down south

My personal project focusing on Livingston Parish is slowly dying down. Over the past seven years I've brought my camera gear along on all the trips back home for holidays, birthdays, weddings, getaways, to wake up early in the morning and hit the road, camera in the passenger seat beside me, and whatever I found along the way. Often the road would bring me old buildings, old churches. Some pictures were planned, shots of my old school, shots of my grandparents, and I had a blast capturing every image. Knocking on doors, meeting the folks whose property I was traipsing around, visiting with those whose old broken down car interested me. A lot of times they didn't understand it, but still kind enough to let me do my thing. This image is not the last image I took, but the journey is nearing its end. This spring I plan to drive back and capture a few more portraits that I lack in telling the story of the place I grew up. And after that, a new one begins as I write and piece together images and stories and search for a publisher who's willing to help me make my book a reality. I hope everyone has enjoyed these images as much as I've enjoyed getting out there and making them, and when the book is complete my true goal is to have told a story about Louisiana that doesn't come from the department of tourism. Louisiana isn't just New Orleans. Louisiana isn't just fishing and hunting. Louisiana is a sort of diamond in the rough, and to find it, all one has to do is drive a few miles down the road and knock on a door or two, have a cup of coffee, and sit out on the porch.

polaroid series II

Another initial shot taken with the ol' Land Camera. The film expired in the eighties, but sometimes things like that work for a photograph and not against it.

christ chapel

An old photograph of a new church. This is one of my very first polaroids taken with a vintage polaroid 100 land camera. Scanned, photoshopped the contrast, gave it the sepia tone, posted it on my blog. Wa-la.

little ballarina

So, back tracking a bit... Took this beautiful little girl's one year pictures before the holidays. She did NOT like that tutu, and the jewelry was the only thing that helped make her smile, sounds like mom has a prima donna on her hands already.
Look at those eyes!

morning reflection

Sorry for the long absence. My computer contracted an awesome virus and I've been fighting with it's aftereffects, even after having it scanned and fixed. I've been trying to post a new blog since this weekend, but it was blocking me from even viewing the blogger homepage. Anyway, today I'm posting a very interesting shot taken with the best camera on Earth-the Holga. This was taken early once cold morning at my mother in laws house. The actual image was a bit underexposed, as I new it would be, but I put it under in photoshop and was able to bring it back to life. Enjoy, more to come (finally)...

jarrett

I see my brother once a year, on average, and that time is usually during Christmas when the family converges in the small town of Greensburg for the annual holiday tradition of eating too much food and getting prizes for it afterword. I assume my brother is such a natural in front of the camera because I've been aiming one at him his entire life, nevertheless I try to make a point to get a shot or two of him in during our visit. He's easy to photograph and knows how to just relax and be himself; after all that's what portraiture is about, capturing someone in a moment that could very well define a life.