Each year, the imagery I see, is so full of joy, hope, and love.  Of course, various themes jump out, with different ones seeming to magically pop through and tell different stories each year…

Whether it’s purposeful from the parades standpoint, or just me seeing things differently or more likely a combination of the two…there really is something new every year, even if the same faces often make annual appearances…

This year, and in each year previous, I see the drum beat for marriage equality come through most strongly. This is the pulse, moreso now, staring down an election year – and Washington State is right in the mix with R74 United for Marriage Act. I guess, love is political? While I am not sure it should have to be, my hope is that the energy, the colors and joy, is something we can celebrate everyday.

For Seattle Pride images from years past, 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011.

This year…enjoy, love…

~ Full Archive Slideshow ~
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I love using my iPhone to shoot self portraits… Maybe it’s vain? I don’t know – but if I look good, or if I am in a mood – I like to capture it – it’s my own warped sense of reality, since none of the pix I ever share of myself, shot with my iPhone ever show a double chin or a bad angle (IMO lol)…well the angle may leave something to be desired – shot so close with an iphone, makes my nose look larger than it is – but I sacrifice it for the art(not really)…really though – they show off how I see myself – what I see in the mirror. Perhaps I have an inflated sense of myself, but I don’t think so – I just like seeing the best – just like in the images of others I publish. I hate when I see the real candid (or not so candid shots) that people take of me, where my face looks too round, and I look like I need to lose 100 lbs – which, yeah, I know I do (ok, maybe not 100, but 50 would be fabulous!)… As well, I never show that my eyes are crossed! bwah – my right is lazy, and so am I(generally) – but in my fantasy reality, they’re just dramatically not looking straight! Also, noone sees us through their eyes like we see ourselves. Self portraits can be both revealing, and veiled, for that reason I think… I don’t even know if I’d say, my iPhone pix are proper self portraits or simply self inflicted snapshots of boredom? lol – and perhaps that ambiguity is ok.

Anywho – I just jumped on the band wagon to one of the popular iPhone photo apps called Instagram… It’s not my first photo app – but now I get why people love it. It is so easy to use to share images (even of things other than my face – ha!)…It’s the perfect “snapshot” share mechanism with all the cool “film” filters, and easy to share via social networking. The downside – the oh so popular over reaching terms of service. So – I think I will use them for their filters more often – and delete the posted pix (leaving 4 pix there – lol I guess they can do with those what they like;). Unless I want to share them – I can do so via flickr which doesn’t over reach – just something to think about. I suppose all the photo share sites – that have these – well, it’s all about what you get for free – if you want free hosting, you give up something in exchange – I pay for flickr – so, it makes sense that they don’t require as much…And my updated flickr app lets me share links on FB, twitter – so I think I will make an effort to go that way, in the future…Beyond that – I have ceded enough images to facebook – no need to spread the wealth any further…

Anywho(sorry I digressed!) – on the self portrait filter front – here is myself shot through the phone – over the past 1-2 years…Not too many people pose for portraits for me properly – so, eh, you get me – hope I don’t crack your screen! (ha!). It also should be noted – that even my profile picture for this website – is, just another iPhone pic…And most of the profile pics on my facebook are all iPhone photos – I just can’t stop;)

Mirror Mirror – am I the fairest of them all?!!??!

More music stuff – soonish!