Dorothy

16x20 inch Black & White print on Epson Art Cotton Smooth 250 gram paper. From the NYC Village Halloween Parade, 1982–86.

This striking image perfectly encapsulates the DIY, grassroots energy of the Village Halloween Parade in the mid-1980s. Captured between 1982 and 1986, this frame documents the parade's evolution from a local neighborhood walk into a larger public spectacle. Using a 35mm Pentax and Kodak Tri-X film to achieve a signature high-contrast, gritty look, the central figures — costumed as Dorothy and the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz — exemplify the perennially popular, handcrafted costumes that defined these celebrations. A professional strobe illuminated elaborate ensembles against the dark, atmospheric backdrop of Greenwich Village townhouses, preserving a specific moment in New York City history and capturing the raw street theater and community spirit that thrived before the parade became a world-renowned event.