Mardi Can Gras Me Anyday

What can I say? I can't stay away from New Orleans; it has seduced me, and so of course I visited for Mardi Gras. What I loved about it most was not the stereotypical boobies and beads, but the color and creativity. Walking down Bourbon on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, I saw more ingenuity in dress than I witnessed while I was there for Halloween. And every face was smiling. This is why I have fallen in love with the city.

And of course, I had wonderful friends to photograph, as well as strangers. Of over the thousands shots I snapped, I would guess 50 probably had cameras in them. I am happy to share a common passion, as we all delight in seeing good pictures.

*Originally posted 3/11/09*

More From New Orleans...

St. Ann Swirl

No...I'm not done with New Orleans, and I fear she's not done with me. I spent six weeks there, and I was certainly inspired by the architecture, the spirit, the art. I spent an afternoon on Royal St and wandered in and out of art galleries. I enjoyed several artists, and this photograph was inspired by them, as every artist interprets the beauty and mystery of the French Quarter differently.



Artist Portrait

One of the last galleries I stepped into was the Michelle Elmore Gallery. She's a fantastic photographer, and I admire that she does everything through film, with no editing. She has a great self-portrait, and seeing it invoked an excitement within myself to shoot a self-portrait. I had written a list of artists I found and liked that day on my hand, so truly, this one goes out to you, New Orleans...

*Originally posted 11/23/08*

Starlight Trumpets

Starlight Trumpets

I'm currently in New Orleans. The city never ceases to amaze me. It's so much more than Bourbon St. These are trumpet flowers from a tree right outside my friends' beautiful apartment. The blossoms surprised them when we got here after the weekend. I titled them Starlight Trumpets because the flowers bloom during the night, in the day they wilt, waiting for the arrival of the stars.

I liked the missing board in the siding of the place next door. They are just now renovating it from the damage of Katrina. I noticed the interior lights winking through the missing board, copying the stars in the corner of the sky.

I suppose without this information, the photograph wouldn't have as much weight. But I see it as a testament to rejuvenation- rebuilding and blooming. The stars wait patiently, all the same.



Blooming Trumpets

I am enjoying the long summer. After coming from Asheville, the days are much warmer. But I am celebrating the cooler nights, just as I suppose these flowers do, too.

*Originally posted 10/1/08*