Katrina crosses; the houses still marked Kplusfive years
August 29, 2010 | Category: New Orleans street photography | 1 Comment
Had the pleasure to be a part of a photo project to represent where we are 5 years post Katrina through NOLA FEMMES http://nolafemmes.com/2010/08/26/3-days-2-year-5-a-photographic-journey. Our job was to document the houses around us that still had the markings, five long years later. I chose to photograph houses in MidCity where I livem and in the hard hit area of the 9th ward; my images from the ninth ward are extremely poignant, be sure to read the commentary here; http://nolafemmes.com/2010/08/26/3-days-2-year-5-a-photographic-journey/
I think that no words are needed here; the photos speak for themselves, but if you do not understand the markings, please feel free to contact me and I will help you understand.
Long live New Orleans, long live her people! We will never forget, but we will go forward to make a better future!
K plus 5; can it really be five years?
August 28, 2010 | Category: New Orleans street photography | 1 Comment
Those who follow my blog or follow me on Twitter, know that I spent much of the past five years since Katrina helping the animals and people of New Orleans recover from the storm known as Katrina. As a volunteer, I rescued animals from houses, worked tirelessly at temporary shelters to save dogs, cats and horses lives, and brought many “unadoptable at risk animals” home to safety in California. I also worked to reunite animals with their owners, as a part of an “all voluntary group” called Stealth Volunteers, and returned many times to New Orleans to return these animals to their loving owners.
While I have now “lived” in New Orleans two years, over the past five years, I became intimately involved with New Orleans by embracing the unique culture and history that permeates its persona and learned what it truly means to be a New Orleanian. Though I may be “a somewhat new resident,”I truly know and love my “city” well.
I think I offer a unique perspective, from that of a photographer initially captured by a terrifying chapter of a city’s possible demise, mired in sadness, who thanks to repeat visits (to continue to care for a wounded city) realized that that what I was really witnessing was the incredible courage and resiliency, of the people and the city of New Orleans. With that discovery, I found that the true beauty and soul of New Orleans comes straight from the heart, and nothing, not storm surge, category five hurricanes, nor broken levees, can ever destroy that.
With K plus year five, I wanted to share the hope that I see daily here, not to wallow in the sadness. We have been through so much in the K plus five years, and we are continuing to suffer thanks to the BP Oilspill, a manmade disaster of epic proportions that will cause our city and the Gulf coast heartache and pain for many years to come.
But for today, I want to share photos of hope…photos from life today. Thank you to all of you who gave money, time, resources & gave generously of yourselves to help my beloved NOLA! Not just 5 years ago, when it looked as if there was no coming back, but thank you also for giving generously today due to the BP oilspill. New Orleans is a city that you cannot break & New Orleanian’s are an incredibly resilient people; so proud to call myself a New Orleanian. Long live New Orleans, long live its people!
And now for the photos! Today I chose to highlight a sweet little puppy just found on the streets of New Orleans who is getting his first bath at ARNO: http://www.animalrescueneworleans.org. Covered in fleas, he will soon realize how good it feels to be loved. Thanks to the hard work of this all volunteer organization, over 5,500 animals have been rescued, rehabbed, and rehomed since Katrina! I hope my photos show the hope that is present here in New Orleans…even the little ones get a second chance! Please help Animal Rescue New Orleans in their mission to help the animals and the people of New Orleans and the Gulf coast. Give today; your time or your money; it all goes to the animals! http://www.animalrescueneworleans.org
BE A NEW ORLEANIAN WHEREVER YOU ARE! We are NOLA!
Discoveries from my portfolio; what does an American look like?
July 14, 2010 | Category: New Orleans street photography | Comments Off
I recently moved but thanks to a nasty sinus infection and concussion gotten during the move (I truly lead an interesting but not charmed life), I could not begin to appreciate my new space since I spent much of the last ten days cooped up in my bed recuperating. Finally feeling a bit better today, and thought I would share some of the best things about moving and photos of my new space. Best thing so far? Opening up my portfolio and discovering some of my great projects!
First project which I am happy to share is my “What does an American look like” project, currently hanging in the Laura Bergerol Photography gallery (in my office!) This project was my reaction to 9/11. At the time of 9/11 attacks, I was married to a Frenchman, who began to notice that after the attacks, people were looking at him differently. He was tall, dark (with that French Mediterranean look) and he spoke with a hopelessly charming French accent, but he found that after 9/11, people began to look at him differently, and so he mentioned it to me, since he truly thought of himself as an American, and was in the process of obtaining American citizenship. I laughed at first, since he was so not “American” in his accent and mannerisms, but the more I thought about it, the more I found that premise to be fascinating, and it started my mind to wondering,”what exactly does an American look like?” We went to dinner later that week, with a good friend of Iranian heritage, and since I was still contemplating that premise, I questioned our friend as to whether he too was experiencing the feeling of “being looked at differently” since 9/11? Oddly, this friend vehemently denied it…he said he had not noticed anything different, and that people treated him just the same. On the drive home that night, my ex and I discussed that reaction since we both found it odd. That discussion triggered me to begin a year long photo project that would take place on both coasts, from California to Washington, DC, and back again, in search of what does an American look like? These photos represent a portion of that project and I am proud to be able to share them with you. As to my question, I will leave you to figure out what an American truly looks like for yourself!
Animal Rescue New Orleans…fallout from oilspill
June 25, 2010 | Category: Humanitarian relief, New Orleans street photography, animals | 2 Comments
UPDATE TO THIS STORY; August 7, 2010
ARNO (Animal Rescue New Orleans) is still in dire straits. This week, even though we got three ARNO dogs and nine St John dogs onto a transport to new homes, this happened entirely at our expense! It cost over $2,000 to vet the St. John animals for that transport! Now ARNO has to come up with $15,000 in seven days to pay for vet expenses that have ballooned due to the oil spill pets that keep on coming… that is not all that we owe, not what we need to spend in the near future, but that is what we need to come up with in order to keep our doors open. We truly need help…. ARNO needs funds ASAP!
If all of the people on our ARNO Facebook page sent us $15, we would be in good shape! An unbelievable amount of people signed up for our Pet Retention Program and we are helping them as we can… and still the animals just keep on coming. Animals are being dropped off in boxes, as well as tied to our fences in the middle of the night, so even when we say ‘no, we cannot take any more animals,’ we continue to get more animals… indeed our foster homes are filled to the bursting, and we have as many animals in foster care, as we have in the ARNO shelter!
Please help…any amount that you can give can help us feed and take care of the animals currently in our care, as well as help the people that we are assisting via our Pet Retention Program, so that we do not have to come in to find more animals on our doorstep daily. If you cannot help, please take the time to send this to your friends who might help…you never know who will step forward and help, if you do not ask them.
The need at ARNO is greater than it has ever been….should we not be able to raise $15,000 in the next seven days, we will be forced to take a hard look at the viability of our shelter. Closing ARNO is not something that we want to do, but we cannot function on volunteer help alone; we have real expenses and needs for all of the animals in our care, as well as additional money and food to continue helping the people that are victims of the BP Oilspill, via our Pet Retention program.
Won’t you give a few dollars to help us? Our PayPal account is here http://tiny.cc/cggva and more about Animal Rescue New Orleans is here; http://www.animalrescueneworleans.org
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Those of us who live in the Gulf Region are weary and disgusted by the news of the oilspill in our region. We are losing faith day-by-day that there will be a resolution to the terrible tragedy that has unfolded in the Gulf thanks to the explosion at the Deepwater Horizon rig nearly 50 miles offshore on April 20, 2010. Eleven men died in that explosion and more were injured. Crude oil has poured nonstop into our Gulf, threatening the way of life of animals, wildlife, and the people that depended on the Gulf for their income; the shrimpers, oyster-men, fishermen, and the myriad of people and businesses that support that industry. There are over 15,000 commercial fishers in Louisiana, and the impact of commercial fishing on the state is estimated to be 2.8 billion dollars. The industry also supports a total of 31,400 jobs and creates an additional 107 million dollars in state sales and income tax revenue. The commercial fishing industry includes thousands of families, a rich tradition and culture, and is intertwined with the prosperity of rural communities laced all along the coast of Louisiana. Loss of the ability to fish the waters of the Gulf is devastating…and it is taking its toll. half the total value of the U.S. oyster crop and most of the value of the shrimp crop were produced in the Gulf. Since the Deepwater Horizon explosion, we have watched helplessly as the company responsible, BP (British Petroleum) has made try after unsuccessful try to cap the well, and watched as the crude oil continues to spill and ravage the coastlines of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.
As day 67 of the oilspill disaster begins, we are seeing signs of the fallout throughout our region. Animals and wildlife are dying, people in auxiliary positions are losing their jobs, and that is causing a trickle down effect that is affecting domestic animals in our region. In an effort to be transparent, I should mention that I am a long time volunteer and supporter of Animal Rescue New Orleans (ARNO) www.animalrescueneworleans.org, a local no-kill here in New Orleans. I help them when I can with photos, event planning, and general support. I recently became aware that the oil spill is having a terrible effect on ARNO. Because they are one of the only no-kill shelters in the region, people are leaving their animals on the doorstep of the shelter…no note, just their animals. And more are calling the help line, desperate because they have lost their jobs, their housing, and have no where to keep their animals, nor money to feed them, or get them vet treatment if necessary. ARNO currently has as many animals in foster care as they have in the shelter…a new phenomena for this shelter which was founded after the large rescues left New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, leaving thousands of animals still in need on the streets of New Orleans. Here is a recent post on the Pet Retention Program that ARNO is doing to try to help Gulf Coast residents who need help with their animal companions. http://www.animalrescueneworleans.org/news/chloe.html
Here are photos taken yesterday by me of the adoptable animals that are available at ARNO;
Note that the cat at the end of the photos is a feral cat who ARNO tried to readjust to the domestic world, but this cat had been too long on the street, so she is now part of their feral colony and is doing well. She is fed and cared for…not a bad thing for a feral.Please visit and adopt from ARNO if you are in the market for a new four footed forever companion. Here is a link to their adoptable animals; http://www.animalrescueneworleans.org/fosteradopt.html
Finally, if you can help ARNO financially (no donation is too small) please be sure to donate here; http://tinyurl.com/3a3ohc7 ARNO is a 501(c)(3) organization and they are listed on the Guidestar list of charities.
A girl and her dog
June 19, 2010 | Category: New Orleans street photography | Comments Off
Sweet photos of a client and her dog.
First Annual Oyster Fest
June 7, 2010 | Category: Humanitarian relief, Music in NOLA | 1 Comment
So this weekend marked the first annual Oyster Fest for New Orleans. I went yesterday and had a good time; food was good and music was Cowboy Mouth! It was a really nice festival with good food and great music. There was an amusing moment early on…while waiting for Cowboy Mouth to start, the Neil Diamond Song, Sweet Caroline came on. All of a sudden the crowd started singing to it and putting their hands in the air…so funny and so typically New Orleans! Enjoy the photos!
Tags: bayou, close-up, elegance, food, fun, gourmet, laughter, Laura Bergerol Photography, New Orleans, Nouvelle Orleans, person, smile, street photos of New Orleans, summer
Rockin the Sazerac TOTC Fleurty Girl Tshirt
April 23, 2010 | Category: Tales of the Cocktail | Comments Off
Yesterday, I had the great pleasure to shoot for Fleurty Girl and Tales of the Cocktail at the Sazerac Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel to herald their new T-shirt; the Sazerac! Its a nifty new t-shirt that gives homage to the cocktail known as the Sazerac which is a New Orleans tradition. The photos are here;
The recipe for this delicious cocktail follows;
How the Sazerac Cocktail Came to Be.
In 1838, Antoine Amedie Peychaud, owner of a New Orleans apothecary, treated his friends to brandy toddies of his own recipe, including his “Peychaud’s Bitters,” made from a secret family recipe. The toddies were made using a double-ended egg cup as a measuring cup or jigger, then known as a “coquetier” (pronounced “ko-k-tay”), from which the word “cocktail” was derived. Thus, the world’s first cocktail was born!
By 1850, the Sazerac Cocktail, made with Sazerac French brandy and Peychaud’s Bitters, was immensely popular, and became the first “branded” cocktail. In 1873, the recipe for the Sazerac Cocktail was altered to replace the French brandy with American Rye whiskey, and a dash of absinthe was added.
In 1933, the Sazerac Cocktail was bottled and marketed by the Sazerac Company of New Orleans. That same year, “Herbsaint,” a pastis, was made according to a French recipe; “Herbsaint” was so named for the New Orleans term for wormwood – “Herb Sainte.”
In 1940, the Official Sazerac Cocktail recipe was modified to use Herbsaint as the absinthe.
Finally, in 2000, the Official Sazerac Cocktail recipe was modified to use Sazerac Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey.
The Official Sazerac Cocktail
1 cube sugar
1½ ounces (35ml) Sazerac Rye Whiskey or Buffalo Trace Bourbon
¼ ounce Herbsaint
3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
Lemon peel
* Pack an Old-Fashioned glass with ice
* In a second Old-Fashioned glass place the sugar cube and add the Peychaud’s Bitters to it, then crush the sugar cube
* Add the Sazerac Rye Whiskey or Buffalo Trace Bourbon to the second glass containing the Peychaud’s Bitters and sugar
* Empty the ice from the first glass and coat the glass with the Herbsaint, then discard the remaining Herbsaint
* Empty the whiskey/bitters/sugar mixture from the second glass into the first glass and garnish with lemon peel
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Tags: close-up, delicious, elegance, fun, laughter, Laura Bergerol Photography, light, Louisiana, New Orleans, smile
Fun with headshots
March 31, 2010 | Category: Headshots, New Orleans street photography | Comments Off
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of photographing an actress here in New Orleans. I chose to photograph her on the streets of New Orleans since I knew we would find color and interesting things to capture to enhance her photos. Aura Shannon is an up and coming actress here in New Orleans and she is lively and fun. We ran out of time yesterday, so we plan to reconvene next week for a shoot at the Roosevelt. I think that the photos here show her range of emotions and are fun and lively! I look forward to working with Aura again next week! Here are the photos from yesterday;
Tags: background, close, close-up, fun, laughter, Laura Bergerol Photography, light, Louisiana, New Orleans, Nouvelle Orleans, person, smile, young
Images Without Borders
March 10, 2010 | Category: Humanitarian relief | Comments Off
About a month or so, I became involved with a new project that we called Images Without Borders. With the help of Stacy Ericson, a friend from Twitter, we convinced Photoshelter into giving us a site to host sales and photographers, and we began to raise money for Doctors Without Borders. Within a month, we had over 150 world class photographers contributing and we have raised $2,000 that has been sent to Doctors Without Borders! Images Without Borders sells gallery-quality prints from images donated by world-class photographers, with all profits going directly to Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in support of their work to provide care and relief in Haiti and around the world. Every image offered by Images Without Borders is as a limited edition of ten prints. Prints are offered at $50 and $100. iPhotography Image prints are offered at $20 and $36. When ten prints of either are sold, the image will be retired from this special edition and price. Please support our efforts. Purchase a print and invite your friends, favorite galleries, and interested collectors to visit our site.
We think that this is such a unique opportunity…you get to buy beautiful photos and you help http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
Thanks for helping us help people who are in dire need including those in Haiti and Chile, most recent victims of terrible earthquakes.
Here are some of the glorious photos from some of our photographers;
. Please visit the site and purchase photos; http://www.imageswithoutborders.org/c/imageswithoutborders
Tags: charity, Chile, Doctors Without Borders, Haiti, Images Without Borders, Laura Bergerol, photos
The Buddy D parade, aka, NOLA men in dresses day!
February 12, 2010 | Category: New Orleans street photography | Comments Off
Time has been running away from me as of late. This parade happened 2 weeks ago, but I still want to get photos up…it is not often that you have at least 2,500 men garbed in dresses, in order to show their support and solidarity for the SAINTS! Here without further ado, the men of Buddy D!
Tags: close-up, dance, Laura Bergerol Photography, life, light, Louisiana, music, New Orleans, Nouvelle Orleans, people, person, smile, street photos of New Orleans
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