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| © Cosmo Condina |
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What better time to visit
the "Most Haunted City" in the U.S.?
October in New Orleans: Bust out the
black-and-white for phantasmal images
of above-ground cemeteries, ornate
mansions, and mossy tree-filled parks.
Shoot portraits of musicians during Jazz
Awareness Month in the town where
jazz began. And document the continual
rebuilding of its resilient community.
Here are four can't-miss photo
destinations within this truly unique city:
French Quarter
In the "Vieux
Carré," everyone expects cobbled
streets, bright stucco walls, and
wrought-iron balconies. But even better is
the unexpected -- as when photographer
Cosmo Condina (www.cosmocondina.com) stumbled upon this parade-cumbirthday-
party for a local entertainment
producer that included live music,
acrobats, and stilt-walkers. "Make eye
contact with performers," he advises. "If
they notice you, sometimes they'll work
with you." Tight composition with a long
telephoto will capture detail on storefronts
and faces in live-music clubs; a wideangle
lens will take in the narrow streets.
Jackson Square
Jutting
up one side of this historic French
Quarter park and gathering ground
is St. Louis Cathedral. Three spires cap
the white exterior of the basilica and can
be creatively shot from every side --
whether jutting over low green trees from
the landing at Washington Artillery Park
across Decatur Street or with a wideangle
lens looking up at the entrance.
Look out for its ghost, a former priest.
And get a jazz fix by photographing
street musicians at an angle to the sun to
capture reflections in the brass.
Mississippi River
Boats roll along as buskers
perform or sell their wares on
the "Moon Walk," a boardwalk named
for former mayor Moon Landrieu, that
stretches from Canal Street to Esplanade
Avenue. At one end, the French Market
provides the flavor of local commerce.
Riverfront Park, just above Canal Street,
yields views of the Crescent City Bridge.
For a great shot of the city skyline, hop
on a steamboat, such as the Steamboat
Natchez (www.steamboatnatchez.com;
800-233-2628). Its motion will rule out
the long exposure necessary at twilight,
so take a two-hour daytime cruise.
Cities of the Dead
The
nickname for New Orleans'
cemeteries comes from the
above-ground vaults shielding their
residents from the swampy terrain.
Elaborate stone crypts embellished with
weathered sculptures hide secrets --
and photo ops. They can also hide
muggers, so don't go alone. You'll be
safe on a tour, such as one operated by
nonprofit Save Our Cemeteries (www.saveourcemeteries.org). At St. Louis No.
1, you may catch believers at voodoo
queen Marie Laveau's tomb. To get it all
in, use a fisheye or wide-angle; a tele will
net great close-ups of stone angels.
Learn more at www.neworleansonline.com; 866-380-5237.
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