New Orleans (so far)

We’re halfway through our shoot in New Orleans, and if there’s been one over-arching theme of the week, I’d say it could be summed up in one simple word: “heat.” Anyone who’s been through the South in summer can tell you that the weather never leaves you here. It wraps you in a blanket of humidity the moment you step outside, drenches you in a tropical thunderstorm every evening, and is manifested through a landscape of banana trees, cattails, and murky swamps. But more than just the temperature, there’s another heat that permeates New Orleans– the passion and decadence of Bourbon St., the fiery soul of the Southern Baptist church, and the still-present sorrow from Hurricane Katrina. This is a city of many emotions, many temptations, and none of them restrained; a pretty lady with a dirty face and a secret smile.

Our first day of shooting was Sunday, and we attended three entire church services– one small Baptist in a rougher part of town, one Episcopalian in the Garden District, and another huge Baptist megachurch on the outskirts of the city. Each one was incredibly different, but all had the same overwhelming sense of community and faith.

Yesterday was spent paying homage to all the requisite New Orleans spots; beignets at Café du Monde, strolling through the French Quarter, exploring the Basin St. Cemetery, and a carriage ride through the Garden District.

-Lyzz