It's Carnival Time

For Those that miss all that New Orleans has to offer. Here are some images from various Mardi Gras. All of my blogs are being dedicated to Mardi Gras. Wherever you are and whatever you do, have fun and be safe.

Charmaine Neville performs at Lundi Gras in New Orleans in 2008. Lundi Gras is the celebration the day before Mardi Gras. It's when Zulu and Rex meet for the first time. Bringing back an old tradition from the early days of Mardi Gras.

Because Mardi Gras doesn't just take place in one area of the city, you can find something going on wherever you are. This is the Krewe of St. Ann working its way through the Bywater area.

Some of the costumes are a throw back to the Carnivals in Venizia, Italia.

This was just one of those photo opportunities one can't pass up. So I took advantage of it.

Mardi Gras brings out the artistry as well as the pageantry in the party atmosphere.

One of the floats from the Krewe of Zulu as it headed down Jackson Avenue in New Orleans.

Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind and do come back again.

The Art behind the photograph Part 9

(This image was taken on the beach in Pensacola, Florida.)

As I’ve mentioned before, I had some great people to step in front of my camera. They didn’t have a lot of hang ups and they allowed me to create art. Some of them really enjoyed it and there were some that were just doing it as a favor to me. There were also those that just went with the flow because it was part of their job.

(A body with the right lines makes it all so easy to photograph. There are no wrong angles.)

B.C. I met in 2001 and I immediately wanted to photograph him. I’m always looking for something different when I seek out people to photograph. Either they have interesting features or body type. Covered in tats or blue eyes. Capturing a person’s eye color has always been a challenge in natural light. You have to have just the right angle, but you don’t want to give too much direction to a person that has never posed before because you don’t want them to get bored.

Most of the time I’ll have a person pose and I’ll do the moving so that they can just be relaxed. Then we can both be surprised by the outcome.

(I use every opportunity I can when I see a great shot. After all, I am creating art.)

I first met D2 in 1996 in Seattle. The tat on his wrist was all that I could see. After getting to know him better I asked about photographing him and whether or not he had other tats? I photographed him in his work attire and casual, but it would be several years before I would actually get to photograph his tats. He came to New Orleans and I did some shots that focused on the tats. Several years later I would fly to Seattle and get some great outdoor shots.

(It begins with a simple shot and I can see the potential in the subject.)

My camera opened up an entirely new world to me. He gave me confidence and allowed me to create art that I am proud of and so are the subjects that have posed in front of my camera.

Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind and do come back again.




Coming up: The Nexx Fazz of Models F.D. McDermott, Coca, Jack