New Orleans: What gear for short trip? What to see?

35mmdelux

35mmdelux

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Hi All:

I am taking a short trip from L.A. to New Orleans in a few days. I dont care about the Fat Tuesday parade so I'll fly in Wednesday morning, saving myself $500 off the round trip ticket.

I'm am going to visit an aunt who is one of the last remaining links to the older generation of my family. I want to take some portraits. She is 93.

While there, I thought I might quick tour the diasater area. I imagine the hardest hit areas have been cleaned up. I suppose its like going to Vietnam a few years after the war. The true visual damage gone.

I am taking my Hasselblad & 100mm lens for the main portraits. At least this is the plan. Not sure if I'll take the 60mm Distagon for other subjects.

As a second camera I'm taking my Leica and 35mm & 50mm Luxes.

What say ye? Do you think I have it covered adequately? Any tips on what is worthwhile seeing on this short 5-day trip?

Thanks --
 
I would get one wider lens like a 24 for a 35 mm film . Your 60 and 35 are pretty similiar for angle of view. The damage is pretty clean now mostly what you see are the water line marks on buildings. I have new orleans shots in the personal section of my web site www.davidseelig.com
 
FWIW

I was in NOLA in late April 2005 and made the mistake of taking lots of 400 ISO films...big mistake. The light was bright & intense. I shot up all my 25, 50 & 100 ISO film and came home with most of the 400.

I talked to some people who swear by the WWII Museum and the ride on the trolley. Get up to the garden district and if time permits visit a couple of the cemetaries...amazing.

Best regards,

Bob
 
I went to college in New Orleans over the last four years, so I was there pre and post Katrina.

To see damage you'll need to go to fairly unsafe areas (relative to everywhere else in nola). Otherwise, everything looks as crummy (or full of character--kind of like an old Leica lens) as it did before the storm. Be safe anywhere you go, especially camera in hand.

Depending on where you stay, I would recommend taking the trolley downtown and wearing walking shoes (and a nose plug whenever around bourbon, it being the day after MG). Start at Decatur (having a beignet and coffee for breakfast at Cafe du Monde) and work your way North and you will never have enough film. You might also go towards the garden district on magazine street for a pleasant time, it is my favorite area.

And remember, if anyone offers you a dollar to tell you where "you got them shoes at," the proper response is "I already know; I got them on my feet."
 
Oh, and food recommendations, if any of these are on your way:

Red Fish Grill (Bourbon Street)
Jacque-Imo's Cafe (Oak Street)
Trolley Stop Cafe (for breakfast, St. Charles)

And for beer, go to The Bulldog (Magazine Street) - Go on Wednesday night, and you'll get to keep your Bulldog pint glasses. They have tons of beer.
 
food

food

second
Jacque-Imo's Cafe (Oak Street)
also upperline it is my second fav. and 3rd red fish grill
also the Bourbon st seafood house. Get eh 24 type. Have fun David
PS if shooting fime the zeiss 25 is a great lens for a wider view.
 
Make a point to drop into A Gallery on Chartres St. in the Quarter. It is a commercial gallery but they are pleasant even though they know you are not a real buyer. And, you will get to see some real photos of just about everyone you have heard of. And if you do decide you want to leave a few hundred grand for an original Arbus, or Adams, or HCB, it is a good place. Also excellent selection of books (more to my budget range)

And make sure to catch Frenchman Street in the Marigny neighborhood right next to the Quarter. Few tourists, many eclectic locals, it is the real New Orleans music scene as it existed generations ago.
 
Bob Michaels said:
And make sure to catch Frenchman Street in the Marigny neighborhood right next to the Quarter. Few tourists, many eclectic locals, it is the real New Orleans music scene as it existed generations ago.
Click to expand...

I'll second Bob. Frenchman St is one of my favorites. Until Katrina decided to wreck my apartment and kick me out of the city, Mona's was my favorite place to eat. It is a Middle Eastern cafe with a neat little grocery store connected to the dinning room.

When walking in the French Quarter, try to get out early in the morning. It is a different place from the bustling afternoon and night time scenes. In the morning there can be great light to compliment the architecture and you don't have to fight with the crowds. And as dseelig stated, a nice wide angle lens is a must if you want to get any vistas, the streets are tight in most places.

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez
 
I made a similar trip a few months before Katrina to attend my Grandmother's 100th birthday.
I think you have the gear handled pretty well. Please be sure not to miss:
The Central Grocery Store on Decatur--A Muffaletta sandwich is about the best lunch there is.
The Cafe Du Monde for coffee and beignets, also on Decatur.

Have fun.
 
A third recommendation for Jacques Imos on Oak Street and if you are up to it, catch some live local music next door at the Maple Leaf.

With regards to a single lens, a 28 mm works for me in NOLA when using a 35mm rangefinder. So bring the 60mm for the Blad.

A note of caution about Post Katrina New Orleans, armed robberies are common place. A lot of the crime is by armed kiddos and the Juvenile Court system is simply overwhelmed to keep repeat offenders off the street.

Walking - off the beaten path at night - in the Quarter or most other parts of downtown New Orleans is not a good idea. Take a cab when in doubt.

If you like to walk - a day trip across the Mississippi to Algiers Point by Ferry works for me. I can spend a lot of time walking the Levee burning film. If you have time stop in for a beer at the Old Point. There's a couple of reasonably priced places to eat by the Ferry Terminal.
 
camera.bear said:
I'll second Bob. Frenchman St is one of my favorites. Until Katrina decided to wreck my apartment and kick me out of the city, Mona's was my favorite place to eat. It is a Middle Eastern cafe with a neat little grocery store connected to the dinning room.

When walking in the French Quarter, try to get out early in the morning. It is a different place from the bustling afternoon and night time scenes. In the morning there can be great light to compliment the architecture and you don't have to fight with the crowds. And as dseelig stated, a nice wide angle lens is a must if you want to get any vistas, the streets are tight in most places.

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez
Click to expand...

Frenchman Street, Second Line (jazz funeral procession) for William Moss, better know as Billy Ding of "Billy Ding and the Hot Wings." Summer '08.

2nd-line-3.jpg


Take a wide, at least a 28mn, 24mm or 21mm is better if you are a people photographer. Space is tight.

I find New Orleans to be a continuing trade-off between personal safety and great photo ops. Make your own personal decision. One extreme will get you some great photos, the other extreme will cause some personal jeopardy. Try to find where you fit in the middle.

Oh, New Orleans seems to have a lot of bad light if you photograph when people are around. Live with it. You can make good photos in bad light.
 
People, people,and people ... this is what I would take photos of. Take the Hasselblad with a normal-tele, plus the Leica with the 35mm.
 
Thanks for coming to New Orleans. We really appreciate visitors these days. I'll assume you're staying downtown.

As mentioned earlier, the WW2 museum is excellent. Just around the corner from the WW2 are the Contemporary Arts Center and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Both are well worth your time. The Confedrate History Museum is in the same block, but may not be open ... they don't make 'em like that anymore. In that neighborhood, the Circle Bar (on Lee Circle) is a wonderful dive that has great local music most nights. Herbsainte and Cochon are two great restaurants in the downtown/warehouse area. Iris is in the quarter and not to be missed.

The Backstreet Cultural Museum is on St. Claude Ave near the quarter. Worth a visit, and they'll be able to tell you if any second-lines or other neighborhood goodies are happening. If you catch a second-line, put your wallet in your front pocket and enjoy yourself. They go through some questionable neighborhoods, but are very safe. If anything, there are too many photographers at second lines these days.

Take a streetcar ride. The St. Charles line runs uptown; stop at Carrolton Ave for lunch or dinner at the Camelia grill. The Canal line will run to City Park and the Museum of Art. Worth a visit and a walkaround. The Parkway Bakery is in the neighborhood and serves awesome po-boys.

Katrina damage is mostly cleaned up. Not repaired, necessarily, but cleaned up. You'd have to look for it, and it's not really photo worthy anymore. Ask your concierge if any of the tour companies are still doing disaster tours.

Good luck and have fun.
 
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Reading this thread makes me want to go back to NOLA right now!

Lots of good recommendations here, I would definitely check out the fine art photo gallery mentioned above, I have never seen so many iconic prints in one shop anywhere in the world.

As far as camera gear goes, I have had the best luck with a Leica and wide angle lenses in the French Quarter.

On the good food topic I would recommend Petunias for breakfast, A Muffalatta Sandwich at the international deli on Decatur street for lunch and Murials on Jackson Square for a great dinner.

The last time I was their I walked into the Urban Outfitters on Decatur, and was surprised to find a good selection of Lomo cameras. I actually bought a Diana F+

Have fun, NOLA is a blast.

Travis
 
Taking a blad and a Leica to N.O, is not a good idea. I would bring something that looks like a beater and costs very little. Crime there is a SERIOUS issue. Just glance at their newspaper online. I used to live there when things weren't nearly as bad as they are now and it was still crazy. It isn't that you might get robbed. It's that you might not come back. When I think about what gear I'd take to N.O., it's gear that holds at least 6 rounds.

Eat at Mother's. Hear jazz at Snug Harbor & the Maple Leaf Bar. Avoid the cemeteries. The food is good anywhere you go, but Commander's Palace is the tops. Best bar in town is Pat O'Briens. If you're open minded (or blind drunk) Lafitte in Exile is the place to dance. Then there's The Dungeon. Opens at midnight. Most of the best music starts at 1am or later.
 
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Yes, be careful on side-streets. Bruce Mackh just had an exhibit at Texas Tech U of New Orleans recovery that was very nice, if you can find any of it online.

I've never posted a picture on here, so let's hope this works...

3305076715_c910c2fcd3.jpg


You will see this, I am positive, but don't touch...he is a storm survivor:

3305077519_55e863c788.jpg
 
I know there is crime; lots of it. Fortunately, I will be shown around by one of the locals who is fairly street wise. I'm careful to avoid unnecessary danger. But in a new town, its easy to trip into a bad scene.

Thanks very much.
 
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