Client in repose

Sometimes when I'm shooting - well, any photographer can say this - I turn around and see something irrelevant but beautiful.

Seafood Platter's Reincarnation

When I was little, one of my favorite restaurants in New Orleans was Frankie & Johnny's, down by Tchoupitoulas. My mother would take me and we would split a seafood platter. After I turned 21, this would invariably be washed down by an ice cold Dixie beer. Heaven for about 20 bucks total. It slowly started to degrade in the 90s; (my all-time low there was, at age 22, having my credit card declined and not having any other money, but that's a different story.) It eventually closed - I can't remember exactly when, but fairly recently, suffering from dire infrastructure problems.
Fast forward to now. It's been reopened by new owners, spiffed up, and, most importantly, the food is the same as it was way back when: perfect fry, big portions, low total bill. BUT, the coolest thing is they have brought back a lot of the old staff. I remember Terrie from my check-bouncing days.

Violent ice at Sobou

I love shooting with Abigail Deidre Gullo, bar chef at Sobou. She makes her own giant ice balls. It's terrifying to watch.

Been farming long?

On November 4th, I was invited by my friend, the talented chef Ryan Hughs, to visit the Mauthes Dairy farm near McComb, MS. Also along for the ride were chef Chris DeBarr, Hillery and Ed (more chef types) and the inimitable Poppy Tooker, recording a segment for her Louisiana Eats radio show.

There were lots of cows, and beautiful pastures, and the Mauthes family was wonderful.
But my favorite part of the day was seeing the kids interact with their herd.

 

Remember this poster? Up in every feed store in the south when I was a teenager.

The old Nikon

In 1992 my mother gave me a Nikon F3 HP. I dug it out this summer and took it around with me on jobs, and then some. TMAX 400 film.

Appalachicola

I drove 945 miles in 2 and a half days, submitted 170 final selects, for the NYT.
They ran 4 photos..

Nevertheless, I had an enriching experience. I met a man in a bar one night who took me out casting for mullet the following morning, instead of killing me, which he easily could have. I drank moonshine from a mason jar at a family-run seafood joint (not much - I was working, don't you know). I saw the sun rise at Grayton National park. I ate oysters, oysters, and more oysters. I also brought the Nikon and shot some film.