My big, fat Greek parade

"A child races his mother Sunday before the start of the 2008 Greek Independence Day Mid-Atlantic Parade on Eastern Avenue in Highlandtown in Baltimore. Many colorful, traditional Greek costumes were displayed by representing various regions and islands of Greece."

The past couple days have been a daze. This is just a short post as I catch up on my assignments, school work and life in general.

My last assignment Sunday involved a bunch of people named Nick doing this thing where they walk up a closed street waving and smiling. I think it's called a parade.

Jokes aside, it was a beautiful day outside, a touch nippy, but a wonderful afternoon for a the 2008 Greek Independence Day Mid-Atlantic Parade on Eastern Avenue.

It was also a nice, light hearted assignment after shooting a portrait of a man who threatened the Governor by e-mail and was arrested.

Once I found parking and crammed my car into the world's smallest parallel parking spot, I made my way toward the starting point.

There early, I figured I'd shoot a majority of my features before the start.

As I weaved in and out of the Greek and Spartan warriors, marching bands and sea of white and blue dress, I noticed nothing but smiling faces.

However, getting names was tough. Now, I know Greek names are long and complicated, but when its loud, it's even more difficult to understand and write down.

One boy's name I jotted down was named Panos. Pretty cool.

Anyways, I made a bunch of images, but after I got back I loved the above. The simple joys of a child always make a great feature in my opinion. It's a universal emotion.

Nothing makes you smile like a happy child. In this instance, racing someone, who I would assume was his mother, brightened his day for a brief moment.

It doesn't really tell the story of the Greek Parade, but it works for me within. The way they ran right by ignoring me, the way the child was dressed professionally and the way the women in the picture was running floating by in heels.