Yes, in our sudden new Covid-19 reality, a parade certainly counts as a large gathering. And a St. Patrick’s Day parade and subsequent celebrations that result in extremely tight crowds and some folks’ body fluids literally hitting the streets, is, shall we say, unwise.
But the parade, especially in cities like Chicago, New York and, yes, St. Paul, Minnesota are something to experience, whether you have actual Irish in your blood or not. The parade, particularly the early stages, when everyone is mostly sober and coherent, is a family experience. We started taking our daughter in 2018, when she was five years old.
So, for those of you feeling a bit blue with the cancellation of official St. Patrick’s Day activities, enjoy highlights from 2018. If there’s an upside to being homebound, I’ve got time to run through piles of negatives and digital pics. Call this Round 1.
For you camera nerds (like me), all this was done with a Canon 80D and a finicky Tamron lens. I shot 2019’s parade on a Hasselblad EL/M. I did develop that film in a timely fashion, but not so for scanning. Look for them soon!
