade.

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crowds are behind barricades along the streets, policemen on motorcycles are waiting at the end of the street. parade hasn't started yet

looking west on Bloor towards Yonge.

I walked the first part of the route, along Bloor Street, just before the parade started.  Lots of crowds were behind the metal bars; a few police were watching/ignoring me.  When I turned the corner at Yonge St., I realized just how controlled the crowds were!  I chose not to continue walking south on Yonge.  A policeman opened the barricade enough to let me out.  After that I walked amongst the crowds….. and saw nothing of the parade!  Too many people!  But they were interesting people and I enjoyed walking amongst them. …. until Dundas when there were so many people and no one could move.   That’s was my cue to exit stage right.

So here’s a salute to all those who joined the fun.  A little raunchy and a little over the top at times but all good.

Two women in banana costumes posing for the camera.

Kudos to these two ladies who showed up in banana costumes! I asked them if they were part of a group, but no, they’re just fruity they said. I hope they joined the parade had fun (and didn’t get too hot!… unless they peeled…. )

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Two women, or men dressed as women, one in black and one in white.  The one in white has a large black & white clockface behind her

timeless

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A group of people are standing behind metal barricades waiting for the parade to start,  some are waving and some are smiling.  A group of three girls are wearing pink boas.

pink, with smiles, waiting for the parade to begin

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A group of policemen and policewomen pose for a group shot before the pride parade

Before the parade started – They were actually posing for someone else… but I suggested that they look a little livelier, wave their hands or something…. thanks for obliging!

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viewable & captured from all angles

viewable, & captured, from all angles

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One guy in red underpants (with Christmas bells attached to the front) is pointing to the bare bottoms of his two male friends.  He is making an exaggerated facial expression of surprise and shock.

boys just wanna have fun

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Two older men dressed in white are under a rainbow striped umbrella.  One has a white boa, the other has a red boa.

keeping the sun away. These umbrellas were great – very photogenic!

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A woman with very large and almost bare breasts.  Her face is decorated

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Two men are standing beind, and leaning on, the barricade.  They are wearing multicoloured beads, incuding some very big beads that look more like balls for a Christmas tree

big grins! The one in blue was more game than his partner…. you could almost say that one in grey is grimacing more than grinning. Thanks guys!

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A group of men are standing behind barricades.

He had such a wonderful smile and he seemed so happy that I couldn’t resist taking his picture.

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four girls, each with a different coloured mask, like the ninja turtles TV characters wear.

ninjas, mostly unmasked

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a boy is sitting on his father's shoulders

a better view!

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many people lining the route of the pride parade on Yonge St.

The crowds at Yonge and Wellesley just as the parade reached that part of the route.

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A row of people wearing hats in the foreground, looking across an empty street to a very large crowd behind barricades

How does one even start to calculate how many people were there?

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A quick shot - he saw my camera, turned and quickly posed, and I got the shot.  It wasn't until I downloaded the photos that I saw the marvellous juxtaposition!

A quick shot – he saw my camera, turned and quickly posed, and I got the shot. It wasn’t until I downloaded the photos that I saw the marvellous juxtaposition!

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a group of four girls wearing rainbow curly wigs, frilly short skirts and rainbow striped socks are walking up the street between two rows of parade watchers

almost their own little parade!

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streetcars at the intersection of Yonge & College, all corners are packed with people

stopping the parade to let the College/Carlton streetcar through

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Two people are standing on the window sill of a large window.  The woman is wearing a striped dress.  She is texting.  The guy beside her is topless, wearing grey shorts

She doesn’t seem to be having fun – standing in the window of Starbucks at College & Yonge.

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Wall to wall people at the intersection of Yonge and Dundas.  All you can see in the photo are people's heads.

I walked the parade route at about the same speed that the parade went. An hour and a half later, I reached Yonge & Dundas where the crowds were so thick no one could move.

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Two boys are standing on a window ledge so they are above a crowd of people.  The small boy doesn't look too happy.

At the corner of Yonge & Dundas – by the time I made it to this intersection, I was beginning to agree with the boy in green!

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Two topless women are painted in big rainbow colours.  Two clothed women are posing for a photo with them.

posing with the body painters – Body Art by Tania was the booth on Church St., near the start of the parade.

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*****

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The march finally got underway…..

Here is the first  sample of the photos that I took as it passed by.

 A crowd of people are watching the parade from the sidewalk.  Some are sitting on the kerb and some are standing behind.
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Three girls are walking in the parade
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Two women are walking in the parade.  Both are holding signs.   One says End Transmysogyny.  The other says Some Dykes have Dicks.

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A woman, wearing a sash that says Ms. International Leather is running towards the camera.  She is holding a flag that is white and blue.  A few other women are walking behind.  There are crowds lined along the sidewalk.
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blog_march_red

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In the foreground of the photo is the back of a woman's head.  She has long wavy reddish hair and she is wearing a garland of flowers in her hair.  In the background are motorcycles in the parade.
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A group of men is standing beside the street, watching the parade.  One is using his phone to take a photo.  One is leaning his head back and laughing.
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Two women on a red motorcycle.  The one in front is topless and wearing a black helmet.  She has her fist in the air.
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A crowd is watching the parade from the sidewalk.  Motorcycles are passing by
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A woman with a camera around her neck and carrying a yellow umbrella is walking down the street

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Getting ready, or waiting, for the Dyke March.  Saturday 28th June, from Allan Gardens west to Yonge St then north to Charles St.  It was a very warm and sunny day.

 

two lone photographers stand in a street that has no traffic.  Crowds are on the sidewalks on either side.  They are sitting, waiting for a parade to come past

Carlton street awaits the start of the march.

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Reflection in the round side view mirror of an old school bus that has been painted pink by CUPE.

reflecting on the CUPE bus, painted in pink and flying a pink flag.

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A man is wearing a rainbow flag like a cape, and he has one wrapped around his head like a headband.  He is selling large and small sized rainbow flags.  He is topless otherwise

I bought a flag.
Him: Oh, this is going to be put online?
Me: If it works.

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Two guys are sitting on the sidewalk.  One has dyed his hair yellow and he's carrying a rainbow flag.  The other is resting his chin on his hands, and his elbows on his knees.  He has his rainbow flag draped over his head and he looks very bored.

It was a hot day and the parade was late getting started…….

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A multicoloured bracelet on a wrist.  The bracelet says, Oy Vey I'm Gay.

I spoke briefly to a woman who was wearing this bracelet. One of the women she was with was wearing a sticker that said, “Eat Me, I’m Kosher” but I didn’t take a picture of it.

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detail of a crocheted banner that was made for the duke march

something about gender, details of a crocheted banner that was made to be carried in the march

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A good looking, very fit, man wearing just a pair of pink shorts and a pair of sandals is walking down the street.

pretty in pink

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A lacy umbrella decorated with crocheted 3D breasts in different colours, probably life sized.

custom crocheted umbrella to keep the sun off…. sitting on the grass before the parade

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A black helmet has two lines of pink fringe glued on the top it that make it look like a Mohawk hair cut.  The helmet is sitting on the seat of a black motorcycle.

waiting to ride

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