Are you excited to capture stunning parade photographs that feature the vibrant traditions and celebrations of your town or city? Parade photography can be an exciting and fulfilling genre of photography, but it can also be challenging with unpredictable movements, lighting, and crowds. Fear not! This blog post will guide you through tips and techniques that will help you to master parade photography and capture the essence of the parade in both landscape and portrait orientation.

The Equipment: What You Need for Ideal Parade Photography 📷

If you want to capture stunning parade photographs in both portrait and landscape mode, then you need the right equipment. While a smartphone camera with portrait mode is nowadays enough to capture good portrait photos. However, landscape photography deserves more than that. Here’s what you need:

  • A DSLR Camera with zoom lens or a mirrorless camera with interchangeable lens (preferably with a focal length of 24 - 70mm for landscape photography).
  • A tripod to improve stability and consistency in your shots.
  • An external flash for well-lit portrait shots.
  • A polarizing filter to reduce glare and enhance colors in bright sunlit scenes.

A camera lens looking through a window of a moving parade float

The Settings: How to Capture Perfect Parade Photos 👨🏼‍💻

With your camera and equipment ready to go, it’s time to start shooting. But what settings to use? Here are some specific recommendations to get you started:

Landscape Orientation

  • Aperture: Keep your aperture between f/8 and f/11. This will give you a reasonable depth of field to keep all the subjects in focus.
  • Shutter Speed: Use a fast shutter speed, something around 1/500 to 1/1000 of a second, to ensure that you freeze the action and capture sharp images.
  • ISO: Stick to ISO 100 - 400 to prevent too much noise in your images.
  • White Balance: Set your white balance to Cloudy or Daylight, depending on the weather conditions.

Aerial shot of a parade in landscape orientation with colorful floats and marching bands

Portrait Orientation

  • Aperture: Use a larger aperture between f/1.8 and f/2.8 to create a shallow depth of field and get sharp subjects with a blurred background.
  • Shutter Speed: Use a fast shutter speed, around 1/200 to 1/500 of a second, to avoid camera shake and capture sharp portraits.
  • ISO: Keep your ISO as low as possible, aiming for 100 to 200 to get less noise in images.
  • White Balance: Set your white balance to Daylight or Tungsten, depending on the lighting conditions.

A group of people in colorful costumes and makeup posing for a portrait in a parade

The Composition: Where to Point and Shoot 🎯

Composition is key to capturing great parade photos. Here are some tips:

  • Angles: Try different angles by shooting from high or low, left or right, and tilt your camera for a creative or unique look.
  • Foreground and Background: Use the parade’s surroundings like buildings, trees, or crowds as either a foreground or background for better storytelling in your imagery.
  • Leading Lines: Use the parade’s elements like poles, banners, and even floats to lead the viewers’ eyes towards the subject or direction of the action.

A dancer in a bright yellow costume captured from the lower angle as they perform in a parade

The Timing: When to Push the Shutter 🕰️

Patience and timing are critical when it comes to parades. Here are some specific recommendations for better timing:

  • Preparation: Get to the parade’s location early and research beforehand to find the perfect spot from which to take your photos.
  • Continuous Shooting Mode: Use continuous shooting mode to capture multiple shots of the same subject, so you have more options to choose from later.
  • Anticipate the Action: Be aware of what’s happening in the parade and try to capture the perfect moment to tell the story of the scene.

A marching band captured in action with all members holding their instruments in the air

Final Thoughts: Remember to Have Fun 🎉

Parade photography can be both challenging and rewarding. With these tips, you’ll be able to capture memorable moments and turn them into striking images that tell the story of the parade in all its glory. Remember to have fun and experiment with the techniques to find your unique style of parade photography!

A collection of colorful parade photos that capture the joy and exuberance of the festivities