Holi Hai

Spring in the city means not only blossom, warm weather and the change of wardrobe, but also the arrival of festivals, many different, colorful festivals. From Sakura Matsuri that celebrates the cherry blossom and the beginning of spring to the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island. Holi Hai is one of those festivals and it is a celebration of colors.

Yes! People of all ages buy colors made from natural ingredients and throw them at each other. The event is free but in order to transform to a walking-rainbow, buying colors is a must. The colors were sold at the event and one could either stand in a huge line at the entrance or immediately buy some colors near the stage. Obviously, like all good New Yorkers, most people preferred to stand in line.

I was worried that the color powder that is thrown up in the air will harm my camera, so I wrapped my camera with waterproof bag. I knew that people in this festival usually wear white shirts so I wore a black shirt to signal that I'm not interested in the rainbow transformation.

The performances on stage got the full attention of the crowd and I found a perfect spot on a bench near the stage. I focused on photographing interesting and colorful people in the crowd. My main challenges were the bright sun and finding a clear, unobstructed view. Although I used two lenses - Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 and Canon EF 300mm f/4L, my best photos from the event were all taken with the 300mm.

At the end I did get dirty, my shirt and my backpack got some unavoidable colorful patches. Surprisingly, the best thing at this festival was not the colors but the people; they were happy, joyful and welcoming and I enjoyed spending time with them!