Mardi Gras - The Art of the Costume

Mardi Gras is all about the art of the costume as well as everything else. Some costumes take a year to put together. In New Orleans, Mardi Gras Indians sometimes work on their costumes until they walk out of the door on Fat Tuesday. Costumes get to represent what the artist is thinking. Sometimes the costumes are humorous and sometimes they are weird. The idea is to be something or someone you’ve always wanted to be. These photographs speak for themselves.

Every Krewe has to have a Queen.

Mardi Gras morning begins with the Mardi Gras Indians. They are up bright and early to meet up with other Indians and battle for the best costume.

You can be a superhero like Wonder Woman.

You can show off your body and piercings.

You can make yourself a part of your favorite work of art.

You can be a sex crazed gladiator or a nun that looks like Ellen Degeneres.

Most costumes are made by the people who wear them.

As a photographer no matter what the costume you want to try to be in a position where you can do justice to the costume and capture its essence.

 In this case I did the best I could. The wing span was so large an there were people walking on each side.

When considering a costume, one should think about being comfortable. The weather can change in an instant and you want to consider the crowds. Mardi Gras is all about having fun.

The Goth, vampire look, it just looked striking and those contacts added the final touch.

If you want people to stop and take you picture you need to wear the costume. You want to have lots of color and strike a pose that will be memorable even for the novice photographer.

Have a safe and happy Mardi Gras.

Check out my other blog for more on Mardi Gras.

http://dlonzo-OpenYourMind.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by; and keep an open mind.