The City of New Orleans

Traveling from Chicago to New Orleans, the great train that songs have been made of. We were stopped at a station in Jackson, Mississippi and I saw the conductors taking a break, and took the shot.

Dr Saxtrum

I was wandering about the streets, taking in all the sights, sounds, smells, and heard a lone sax playing in the distance. I of course decided to invistigate these sounds, and came across the doc playing on the river walk. I stayed and listened for about an hour, just enjoying the moment.

Pirate Pete

Here is a colorful character in more ways than one. Pirate Pete. He had worked on a ship out of Key West, then decided to wander about the region. He spun many great tales of adventures he had been on, many places he had seen, before becoming a washed out bum. And yes, that was his own description.

This is one of my favorite images. Angie is my friends daughter, and she took me around the city to show me the sights. We were on the lakefront at sunset, and I had time to grab one quick shot before the moment passed.

Not everyone is happy to see me with a camera in hand, as you can se here. I decided not to stop and get his name, I felt that it was best if I left him alone, he seemed a bit… grumpy.

This is a group of friends that I went down to see. Two of them had just gotten married moments before this was taken. The violin player was strumming out a song, the preacher had ridden up to the ceremony on a bicycle, it was a really enjoyable evening.

Cafe DuMonde

Oh the he sights and sounds of the big easy; the clanking of the coffee cups to the saucers, the buzz and laughter of the people, hearing the musicians out front. New Orleans is still alive, as magical a place now as ever.

This monument was put up right before the bridge leading into the 9th ward. I think it speaks for itself.

9th Ward

The first time I was in New Orleans after the storms, I was not able to get into the 9th ward. The bodies were still all about the area, and it was not a safe area. When I got back down, a lot of the area had been cleared, but there was still a lot of damage that I saw.

This is the same spot that I had stood months before, looking around that damage, feeling the pain of what had happened, what had been lost and would not ever be the same. As I stood there, I could see lots of change, the rebuilding, the new levee, and yet there were still many haunting images all around me.

Lone tree

This is another photograph that has a lot of history behind it. The pool of water in front of the tree was where a house once stood, but had been washed away in the storm. Interestingly enough, the next time, months later when I went back down, I met the lady that had owned the house. She was still wandering the area, looking for memories of what was once there. I think that the lighting that day was perfect for these images, the overcast, somber feeling of the day, really added impact to the photographs.

sorrow...

When I saw this lady walking along the street, I felt a rush of sadness fall over me. To her right was the back of the levee that broke, and the damage all around was great. I felt that color could not show the pain as well that she must be dealing with. It is an image that still haunts me.

Defenders

This is a monument in Evansville on the riverfront. I had photographed it in the pas, and wanted to try something different, at a different time of the year. I decided to pop it to black and white, and add a lot of grain, so at first glance you had to do a double take to see if it was real or not, hoping to trigger thoughts of not forgetting those who have fallen.

Lincoln Park

This was taken on a wonderful day. I went to Lincoln Park with a lady and her daughters, a nice outing of fun and a camera in hand. The sun was just setting when I took this, and I wanted to try capture mother and daughter together, and the environment around them. I took about 2 dozen shots, and I was dead on with each of them, quite happy about them. Unfortunately, this day would turn out to be one of the last happy days we had together.

Indy

I have been to Indianapolis many times, and never stopped to look through the lens. One night I decided to head north and look at Indy in a new way. Other than an small misunderstanding with a couple U.S. Marshals, I was able to make images that I had never thought about before, even though I had passed the same places many times.

Downtown Disney

People often think of Disney and animated characters. I wandered the streets of downtown Disney, trying to find things that people would often overlook. I saw the reflection in the water from Pleasure Island, and decided to give it a shot. I took about a dozen shots, trying to get the exposure just right when I made this photograph.

Don't fear the Reaper

When fire gets out of control, you can see the demons come alive in it. I was in a house fire, packed up, and trying to get images from it. I had no time to meter the shots or compose them. All I could do was guess and hope that they came out. My mask was getting fogged up, the heat raging around me, I had gloves on and did not even know if I was actually taking photographs or not. Shortly after this image was taken, the room became completely engulfed, and I had to back out in a hurry. Here is a creepy concept... can you see the reaper?

Give me 40 acres...

Travel has always been in my blood. The great escape. The only problem is that living on the road is not nearly as magical as one dreams. I have taken a couple trips across country in semi trucks, just to see what is out there. This was taken of me while I was behind the wheel of an eighteen wheeler, traveling down the road. It is something that I have always wanted to try, but after the short trips, I know that I could never give up what I am doing for that lifestyle. My friend Tony Ellis took this shot.

I was shooting for a commercial client when I came across this fellow. He was sitting on his bike in front of a small local pub, just passing time. The scene had a sense of Americana about it, the freedom of the road, the wind blowing through his hair. I wanted to jump on a bike and just ride, no plans or care, no phones, just ride on.

Where Eagles fly

Looking through the viewfinder when I made this image, I had an odd feeling rush over me. I can’t quite explain it. I had to put down the camera, and I just watched it, I stood there, watching him, him watching me for almost 20 minutes. I could feel the power radiating from the eagle, it was something I had never quite before or after that. As a side note, I had a most wonderful day of companionship that day, and a great outing.

Where friends meet

This place brings out the happy times in me. I can go in there and feel part of the rich history that surrounds it. The hotel that ran above the bar is still there, although it is not used anymore, you can still see it. The underground tunnels below, where the underground railroad once ran, when I am down there, I can almost see that fear and excitement in the eyes of a family, fleeing from pain, the father leading the way with a dim torch, holding the hands of his small children, and the mother watching over all of them as they make their way to freedom.

4 Mile House Road

This house had been destroyed now, leveled for progress. At one time it was a grand home, and then it began to fall apart, the owner not keeping it up, until it fell apart on its own and had to be torn down. I can only imagine how grand it once was.

Woolry Stone Company

When I look at this building before I make a photograph, I can hear the noise of the saws cutting stone, the workers, the clanging of the machinery moving the stone. I can feel the strength and power of what it used to be. My grandmother would tell me stories of serving the workers on their lunch breaks at the diner she used to work at. I felt an odd bond because of that.

A jeep, a camera, life is good!

I have always been fascinated with this building, hearing stories from my grandmother about it. I have shot it 3 times now, first, before any restoration, and the second and third times after the restoration had begun. This photograph was taken by my friend Nick Adams on the third time that I went there to shoot, and the most recent. I really like the photo he took of me - the camera, the jeep, the lights, I think it is a great shot. yeah nick!
--> I will probably be adding / changing what I write here and other places as thoughts come to mind.

Evil House

I was heading up hwy 37 from I64, saw this old house. There was no driveway, I had to make a road to get to it. There was a pink flamingo in an upstairs window that seemed to be a bit out of place. I tried for an infrared look with a lot of grain to make it more sinister. The bow of the house was not a trick shot or a strange lens angle, it was really bowed like that.