Tomorrow in Santa Barbara it’s all about fun! It’s the day of the annual Summer Solstice Parade which is a bonanza of photo opportunities from start to finish. At high noon, downtown will be transformed into a vibrant splash of color, music and dance when the parade heads up State Street from Cota to Micheltorena. Prepare to see extravagant floats, whimsical costumes, brilliant masks and dancing ensembles prancing in a most magical assembly of creativity. The parade features more than 1,000 participants and draws crowds of over 100,000 spectators from around the world. All floats are people-powered. Commercial elements, such as written words, advertisements, live animals, or motorized vehicles are not allowed.

From a photographer’s perspective, it doesn’t get much better than this! Everywhere you look there are colorful subjects begging for your shutter to snap. In this midst of so many people and so much visual stimulation, it can be helpful to keep a few tips in mind to give it your best shot.

• Many people tend to stay planted in one location, but don’t be afraid to move if you find the location you selected isn’t working.  Take a lesson from photojournalists by following the parade and getting right out in the street. Sometimes the best tact is to join right in with the parade!

• Parade shots can be overly busy, so get in close and pick one person. Let them see that you’re taking their photo and sometimes you’ll get a great reaction and a special shot.
• Try to tell a story. Capture the big picture by shooting some wide shots; take some at medium range like one person or one float; and include some tight shots like details of costumes, floats or musical instruments.
• Strive to find a spot where your view is entirely in the sun or entirely in the shade for even lighting.

Immediately following the parade, the floats are always parked on display at Alameda Park and that can provide some of the best opportunities for photos.

The Summer Solstice Parade has special meaning to me on multiple counts. I remember the year my husband and I stumbled upon the parade soon after moving to Santa Barbara. It was a small procession of street artists, so zany that if I’d had any doubts before, I knew then and there that I was really in California! Another year, I was ecstatic to have one of my solstice parade photos receive honorable mention in a photo contest. But to top it all, in 1987, I went into labor after walking home from the parade…and later delivered the sunshine of my life. That lucky little guy got to grow up with a parade for his birthday every year and, of course, we told him it was happening just for him!

The Summer Solstice in Santa Barbara has grown into a 3-day festival with additional events before and after the parade. Check out the schedule below and plan your weekend. Remember to take your water bottle, a hat, your camera (with extra batteries), and be prepared to have lots of fun!

Friday, June 20: Festival at Alameda Park, 4 – 9 pm,
Saturday, June 21: Parade on State Street from Cota to Micheltorena, 12pm
Saturday, June 21: Festival at Alameda Park, 12pm – 8 pm
Sunday, June 22 Festival at Alameda Park, 12pm – 6 pm