(Nikon D2X, Tokina 12-24mm @ 12mm, 1/125th sec. @ f/5.0, ISO 400) 

 

Santas swarmed, some naughty some nice, parts of the Inner Harbor for Santarchy: good natured fun while wearing Santa suits. Two, Elm Street Santa and Peace Santa (a.k.a. Gas Mask Santa) partook in scuffling near the Tuba Christmas festivities. It was a lighthearted pummeling Elm Street Santa inflicted, and the stirring did not last longer than a mouse in a house of cats.

 

Reporter Tom Pelton wrote a cheeky story which expertly expressed the anarchist attitude of the Santa revealers. The headline did the same, a great headline at that. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the photograph I made of the Santarchy event that was chosen for the front page of the Maryland section (shown at right) wasn't up to the quality of the story and headline; this one ran inside. That decision was made because the Santarchy story was running next to an obituary and above a story about a memorial service, and it was decided that the proximity of a photo showing the "fight" was inappropriate.