So, I went to Stockholm Pride, mostly on the Slussen side, as well on the "Golden Bridge". With the aim to make relatively distant portrait of people (mainly bystanders and people who left the pride train). Since Slussen was the end point, the big wagons went of a ramp street, located at the side of the "Golden Bridge", while the people in the Pride train moved up towards Slussen Metro station.

We had wonderful weather

with fluffy white clouds, moderately warm temperatures, and pretty sharp sunlight. The sun could at times really burn on your neck.

For super telephoto photography, sharp sunlight isn't as problematic really - due to the nature of super telephoto lenses being a little bit on a less contrasty side - where higher motive contrast (due to the sun) helps. Plus that digital files with lots of room in post processing usually can iron out too strong contrast.

Sure, a slight haze or any kind it perhaps the best. Yet, it worked well, and my Fujifilm GFX 100s II is compared to the Fujifilm GFX 50s II slightly underexposing. It was with the older model i often set my camera to -1/3 or even -2/3 (stops compensation) - while when I do that with the Fujifilm GFX 100s II - i often feel they are too dark. I still hesitate to set it to 0 (compensation), but notice that it often works very well to leave it at 0.

Your mileage may vary...

I have perhaps not mentioned it before:

GFX 100s II is nosier than GFX 50s II

The 102 MP sensor is noisier compared to the nearly graininess Fujifilm GFX 50s II sensor at ISO 100. Well, having double amount of pixels, does take a toll. However, the noise is very well behaved even when the ISO goes up - so I can't complain. It is just something i noticed, that i always see noise very easily in ISO 80-100 files coming from the Fujifilm GFX 100s II camera. I often clean it up with the Adobe Noise AI.

My not so representative images of Pride

It is also the first time, that my images aren't really representative for Stockholm Pride, due to that i mostly took images of bystanders (of all kinds). Also often not knowing if i saw men or women. The whole spectacle reminds me mostly on a carnival - because you can tell that people absolutely LOVE to dress up in various ways, like in a classic carnival.

The energies from within...

There is something about to step into different rolls and celebrate all kinds of outfits. I loved it as a child, and I still love it as an adult ! There is simply something special and utmost fun about it. With Stockholm Pride - i feel similarly. The energy behind it, appears to my senses more about the joy of dressing up, rather then the political motivation; the need to demonstrate etc. I see the many different slogans more of a "political labels", but not much more.

The real power comes from within; the joy of carnival times.

CARNIVAL SPIRIT above everything else !

So, perhaps it is as simple as that; Stockholm has no carnival tradition like in other nations (Germany, Brazil etc). Now, we actually have a fantastic Carnival tradition in the shape of Pride. I see ALL kinds of people, everywhere; all ages, sexes, everything. I also see no true difference in sexual orientation - because you see hetero people just everywhere too; inside the train as well as bystanders. It is all mixed and frankly doesn't feel strange or weird at all.