I always say try things outside of your normal photography focus and this weekend I did just that – I photographed a parade. This is way out of my normal photography wheelhouse so here are a few tips I learned form doing this.
First, learn the parade route, the extra events, and understand lots of other people there meaning get there early. I arrived about an hour before the parade and parked at a garage I felt was away from the parade route and still just managed to get one of the last parking spots; get there early. As for knowing the parade route and the extra events, I already was a aware of that stuff but you can always look it up online.
Second, be mindful of the setting. People drink on Saint Patrick’s Day, so I knew there would be people drinking alcohol and some people might be drinking a little too much alcohol. On top of that, large crowds always have a thief or two walking around looking for easy targets not to mention photographing in public also has the chance of the occasional person who doesn’t understand or respect photographer rights popping up. My point is all these are situations where you could see your camera get damaged or go missing. Have fun but be mindful. Situational awareness goes a long way.
Finally, go for the obvious stuff – the parade, but look around too. You might luck out and see other things going on just roll with that. If all else fails, photograph dogs and buildings, you’ll see lots of them.