14th Annual Dumaine Street Gang Second Line Parade

I was lucky that Sunday was my day off.  Not only was it an absolutely beautiful day out but it was also the day of the 14th Annual Dumaine Street Gang Second Line Parade.  Now, if you read my lost post, you know how excited I get about these things.  But this was different than what we see on Bourbon Street.  Those are usually paid for by newlyweds and companies to welcome their employees to New Orleans.  No, this was the real thing.  So for a few hours I followed the Dumaine Street Gang while they winded their way through the streets of Treme.  I hope that the photos speak for themselves...

Cindy Sherman

The other day before work, I discovered a darling lil bookstore on Oak Street called Blue Cypress Books.  It's filled with secondhand and new books, rare prints and signed first editions.  Well, of course I made a b-line for the photography section....nearly $40 later, I've been newly inspired.

I bought a few books about Irving Penn, Margaret Bourke-White, and Henri Cartier-Bresson and one on experimental darkroom printing.  One purchase in particular entitled "A Female Focus" by Margot F. Horwitz talks about the history of women in photography from Imogen Cunningham to Annie Leibovitz and beyond. In one section she discusses Cindy Sherman, a photographer who gained notoriety and praise for her series of 80 black and white images called "Untitled Film Stills."  In the photographs that she produced between 1977 and 1980, Sherman presents women in various staged scenes from made-up melodramas.  Since she could never find friends or models that produced the look or feel she wanted for her images, Sherman decided to hire the one person she knew that would always deliver: herself.

In these psuedo-self portraits which have defined the majority of her extensive career, Sherman exposes the way in which the media has exploited and misrepresented women for years: as the deer in headlights, scared, lost little girls with no self-confidence.  They are a really haunting set of images...google her NOW!!

Cindy Sherman

Well this inspired me to do some self-portraits of my own...I mean what else is there to do on a Friday evening right??  I still had my apron on from cooking and since my apartment is a wreck right now and I had been at work since 7-freaking-am, I felt like an exhausted stay at home mom (minus the kids and the whole staying at home thing.)

It's still kinda funny to me how quickly inspiration can hit and how quickly one needs to act on it.

what happens on Bourbon Street....might end up on this blog

Since moving here 3 months ago (really??) I guess you could say I've been a pretty busy girl: trying to assimilate into this crazy city while trying to keep up with my photography all while trying to make sure  my bills and student loans get paid on time.  Bills require constant income and constant income requires, well, a job.  I was lucky to have the occupation gods smile on me and I landed a job at a very nice (and rather fancy) restaurant right on Bourbon Street.

I've been working a lot lately which is good for my bank account but not so great for my photography....I've been lazy about it if you hadn't noticed.  But while talking to my friend Jenny about my job and it's infamous location, she was surprised that I hadn't written about any of my experiences.  Working as a hostess, we get a front row seat to the craziness.  So, Jenny....this one's for you.

Hmmmm, where to begin...well, there are the constant flow of Second Line parades which are always really exciting to me.  The other hosts (one in particular ehem*Kaitlyn) tease me about how excited I get when they pass by. But honestly, how could you not be excited?  Where else do you get to see random parades that have no set schedule or reason?  Well now, that's not really crazy is it though?.....

Oh, what about the time I was asked to participate in a threesome? Yup. True story.  I was working the door and this very intoxicated couple walks up and starts questioning me.  Out of nowhere, the woman says "Wow, you're cute...how old are you?" I answer, then the man says, "Oh she wants you....want to come back to our hotel room??" I think I just ran back inside.

There was also the time when two bums (ehem, I mean, homeless men) charged in thorough the front door, yelling indistinctly at each other.  One man was outside the door while the other was just babbling at him thorough the glass. One of our managers tried to stop them with little success.  So he steps outside and waves down one of the mounted police officers who then whips his horse around until he is literally standing in our doorway, driving the two men away.  A couple guests tried to exit at this point, oblivious to whats going on, only to find a 2,000 pound animal in their way.  I think I might have said something like, "Bet you didn't think you were going to Audobon Zoo tonight, did ya?" They just looked at me, terrified.

As you can probably imagine, there are also countless drunk people we deal with on a daily basis.  My personal favorite was a lady who walked (or rather stumbled) in a asked for a "house" then a "housssse...menuuuu" then proceeded to the bar where she sat (or rather whirled) with both shoes off, one leg up on the stool next to her, and offered a bottle of Crystal hot sauce to our manager, Jeff, eliciting a rare but amusing smile from him.  He graciously took the hot sauce and then asked, "Ma'am, how many beers have you had tonight?" As he walked her back thorough the dining room to the connected hotel, she said "Where were you an hour ago??" That gave us all a really good laugh....even now it makes me giggle.

 And let's not forget the famous folks either; in a two day span I saw Stephen Baldwin, JC Chasez (12 year old Becca nearly died) and Channing Tatum (yea, he's that cute in person.)  A few weeks ago too I saw Ron White....you know...."Tater Salad??"  Oh, God, did I really just admit that I know who that is??  Umm moving on....

Toss all that in with a couple dirty hippies licking our windows, random nudity, throw up in the doorway of the restrooms (who does that??) and foreigners who just don't understand why all these people are partying on a Wednesday night and you get a typical day at work for me.

Man, I love this city.

 

A few photos unrelated to Bourbon Street. My family came to visit and I had the day off...it was a good day. 

 This lady rooooooocks

 my mom and Fred

sissy!!  probably dreaming of Spain ; )

decay and dancing

After working on the previous post, I was still thinking about loss and it seemed that the obvious place to visit next was Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.  I remember being a little girl and passing by the cemeteries here in New Orleans and being fascinated (and kinda scared) by the above ground tombs.  Here are a few images I made.

Tiniest tombstone ever. 

Then, as if by some miracle, my lovely friend Heather invited me to a concert on Tulane's campus.  It was the College Consciousness Tour with the band fun. and staring Janelle Monáe! A great show....me and Heather couldn't stop dancing! Thanks again Heather!!

 New musician Timothy Bloom (pretty good)

fun. (yep, they were fun alright)

Janelle Monáe!! She was amazing!

At the end of the show, she climbed on top of the crowd!

VICTORY!!