BIG EASY, HERE I COME!

Hi all,

So, I found out that in April I will be traveling to the BIG Easy, The Crescent City, my FAVORITE city in America...New Orleans! Having been to all 48 states, and every major city in the U.S. it is with great excitement to say that we will be visiting New Orleans as an amazing gift for my 40th birthday. I'm taking this trip not just in a celebratory manner (as I'm not exactly looking forward to the 4-0) but professionally as well. Some may say, "oh, cool, nice city" or "yea, New Orleans is fun," or ask "so what? I've been there X amount of times." Well, this is only my 2nd visit, and I cannot think of a better place to spend a birthday, so I AM SUPER PUMPED about it. New Orleans is also much deeper than that to me. I've self-adopted the city as my 2nd home, at least in my mind. My excitement cannot be contained! 

The laid back French Quarter atmosphere and wonderful April weather, the delectable cajun foods, the tinny sounds of Jazz and Blues wafting through the streets, the deliciously addictive Hurricane and Bloody Mary drinks, Cafe Du Monde coffees, colorful costume and Voodoo shops, and the amazing otherworldly art created by the street artists all blend together in making N'awlins (in this blog writers estimation) the most phenomenal city in our great country. 

It's been 15 years since I last had the opportunity to amble the cobblestone streets of this great city. This was before I took photography SERIOUSLY. Before the times that I realized I had an option of making photography my sole and passionate profession. At that time I didn't have a camera in hand everywhere I went in attempt to record and bring visual life to the unique surrounding scenarios I came across. This was long before I realized I was able express my visions creatively and still make a living with it. No, 15 years ago, I walked the streets of New Orleans knowing that once the trip had ended I'd have to go back to the daily drudgery of my unfulfilling truck driving job at the time. Unbeknownst at that point in my life, 15 years ago also marked the beginning of a down period slump that lasted a long time. Through those down times one thing stayed with me that always brought a smile to my face, New Orleans.

Not so this time. This visit will be different in major ways of which I won't get into too many specifics. However, blog readers, I will say I'm going to shoot (photographically, of course) the hell out of New Orleans this time! My goal this trip, professionally, is to photographically capture the essence of New Orleans through street photography, food, architectural, abstract, and portraiture photography as much as I possibly can. I want my viewers and readers to feel as if they are IN the city. Fair warning though, to those of my Facebook friends, blog readers, LinkedIn connections, website viewers, and anyone else, you will be getting bombarded with New Orleans images in the coming weeks and months!      

Feel free to share your favorite New Orleans story. I'd love to hear them! As always, comments, critiques, and questions are encouraged. Thanks for reading.