[Don B.]

I staffed a booth (along with other students) at the event for the law school. The weather was beautiful, in the mid-80s, and the flora and fauna of the event was quite diverse and amusing. To wit:

Looking east down Monroe at the aptly named Monroe School:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0701copy.jpg

Hot guy in front of Phoenix's oldest house:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0700copy.jpg

You can see downtown ASU at the Mercado in the background:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0699copy.jpg

Cranes from the convention center construction site pierce the sky:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0698copy.jpg

Grids:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0697copy.jpg

No, people do not normally dress like this in Phoenix:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0696copy.jpg

The Arizona Science Museum provides the backdrop:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0695copy.jpg

Face-painters unite!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0694copy.jpg

Looking east again - just not zoomed in:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0693copy.jpg

Looking west down Monroe. You can see the edge of 44 Monroe (34 stories, 378') to the left of the Chase Tower on the right nearing completion:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0692copy.jpg

Hot boy waiting to be dunked:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0691copy.jpg

Ruby Rod (Chris Tucker's flamboyant over-the top-character from "The Fifth Element") lives in Phoenix! Who knew?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0690copy.jpg

Looking south at the Arizona Science Museum again:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0688copy.jpg

*In best Borat voice* How much? How much for sexy times? I want to make romance explosion with you:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0687copy.jpg

Our booth was not nearly so sexy:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0685copy.jpg

The dance floor, en grid fashionista:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0684copy.jpg

Jarring juxtaposition, no?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0681copy.jpg

Looking west again. The street was packed:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0683copy.jpg

The loathsome tower of doom rises in Mordor--err, I mean Phoenix:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0678copy.jpg

Might as well stick a baleful eye on top of the damn thing (Phoenix's new Sheraton convention center hotel - 32 stories, 350'):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0677copy.jpg

The new Convention Center begins to take shape:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0676copy.jpg

Zoomed in looking west:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0675copy.jpg

Our booth again:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0673copy.jpg

An earlier shot looking west:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/don85259/Gay%20Pride%20in%20Phoenix/CIMG0672copy.jpg

Es fin.

:)

--don

[wisla_krakow]

God that is an ugly hotel. Maybe if it was white... but yellow?

[Upward]

Nice shots, Don. I'm looking forward to going back to Phoenix at Thanksgiving.

[OfCourse]

Those are some nice sights. ;)

[plinko]

Festive! What's with the date stamp? (just curious).

[Don B.]

Festive! What's with the date stamp? (just curious).

The little Casio camera I used for this shoot is my "work camera," so it has always had the date/time stamp active. When you take photos for a law firm, this kind of information is critical and you don't have to worry about looking at the properties of the image itself.

Thanks to the four of you who responded, although I'm a little surprised this thread hasn't received more responses. Maybe the photos suck and no one wants to tell me? I mean, when a motel photo thread in New Jersey gets more responses than a Phoenix photo thread, you know something is weird...

:sly:

--don

[HomeInMyShoes]

^I always find it's hit and miss with photothreads. Threads of mine that I think should do well die quick deaths and threads of mine that I think are subpar do better.

The Borat comment made me laugh. A lot.

[soleri]

^I was at the festival on Saturday and was underwhelmed. Still, the weather was sublime and the air nearly crystalline.

Heritage Square is probably the nicest public space in downtown and is home to lots of events and festivals. I'd like to see it expand although that's starting to look impossible. The Mercado is now being slated for eventual medical/biotech development. I get the point but in a downtown with barely any retail space, this seems like a waste. The Disneyesque architecture is already outdated but can be worked with.

Filling in the blank spaces downtown seems like a worthy goal but the problem is you have to live with the results for a long, long, time. The convention center has taken out a huge amount of downtown that will never know vibrant street life. Combine that with all the existing dead zones and you have a downtown that's attractive and inert.

At any rate, thanks for the opportunity to rant. And beautiful pictures, as always.

[andrewkfromaz]

Nice pictures, Don. I hope I'm not hijacking here, but I disagree with Soleri. Heritage Square is not all that great. For festivals and other events it's nice, but it's too secluded and quiet, the uses there are not intense enough nor varied enough.

[Boris]

Something you rarely see in Houston; dark blue clear skies. Beautiful.

And great pics. Thx

[DowntownCharlieBrown]

Great pictures.

I like the way your lens was able to capture the contrast between the older architecture and the new modern hottie. :tup:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2253/1538418452_6174d67d4a_o.jpg

[LSyd]

great pics. isn't it kind of fun to revert to point and shoots...sometimes?

Ruby Rod (Chris Tucker's flamboyant over-the top-character from "The Fifth Element") lives in Phoenix! Who knew?

:haha: awesome.

-

[OhioGuy]

Too many gay guys in one location! ;)

Seriously though, nice colorful photos, Don. :)

[denveraztec]

Great shots with the point and shoot! Looks like a fun day.