People of New Orleans

Hi All,

WOW, what a trip! I'm super excited to start sharing images from our recent trip to The Big Easy. New Orleans is the easily most unpredictable, intoxicating, and unique city in America. I am so humbled to have had the opportunity to visit the city once again, meet new people, and this time photographically document our experiences. There is certainly enough visual material (photos & videos) that I acquired to create a photo book as well, and that may be coming down the pipe soon too. It was truly an experience that I HIGHLY recommend to anyone who hasn't had the chance to immerse themselves into the culture that is New Orleans. The sights, people, food, and lifestyles of New Orleans isn't something I can accurately explain through words so hopefully the subsequent photographs in this, and future blogs over the next few weeks can better encompass the experience.

The first blog I will start with is The People of New Orleans. I've broken down all of the images and video clips I took while there into sub categories. There will be blogs on The People of New Orleans, Architecture of New Orleans, New Orleans Abstractions, New Orleans Food, and possibly a few more.

This, People of New Orleans blog post will center around the many diverse, unique, and colorful portraitures of the people we met and saw. This post fluctuates from standard posed portraits to candids and also a couple of snap shot street photography images I managed to attain. This post includes, a sword swallower, a hat and clothing weaver, an adult baby-man walking the streets, a flag waving pirate, an Australian knife street salesman, street artists/musicians, a wedding party parade, human statues, Vernon from Creole House, Stacy our bartender from Sneaky Petes (a big thanks for my birthday drinks), Randon from Bourbon Street, a new found friend, Aaron the piano player at Le Pavillion Hotel (another BIG THANK YOU) and many others. For those of you that I was fortunate enough to have met in New Orleans, and that allowed me the opportunity to photograph you, if you may be reading this, thank you again and I hope you enjoy this post!

As always, feedback, questions, comments and critiques are encouraged. Follow along the blog in the coming weeks to see more of this great city through my eyes and lens.

Hat Weaver

Sword Swallower

Ricco-Street Artist

Human Statue

Jackson Square Band

St. Cinder

Street Musician

Dancing Man

Flag Carrying Pirate

Bourbon Street Family

Bourbon Street Band

Stacy from Sneaky Petes

Randon-Bourbon Street

Australian Knife Salesman

Human Statue 2

Vernon-Creole House

Couple

Wedding Parade

Too Ugly

Adult Baby Man?

Aaron-Le Pavillion Hotel

Street Musician 2

Guest Blog-Sarah Joy McKenzie Hand in Hand Weddings

Hi All,

Back from the Big Easy (that is New Orleans for those that don't know) and back to work. Actually, I pretty much worked the entire time while in New Orleans as I shot hundreds of photos and videos that I need to edit and sort through for future blogs, and some super cool projects coming soon. What an amazingly unpredictable city and I'm looking forward to start sharing my visual documentation of New Orleans with my readers in just a few short days.

That is enough about that for now, today's blog is about Sarah Joy McKenzie owner of Hand in Hand Weddings. Sarah is a Pittsburgh based event planner that I'd met several years ago. Her light breezy personality, relaxed demeanor, and attention to meticulous detail are just a few quick things I can say about her. If you are lucky enough to have her work for you, rest assured she will go above and beyond for all her clientele. Sarah's event planning services include milestone family events, corporate events, weddings and she specializes in LGBT weddings also. Enjoy, here's Sarah's guest blog...

What can a planner save you?

Time

So you and your partner both work full time jobs and you are getting married? Exciting as it may be, are you prepared to add hours and hours of work to your schedule?

That's where having the right planner can come in handy. You can have as much or as little control as you need over the plans, while having someone to guide you through and streamline and organize your needs.

Sanity

Your wedding will go by in a flash if you aren't careful. You should be able to take the time to savor it. Your parents and friends should be able to see every bit of it and share it with you. How do you manage that? By hiring a planner for day of coordination services. They’ll be there to work your wedding day so that you don’t have to. As a bonus, they will make sure nothing goes wrong so that you can have the day you looked forward to.

Money

There are a handful of ways that a good planner can save money for you. The biggest is when you are able to get them early in your planning process. If you are open and honest about your budget and priorities, a planner can make sure you stay within them. They can also keep you from making expensive mistakes or forgetting to budget for the little things which add up fast.

Another plus in this area is a planner’s network. Depending on how they set up their vendors and fees, a wedding planner can save you money by getting you the right people, quality people, in your budget. There are also bonuses in the trust that is built in these networks. I for example, have an array of vendors who offer extra services when you book through me, or discounts off their packages.

Speaking of packages, a planner's knowledge of the services you need and what are provided in packages can also save you a ton of money. By recognizing which parts of the package you won’t use or will be offered by your venue or another person you’ve already contracted with, they can work with your vendors to make adjustments. The vendor won’t be doing unnecessary work and you’ll save money.

Sarah Joy McKenzie

Hand in Hand Weddings and Events LLC.

http://handinhandweddingspa.com

412-879-0558

info@handinhandweddingspa.com

Guest Blogger 3- Chef Tom Coates

Hello blog readers,

Who DOESN'T love great food? Probably not anyone reading this. Culinary expert, Chef Tom Coates is up on the guest blog this week! He discusses his passion for cooking, and the importance of his foods and ingredients looking their best through food photography. Tom and I have known each other for a few years now and one of the first things I picked up on about him was his enthusiasm, and the way his eyes lit up when he discussed cooking. Personally, I know this feeling very well as it is the same unbridled fervor I feel towards photography. I also love to cook, so we had an instant connection and alliance built upon our first meeting. 

Chef Tom offers advice and cooking tips/instructions for others who enjoy the art of cooking in his short Sense of Cooking Youtube videos. Check them out they are very informative. He also sells Cutco knives, which are some of the best cutting, well built knives on the market. They are truly unmatched. If you are in the market for a set of fantastic knives, other culinary equipment, or are just looking for a few tips to better your kitchen skills contact Tom at the info below. Heres Tom...    

• Growing up in an artistic family I was always looking for my own way to express my creativity in a different way. The culinary arts gives me a way to create using all of my senses to not only make something look beautiful but to nourish your body and feed the soul. When I get into the kitchen I lose track of time and the only thing that matters is how I can transform a few raw ingredients (or in many cases a whole bunch of them) into a masterpiece. Something that makes your mouth water as the aromas waft toward you, each item strategically planned to work together making your taste buds go crazy. The textures and mix of hot and cold, crispy and soft, sweet and sour keep your brain guessing and make each bite different than the last.

  
  

  I almost think of it as cheating because to me cooking is easy. Unlike a painting, sculpture, or play that has to speak to you in some way, food can be packed with emotion. From the smell of fresh baked cookies that remind you of grandma’s house or the beef stew that your mom used to make. I love to cook and if I never had to clean another dish ever again it would be the only thing I ever did. Being able to use different ingredients everyday, never making the same thing twice.

  
  

  Something that I have started to discover with my cooking show is that making the food is the easy part - being able to capture these creations in a photo which encompasses the essence is the challenge. The ability to make a group of onions uncooked still in its papery shell look appealing is a skill for the elite. You may have snapped a picture of a plate of food when you were out at some hit new restaurant. Then with tons of adjustments on Instagram you were able to get a few likes. Now try it with a head of lettuce or potato. The problem with food however is that no matter how much time you put into planning and creating it it is gone in minutes. That is why the partnership between culinary arts and photography is so important.

  
  

  

  
  

  Chef Tom Coates

  810-459-6718

  chef.tcoates@gmail.com

  www.senseofcooking.com

  www.youtube.com/senseofcooking

  facebook.com/senseofcooking

  IG: @senseofcooking