Panda at the 3rd of July Parade with Tractor (Shared)

Panda was excited to spend the afternoon at the 3rd of July Parade. He had heard there would be all kinds of local clubs, businesses, and community groups, but if you asked Panda what he was most looking forward to, the answer was easy:

"The tractors... and the red cars!"

The year before, I had been in the parade with my Toastmasters club, so I never got to watch it. This year, I wanted to enjoy it from the sidelines while photographing the participants.

I found the perfect spot where the late afternoon sun would shine between the buildings behind me, lighting the parade while the buildings across the street stayed in shadow. Sitting low on the curb gave a unique perspective, and Panda sat safely on the street in front of me.

At first, Panda faced the camera for a portrait, but then I realized he couldn't see the parade. I turned him around, and he happily watched each group pass by. Whenever the tractors or bright red classic cars appeared, Panda became especially excited.

Every time Panda lit up with excitement, I found myself turning the camera toward him instead of the parade. I probably missed several great parade photos, but capturing Panda's joy was even more rewarding.

After the parade, it was too late for a bike ride, so Panda and I headed home dreaming about the next night's fireworks.

Two photos of Panda were shared—one with the tractors and one with the red cars. Many more were taken with the camera's burst mode, but those two captured Panda's excitement the best. Even though there was no response, Panda knew it had been a wonderful day.