In addition to earning a living working in television/video production for the past 40 years, it is also my hobby. There’s nothing I enjoy more than just getting out and shooting for the fun of it – with no client to answer to or deadline to meet. Wildlife, sports, and airshows are probably my favorite things to shoot with long telephoto lenses, but I’ll take any opportunity to shoot something that has “photogenic” action.

Parades are fun because it is one of the things where I can use wide-angle lenses and get in close to people and shoot whatever I want without people wondering what the hell I’m doing in their face. Everyone is in a great mood, having a good time, and enjoying the experience --- instead of watching me work.

So, last Saturday I shot the annual Veterans Day parade in Orlando, Florida. I had shot it once before in 2019 with a FX9 Sony loaned me, and some of that footage has earned enough from stock footage sales that it could have paid for the camera!! This time I shot the parade with my FX6, in what I call my “full hand-held configuration” mode. Just me, the camera, and a small backpack, drifting around the route wherever I felt like going. The FX6 is so small and compact it is really a joy to shoot with.

I encourage anyone to get out and shoot for yourself sometimes. You build your shooting skills, get to know your gear better, and maybe come away with some stock footage to sell.

Camera: Sony FX6
Lenses: Sony 24-105 f/4 and Sony 20mm f/1.8
Mode: S-LOG3
Format: 4K XAVC-I / 29.97 @ 60 fps
Grading: DaVinci Resolve 18

https://youtu.be/bL6SKgTOI50

Nice work Doug. When my son was in JROTC, I did photography of many of their events, which included the Lakeland Veterans Day Parade. Always had a great time doing it.

Yeah, it's fun, isn't it? I'm surprised more people who have pro gear don't get out and shoot just for the heck of it. Good exercise too!

Yeah, you're right how it can be good exercise. My wildlife photography and video hikes all through this past year got me out of my doctor ordering a Treadmill Stress Test, since it had been a long time since the last one. I pulled up a bunch of videos and photos on my phone showing all the hiking I'd been doing in the past year. She said, I was obviously healthy, including my heart, hiking through all the places I mentioned to her, climbing over downed trees and all from Hurricane Ian, and said really wasn't a need for the test after all.

The wildlife hikes are much better exercise than all the depositions, perpetuated testimony in the court room, and medical exams that were the bulk of my video work the last seven or so years before closing down my video business and retiring. It's a lot more fun filming what I want to film. And honestly, some of the alligators are less likely to bite your head off than some of the lawyers!

Oh my, how did I miss this one. Beautiful colors and the music was perfect. I think your right, filming parades, races and other local events is a lot of fun. I often take my camcorder to the Atlanta Botanical gardens just to video the brilliant colors on the flowers. Stay safe, Bob

Thanks Bob, I'm glad you liked it. I'll bet you can go back to the Atlanta Botanical gardens as many times as you want and it will be a little different every time. I like to back again and again to the same places too.