New Orleans, after at least somewhat recovering from Katrina, became to those of us who have been here many times before, a lot friendlier. One walks in the morning when it is still dark out, and passersby say, “Good morning,” and other welcoming phrases.
“Welcome to New Orleans.”
“How ya doin’?”
“You have a blessed day.”
One cannot come to New Orleans and not feel welcome.
During our workshops, most people choose to gather in the hotel lobby and head out early. There is the 6:00 crew and the 7:00 installment. I think the 6:00 ones get better shots, as New Orleans really is all about life after dark.
I was with the earlier enthusiasts and was showing them about light and waiting until the action was just right. Here, I knew what I wanted. So often, our participants feel they have to get everything. We encourage them to wait for the moment, or as Henri Cartier-Bresson’s book was titled, The Decisive Moment. Here I waited for the man to get to a certain point on the sidewalk with one foot lifted AND separated from his surroundings as much as possible.
I have always been attracted to wrought iron. My mother’s house, and her mother’s and uncle’s before that, was a stone forge built in the early-middish 1800s. Many a horse was shod there, and many a strap hinge and latch came out of there, too, before it was converted into a house. I was showing our participants how one might treat a fence, the light reflecting off its surface, the shallow depth of field adding interest and drawing one’s eye more into the middle of the frame.
After critiques, we headed out, as usual, for more photographing. Arnie and I love to challenge our groups. I pointed out how something as “elegant” as a manhole cover can actually be interesting with the right light.
Arnie spent some special time with a gentleman and dear friend who has probably come to more workshops than anyone else. This was his ninth workshop, and that does not count at least three scout-and-shoot days. When he lived in Baltimore, he had a wonderful photo gallery, so he knows a lot about the history of photography. Arnie showed him some techniques of using motion to create a different effect. New Orleans has a side filled with gaudy neon lights and the tawdry. Here, Arnie interpreted that through color and motion.
Next: The French Quarter and some fun Mardi Gras strangeness…
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