I have always loved street photography and really admire photographers like Vivian Maier, Helen Levitt and Bruce Davidson. I've never given it a try myself — the idea of getting in the face of a stranger with a camera intimidates me. Since I've been involved in curating a street photography hub on Instagram, I decided it was high-time to give it a go.
Last Saturday I checked available flights to New Orleans at noon and found myself there at 10:00 PM. I had briefly visited the French Quarter once before, and from the little I saw I knew I'd find some great photo opportunities. Little did I know it was the week before Mardi Gras and the revelers were in full swing. I spent a couple hours walking around Saturday night getting my bearings and a feel for the neighborhood. I have to say there's really no place else like the French Quarter.
I took a couple photos and realized immediately I would have to "ease-in" to the idea of confronting and photographing strangers. I also learned there are two approaches: 1) Strike-up a conversation with an interesting person and create a level of trust before asking to take their photo. This certainly avoids a smashed camera or a punch in the face, but all of the spontaneity and candor is lost. Or, 2) I could ignore asking permission and "steal" photographs from strangers on the street. This can be a mixed proposition inasmuch as some people really do not like their photo taken. I decided it was best to try both and learn as much as I could about photographing people in the streets.
First Image On The Streets of New Orleans
After making a few images that night I retired to the hotel and reviewed them on my camera's LCD screen. I was looking forward to photographing in the daylight, and hit the streets again first thing in the morning.
There were four pre Mardi Gras parades taking place on Sunday; I decided to check-out the Barkus parade. This is a parade where the Barkus Crewe showcases their dogs. I'm not a big animal lover, but knew Barkus would be an interesting mix of people and pets.
Barkus Parade Spectator
As the day grew longer I found myself more comfortable with photographing strangers. I did get some dirty looks, a random "flip-of-the-bird" and choice words. This is a little unnerving to the inexperienced street photographer and I can see how salty veterans grow callus.
A Friendly Gesture
After photographing all day I knew I had to hit Bourbon Street at night. If you've ever been, you know it's nuts — especially when the town is gearing-up for Mardi Gras. Truthfully, I felt like I was "cheating" in my first foray into street photography. The people on Bourbon Street are not only interesting, but mostly oblivious to the camera.
Bourbon Street, New Orleans
It was a fun 24 hours, but I had to leave town on Monday. I'm not sure if I'll go back to New Orleans to photograph — there's plenty of great street photography to be had in my hometown of Chicago (once the weather is warmer.) I did learn a number of things on my trip, one of which is I really enjoy street photography (much more than I thought.) I also learned that like everything else in life, the more you practice the better you become, and I'm looking forward to getting out on the streets again.