Photographs I shot for a feature on the Color Run for
Gothamist.com (“
Everything You Need To Know About The Color Run Before It Hits Brooklyn This Summer,” by
Jen Carlson).
I brought my old, used, beat-up Canon EOS 30D (worth about $50 on Ebay) to this shoot. I was getting rid of the lens anyway as it wasn’t working properly, so I thought it would offer a perfect opportunity for me to say yes to this assignment. The camera was wrapped in plastic (much like Laura Palmer), but some of the lens was exposed. I can’t say this was one of my smartest moves, in spite of the above evidence, but I was happy with the photos and I had a fun time running with the crowd. I’d only ever heard of the Color Run before—I’d seen a few rainbow powder selfies on Facebook—but I didn’t really know what it was. I’d also never heard of the understandable cultural appropriation controversy surrounding it (“Dye-ing Culture: Color Run, White-washing Holi Since 2012,” by Nadya Agrawal). The Color Run is a little bit cult-like, but I found that aspect enjoyable to witness. My allergies, on the other hand, went into overdrive throughout the event; I could barely handle the powder being thrown at me, my lungs, and my camera. While the organizers claim their colorful powder is a “a non-toxic combination of cornstarch
, baking soda, and FD&C dyes,” I’m not entirely buying it. I did a little research too, of course (“Is the powder in The Color Run safe?,” by Jillian Knowles, MMS, PA-C). That can’t possibly be good for one’s lungs.Jun 2, 2014 / Queens, NY
