Leicester Caribbean Carnival 2007

Leicester Caribbean Carnival 2007

The Caribbean Carnival procession winds through the streets of Leicester each year on the first Saturday in August. It is a regular summer celebration of the multicultural diversity that makes the city proud.

Leicester is one of the fastest growing most ethnically diverse cities in Europe, and has been recognised as offering a fine example of multicultural community cohesion.

The procession, comprising both individuals and groups on foot, decorated floats and several bands presented a spectacular and colourful event on the streets of Leicester.

The Leicester Caribbean Carnival is the second biggest Caribbean Carnival in the United Kingdom after the Notting Hill Carnival.


Photographing carnivals

My approach is to ignore the photojournalistic big picture of a procession or parade through the streets in favour of several tight pictures each of a very small part of the carnival.

Photographing any fun event like carnivals or prides I will be looking for several things at once. I have in mind various concepts that I hope to be able to recognise and capture. Costume, colour, dance, energy, enjoyment, expressions, fun, vitality are some words that come to mind.

Given the nature of the event I am on the lookout for pictures that show different cultures coming together for the carnival. Towards the end of the parade there may be signs of tiredness that help to fill out the story.

Because my style is closer to portraiture than street photography capturing expressive faces and even making eye contact through the camera are aims I try to achieve. Often taking several pictures of the same scene in a desire to record that critical moment that raises a picture to the status of better than average.

When shooting this sort of event there are photo ops before the parade sets off, and after it finishes, but to maximise the chance of decent pictures I try to watch the procession go by as many times as I am able.

By the time I was shooting the parade going by for the fourth time some of the people in the procession began to recognise me, I even got a smile or two.


Related Links

The 2007 carnival in Recent Images
Leicester Caribbean Carnival 2005