Weekend Update and request for feedback

[barondave]

This weekend was fun. Shockwave saw the return of Doug Friauf as film/book reviewer for the Hugo nominees. Brian Westley saw that the domain talonnews.com (founded by a GOP PAC and home to the notorious gay prostitute/White House reporter Jeff "Mandate" Gannon) was up for auction. Brian wanted a fake news site, and figured this would be a perfect place to start. I was in. Unfortunately, the winning bid was well out of our pricerange. Still, it was a fun idea while it lasted.

On Shockwave, we reviewed United 93 and I played the latest "Lirty Dies" political commentary in spoonerisms by The Capitol Steps. For Pete Seeger's birthday (May 3) I played Pete's version of She'll Be Coming 'Round The Mountain, the version I grew up with and which our family used to sing deviant verses to during car trips.

The MN-STF meeting at the home of cakmpls and family was also loads of fun. As always, old friends. Mildly surprising, new friends, many in lj. brithistorian, one_undone (and their kids, who von_krag and I mercilessly kidded until they caught on), dmnsqrl and mrissa. Chili, tequila, wide ranging conversations. A good time.

Sunday was the annual May Day Parade here in Mpls. I've been going to the parade for years and years. Usually, I find a spot near one of the major intersections. This year, that intersection was having roadwork done, and it wasn't going to be a good spot. For the first time I picked a spot near the South end of the route. It was a good spot.

The day was near perfect. Last year, it was cold and windy: It snowed just before the event, and the wind was a factor as the Sun went across the lake at the Spring ceremony. My pictures of the 2005 May Day parade/MN-STF picnic. This year, it was partly sunny and in the 70s. The parade was later than usual, but worth the wait. A terrific, colorful, noisy, joyous event. One of the best May Day parades I can recall.

I took a lot of pictures (first pass nets 156 different shots). Many are really great pictures of people or floats. Most are really only okay pictures but capture chunks of people and large swaths of the parade, or are the only shot I have of a particular section or person. I get very little feedback on my pictures, so I have a request of my LJ Friends Assembled, many of whom are in many these pictures and others.

Here's my question to anyone who cares to answer. Which would you like to see: 1) A wide range of coverage or 2) My favorite pictures. Covering the parade scratches my journalism itch, and shows the parade better to someone who wasn't there. Whittling the web gallery down (which I'll annotate as best I can) still give a good sense of the event and make it easier to view. (It would make me look like a better photographer and save me a lot of time, which is a factor for me.) Feedback is welcome.

Comments

[davidwilford.livejournal.com]

I think you can combine both your favs and still be wide ranging enough, which I know isn't an answer. Being in the parade itself was fun and different in that I got more involved with those watching the parade. Anyway, I hope I can share some photos with Erin (who missed the parade), especially ones of that wonderful floating whale.

[barondave.livejournal.com]

It's always a gray area, and I'm trying to decide which way to lean. (I'm having roughly the same problem with the Minicon pics.) Parade pictures are more problematic as everyone is moving and the difference between a barely useable shot and a great shot is a few heads turned my way. I have a nice shot of the whale.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

I like the wide range, because it shows me the parts I miss. You can do both by putting up a "Dave's Faves" folder as well as a larger gallery.

BTW, can I give the link to your pix, when you get them done, to the theater? I don't want to kill you bandwidth, but I'm sure people would like to see them.

K.

[barondave.livejournal.com]

I've often considered flagging my favorites somehow. Sometimes I point out especially relevant pics on LJ and let everyone else explore.

Yes, sure, HOBT can link to my galleries. If they want a picture, for some reason, I'd be happy to send them the original high-res file.

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

How about a representative sampling? i.e.: if you have several shots of the same section of the parade, choose one or two of the best.

[barondave.livejournal.com]

That's generally what I do. The parade was long, and I like to get long shots to give the sense of what it was like on the street watching them go by, and close ups of the individual costumes/floats. I'm probably going to lose the free speech section at the end, though I think it's an important part of the parade, because I didn't get a good shot of the political candidates and such. We'll see. Minicon pics are a higher priority, and I'm at least a week away from posting those..