The City of New Orleans, NOLA (taking in the state abbreviation), The Big Easy, Crescent City (because of the way it follows the curve in the Mississippi), N’awlins … call it what you will, New Orleans is a magical place, a mélange of Spanish, French, African, and many other cultures. The two most commonly referred to are the Creoles, the French from the European French cities, and Acadians, or Cajuns, mostly, but not exclusively, referring to the French who were expelled from Nova Scotia and other parts of the Canadian Maritimes. The language is a wonderful mish-mash of all these cultures, and to the untrained ear, it can be difficult to understand if one does not listen carefully.
Arnie and I love New Orleans. The eclectic nature of the city, the traditional elegance and the tawdry, voodoo and cemeteries, the bizarre and beautiful are all what make this city what it is. And the music. Ahhh, the music! One cannot think of the City of New Orleans without thinking of the jazz and zydeco that gets the body rocking.
And Mardi Gras. Celebrations begin way ahead of the actual, crazy celebrations, and the preliminary festivities are crazy in themselves. New Orleans is one of the few places, perhaps the only one, where people have a license to drink and walk. Not always a good thing! But it is what it is, and it often makes for good photography. That and the street musicians.
As with any workshop, Arnie and I do our final scouting ahead. It has been a year or two since we were last here, and although we have been here multiple times, separately, and later together, with city is different in some respects each visit. Voodoo and skulls have always been a part of the city.
New Orleans cemeteries have been the locations of several films. They are spooky at night, with the moonlight casting eerie shadows. Who knows who or what lurks behind those crypts and stones!
The colors are certainly part of the scene here, whether in the neon signs such as the one at the top or in the colorful, elaborate, and often-beautiful masks.
The charming row houses sport beautiful colors, sometimes bright, sometimes more subtle.
Even the flashing, red strobes of an emergency vehicle can provide some surprises.
The first wave of our group came in last night. We met at the bar, then headed down the street for a typical, delicious, NOLA dinner, then went out shooting. After the initial shock of Bourbon Street that is, indeed, over the top, they really got into making some great images.
Next: A scout-and-shoot day with an old … make that long-time … friend …
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