Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/01/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On Jan 23, 2006, at 5:54 PM, Jeffery Smith wrote: > I'll post a few shots randomly as I scan them. I'm going "back in" > next > weekend. The task is overwhelming, as the area of destruction is so > large. I understand Jeffery, I feel radiating from you and our other friends there, the paralysis, the horrible pain and difficulty that this presents to all those who live there and love the city... that is in part, why it simply must be done... the more it hurts, the more it must be done... one approach might be to select the important and familiar...a landmark, an intersection, the levy.... and photograph it each week, clearly documented and dated... godspeed... Steve > > On Jan 23, 2006, at 5:16 PM, Jeffery Smith wrote: >> Hi Lee, >> Quite a bit of the city still has non-functioning traffic lights >> (they just >> flash red off and on). I'm not going back into the lower 9th ward >> without >> knee boots. I tried hopping over mud in sneakers, and it is so >> slick and >> slimy, I just about fell on my butt several times. > >> > >> I've driven down twice to New Orleans with camera in hand, and I >> can tell >> you there's a barrier to documenting what I saw. > > > the world is unaware of all this (see above and below... ) . People > are out there taking photos in Iraq and Niger, and many other God > forsaken places... so forget the mud.... and get out there and get > some quality photos... > > I believe you are missing the chance of a lifetime... > > Steve > > >> I went to medical school >> in New Orleans, and I know the city intimately. I exited the >> expressway at >> Loyola and into downtown and went through three intersections >> before I >> realized the traffic lights had no power (this in November). Stop >> signs had >> been torn off their poles and nailed to saw horses and put in the >> intersections to notify this was a four way stop. The busiest >> intersection >> I remember in New Orleans (Canal St. and Claiborne Ave.) had no >> traffic >> lights, but it didn't matter. There was a four way stop, but >> absolutely no >> traffic (the Saturday following Thanksgiving). >> I went first down into the French Quarter to see if A Gallery >> for Fine >> Photography was still open. It was; just the owner, though. No >> employees. >> A sign said "Open Fridays through Mondays, and some other days." >> Afterwards >> I drove out Canal St. and into the Mid-City area where I used to >> deliver the >> mail when I was working my way through school. Four hundred yards >> from the >> French Quarter (which looked almost undisturbed except for the >> trash that >> there weren't enough workers to pick up) there was nothing--rien. >> Just >> homes with water lines on them and spray paint to indicate there >> were or >> were not dogs there, or cats, and mounds of debris piled everywhere >> as high >> as the houses. The doors swung open and the windows, too; there >> wasn't >> anything worth taking. For mile after mile after mile it was all the >> same--no one. Cars ruined by the flood were everywhere--it's said >> there're >> 350,000 of them. >> I took pictures in the French Quarter because it looked like it >> always >> did, just without people. But out Canal the thought of taking a >> picture >> simply didn't occur to me. It was too awful. I don't care what >> you've seen >> on TV, it's worse--16 times worse. Finally I got out to the >> cemeteries at >> the end of Canal St. and things looked again like they used to. >> It's an >> attractive spot for artistic photographers. So I started shooting >> some >> more; it's just that the grass was all dead and the flowers left in >> August >> were all wilted. >> That was my first visit. I went back a few weeks ago, and this >> time I >> was able to take some pictures in the devasted areas. But I can >> tell you >> there's a barrier to taking them. It takes time to overcome. >> Maybe I can >> put some up in the PAWs. >> >> Lee England >> Natchez, Mississippi >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information