Project Update

I'm currently working on editing the images I like in  my top 100 and pushing thumbnails around to see what I will like my book to look like. I have contacted the parents of the children I shot in hopes of them letting their children draw me some sort of picture to include in my book.

And after a recommendation from Jennifer Shaw I have started reading A Confederacy of Dunces and so far I am thoroughly entertained. :)

Driving Around NOLA With Chris Granger

While we were in NOLA we got the chance to ride along with photographers from the Times Picayune Newspaper. Whitley and I rode around with Chris Granger and while on this little journey he was telling us about how not all the time ( and I'm paraphrasing here so don't take this as a direct quote :) ) is it that the best equipment will get the best pictures and equal the big prizes in photography. He told us about a particular photographer who used lots of little point and shoots and tucked them inside his jacket in Iraq. This let him get into places and past check points because he didn't look like the press. That was really interesting to me because I've never really heard anything like that. So I looked it up, of course.

I found a couple of photographers who shoot with point and shoot cameras but I think the main guy Chris was trying to explain to us was Alex Majoli. In 2004 Majoli won Magazine Photographer of the Year for his work for News Week. He did stories on China, The Congo and Iraq. Here's a sample of his work:

http://www.pocko.com/press/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/picture-20.png

While explaining this we also got on the subject of cell phone cameras and more specifically the iPhone camera and how it takes some pretty good pictures. Whitley and I don't have iPhones so we don't have as much practice as Chris does. Here's a couple of shots I took while on a stop:

  Overall, I know I had fun riding around and talking with a photographer who isn't also my teacher. Thanks Chris for the opportunity! And of course thank you to Becky and Colleen for taking us all on this amazing trip! :) I feel like I've grown as a photographer since the end of last quarter and that feels great!

Dear Nola

I will miss you. Thanks for the late September tan lines, the fire ant bites and the many interesting people we came across. It was all fun J.

Some of my favorites from the trip:

-Riding in Becky’s van listening to 80s on 8 or 90s on 9

-“EVERYTHING’S FINE!”

-“Hot Dogs”

-“Don’t fire Becky…”

-Being able to go to bed at 2 am and some how magically get up at 6 and be able to go until 2 again.

-listening to everyone’s stories

-working closely with other photo students

- Acting like “real tourists” with Niky

Last Day In NOLA :(

Today is the day we leave NOLA and I keep thinking of an article in the Oxford American where the writer says NOLA never leaves your heart. I want to come back!! Well really I don't want to leave. Niky said today if home could come to here it would be okay. I thought that was funny.

In all of the go-go-going we did I did manage to buy some souvenirs for some people close to me :) and I bought one of those cheesy tourist shirts that say I <3 NOLA and a few things for myself. I managed to have some really good food as well. But I wish I could come back soon! Usually when you go somewhere you miss home, which I did, but when I go back I feel like I might miss NOLA just a little bit :).

We also had a little critique last night at the New Orleans Photo Alliance which I think went well. Becky suggested that I become pen pals with the children that I've photographed and include that into my final product for this class. I thought this was a really cute idea and I want to contact the parents and see what they think.

Claudio

Today I got to shoot a little boy named Claudio (5). He is the son of Jen one of Colleen's friends here in NOLA. She is also a photographer herself. I had so much fun shooting Claudio and even a little bit of his younger brother Mason (2 1/2). The two were so full of energy as little kids are, taking shoes off, running back and forth and back and forth again.

Here are some images from today's shoot:

Claudio (5) sits on a ledge at the park where his mother takes him and younger brother Mason (2 1/2) to play.

Claudio (5) puts his shoes back on after getting a small cut on the bottom of his foot and a band-aid to heal the tears.

Like most little kids, Claudio (5) kept taking his shoes off in different places.

Claudio (5) lies in the middle of the park.

More Images

 Shaniya (9) whispers to younger sister Shamiya (7) the answer to a riddle in their grandpa Robert Green's home.

Shamiya comes out of the bathroom at her grandfather's, (Robert Green) house, after laughing because her mom packed her two pairs of pants and no tops.

Going Out Early Once Again

I didn't get a chance to post pictures last night I tried editing some but didn't put them up. I got up at 6 today so we can leave at 7 to go to an oil affected area. There won't be oil but we can tell already what sort of impact the oil has had on NOLA. A man yesterday said it's been so hot this summer and they couldn't even swim because of BP...so they couldn't really go to the beaches because of all of the oil. That's sad I think.

Today I'm going to call Jennifer and see if she can meet with me. We thought this would seem slow, which it did the first couple of days but it's catching up on us, well me at least!