Time stood still

Thursday- Today we went to Baton Rouge to meet Thomas Neff. It was a nice drive and such a nice day. We got to hear about what he did when the storm hit, and we looked at his silver prints. We went to a near by po'y boy place to eat lunch and then we all went to Barns and Noble and supported him by buying his book. After we got back Becky, Ryan, Keith, and I went back to Lakeview to give Chuck some images and say thank you for being so generous. We then went to this abandoned Elementary School. It was sad and creepy in a way. It was as if the momment in time was frozen. There were projects still hung on the walls and the water lines were still along the walls of the school. We met a local that came in and said that the Lakeview area was once the more populated area and only 33% came back after the storm. It was sad to think these kids left thinking they would be back in a few days and never came back. Some may have moved to a new city, others are probably in a new area of the city, and others could have lost their lives.

The best experience for any photo journalist

Wednesday- We meet Robert who lost is mother and grand daughter in the storm. He has met everyone you can think of because he was one of the first to come back and live in his trailer in the lower 9th ward. He will be receiving one of Brad Pitts make it right houses. Hopefully by the next time I come to see him he will be in his house. He is one who deserves it the most. We had one of the best experiences we could have yesterday. We got to meet some of the Times Picayune photographers and ride with them on there assignments for the day. It was so cool. I went with Jennifer Zdon and got to hear what it's like being a woman in the field and her sad Katrina stories. After words she looked at my images and we all got the Katrina book filled with all of the images they took over the last few years. This book is filled of amazing photos of all the people we meet and more. After the Times we went to the Chalmette Battle field. It was a fun relaxing sunset walk. At one point Antonio had a bright idea to go over the open in the fence from the cemetery to the walk way. So Becky, Ashley, and I followed and as soon as we all got two feet over we realized we were walking in a big grass puddle. It was pretty funny.

First Post of the Week

This is my seconded trip and it has already been just as good as the first one. We left Minneapolis at 3:15 p.m on Saturday. We arrived in New Orleans at 9:00 p.m. Sunday morning I was up for sunrise shooting at 6:30 a.m. We went to Laffite LA, to drop Anthony off. It was an hour drive from the city and we weren't to excited about it at first, but it ended up being a really cool experience. I meet a Keith Harrison who was sitting in this chair in front of a pile of garbage left from Gustuav. He told me his job was to sit there and issue tickets to people that were dumping the wrong things. People were allowed to dump anything other than vegetation and anything electric. Later back in the city we took a Katrina tour. A lot of it was things I knew, but there was some things I did not know that were very interesting to learn.

Monday morning began at 6:30 once again. This time we went over to lakefront and the lower 9th word. I met some people again that were telling us about Brad Pitts foundation make it right houses. They seem to be bigger and very modern like, not the original New Orleans style of houses.

Today- Tuesday morning shoot once again at 6:30. I went with Becky, Ryan, and Keith to the Lakeview area. A lot of the houses were coming back strong. It seems to be a common thing now which was not the case in March when I was here. We were lucky to meet Chuck Byrne who is 60 years old and has lived in his FEMA trailer for two years now. He sad a quote today that stuck he said 2 years in 200 sq feet. That's how long he's been in the trailer and how big it is. His story was so sad like many others. His old house stood up on stilts now behind his trailer, Marked with the x also like so many. He said He evacuated before Katrina hit with his wife and two daughters. They left food and water for the pets for three days. They didn't think they would be away for longer also like so many others. When they came back there house had water up to the street signs. His daughter found her rabbit dead and there bird and snake were rescued. His wife was devastated and wanted to start fresh somewhere else. Chuck on the other had couldn't leave his house he had grew up in it and wanted to pass it on to his daughter. Currently Chuck is leaving in the FEMA trailer and rebuilding his house on his own free time. His wife and he are divorced and his youngest lives in Tampa with his ex wife and his oldest lives just in mid city. His dog spunk was hit by a car after the storm and lost one leg. Even though this man lost his home he had grown up in, he was divorced after the storm, and is still having trouble getting the money he needs to rebuild, he still has a good look on the future and life. I also got to go visit Ms. Gibbs today who I met last time. She is an elderly lady and young at heart. She was so glad to see me come back and give her pictures I took when I met her in March. I hope to keep coming down here and visiting these people. The things I have learned from these pepoles stories is remarkable. I admire them and there stranght to keep going each and every day and to just be happy to be alive and well.

Google Map

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Here is a map of some of my Locations that are confirmed. there are others still in process just finishing final arrangements 

Thoughts

My ideas for this essay:
1. Focus on the people of New Orleans ( I want to focus on the non-profit organizations that are helping people wether that be with food, housing, or re-building. I also want to incorporate the children of New Orleans.)

2.My last resort if I can't do my first story would to expand my last essay on the new and old. The rebuilding and the damage still left from Katrina.

Helpful Links/Contacts:

Rebuild New Orleans
Jon Skvarka
Event on October 3rd

Save Our Schools-New Orleans
Angela Daliet
adaliet@sosnola.org
www.sosnola.org
504.309.8509

Common Ground Relief
504.304.9097
www.commongroundrelief.org

Seconde Harvest-Food Pantry
Debora Fleming
dfleming@secondeharvest.org
504.729.2827

Boys and Girls Club
Keith Boone
kbune@bgcsela.org

Backstreet Culture Museum
www.backstreetculturemuseum.org
$5 addmision

Reflection on When The Levees Broke

Watching When The Levees Broke for the second time was harder to watch than the first time I watched it. It made me angry the first time, but I was even more angry the second time. I can’t believe that the people had to go through that and they were called refugees of all things. Our government were calling these people that were going through so much, something that they were so far from being. They really should have been calling them brave and heroic. The thing that bothers me the most is that our president should have gone to help right away, but it took him two weeks to do anything. That’s our president who is supposed to have the peoples best interests in hand.
Watching this after being there is so hard. I met a few of the people that lost everything including their loved ones and after all of the things they saw and still see around them everyday, they still have faith and love. These people want to rebuild their homes and lives and they can’t.
In Act 2 there was a shot of a United State of America Canvas on a fence. When I saw that tears came to my eyes because I took a picture of that when I was there and it was in my essay. That fence was in the lower 9th word behind and next to houses that were damaged and left behind. I hope that going back I can continue on trying to show people things still need to be done and now after Gustav they need food, water, and power once again.

Essay on American Experience

Essay on American Experience: New Orleans Ch. 10

When I was watching the video I knew I wanted to do this essay on chapter 10 because it was about how after hurricane Katrina New Orleans decided to pick up the pieces and plan to have Mardi Gras despite the fact that the city was no ware near recovery. A lot of people wondered why they would still go through with Mardi Gras that year. Some people thought they should not let Katrina take away another thing from the city and others thought people wouldn’t come for the festival.
New Orleans is surrounded by water, but full of music, culture, food, and parties. The people that truly new what New Orleans was all about they understood why after so much devastation and loss, they would still have the biggest party of the year. People in New Orleans said, “What we do is have a good meal and go dance.” And that is exactly what they do. When the time came for Mardi Gras people needed a party and celebration to keep their sanity.
From personal experience I found that the city was very much full of life. Even thought it is still struggling to make a come back it’s full of music, culture, and fun times. I felt like there was this music ghost following you around. You would be in the car and there was jazz on just about every channel, walking by a house people were sitting out side with music in the background. I find it very interesting and poetic that a city with such loss can still kick up there feet to some good food and music.

Back From New Orleans

I've been back for a little over a month now. I printed my essay today and I proof read my Essay introduction. I can't believe that it's been a month already. This trip was amazing and I will never forget the things I saw, the people I met, and the good times we had. The trip was not only amazing, but afterwords my work has been shown in a gallory, library,presented, and soon showing at west photo. I am so proud of my work that came out of the trip. I now am thinking of when I can go back. I miss it. I liked the city and how live it was. I will be going back and helping through my pictures and someday by picking up a hammer as well. So much thanks to all who made it happen, those who supported all of us at our show, and those who made it the best time of my life.

Day 6

Saturday was our last day in New Orleans. We had so much fun on saturday. We started our day out by going to a swamp tour and saw an alligator eat marsh mellows and we were going to feed it Rich Ryan, but we didn't. We also saw some houses that were damaged and left by Katrina. It was alot of fun. We then went to a tree planting site in the upper 9th ward. Later we went to the lower 9th ward and walked around and Rich made jess cry. The cool thing was we saw this dog house that said FEMA on it. We met a local and later on went to dinner one last time in the french quarter. We had a lot of fun on the trip and it went by so fast. We did so much planning for it and it's already over.

Day 5

Friday was day 5 of our trip. I went with the Rich Ryan's class in the morning to a cemetery where the voodoo queen's grave was. It was really interesting because the grave yards are so much different from here. We then took the St. Charles street car to the park to have a picnic with everyone. It was 80 degrees and very nice out. After the park me and maria braved the street car by our selves and met some ladies who were art teachers down in New Orleans for a convention. That was really cool. That night some of us girls went shopping in the French Quarter. We laster went to dinner as a group. That day was mostly enjoying the city.

Day 4

Today was day four of our trip and I started my day at 6:45 with the Editorial class. They were shooting in an area called the holly cross neighborhood and I wanted to shoot in that area again. I got some good pictures there. Around 8:00 I went with Brett and Jorie to the lower 9th word again. I already shot there twise this week, but didn't hit every thing I wanted to. I found some pretty amazing as well as sad houses over there today. One was a house that was seemed to be moved by water and the back end was completley gone. The cool thing was some one painted what looked like band-aid on the house and that was interesting. I also found a trailer that was completley moved and sitting on a fience. I talked to three locals today that were effected by katrina and the first person was Sydney Davis and he said he was went from the living room with no water and walked back to the kitchen and was in water up to his knees. He waited out the storm in the atche. His house will be ready to move in two weeks. He said he can't wait to get out of the trailer. The other person was an 87 year old lady who was very sweet. She just moved into here new home yesterday. She said she had to clim out here window into a boat and then she went to missouri where here son lived to find that he was deid. She lost three people in that year. And she has the biggest heart. Later on a few of us decided to go to a park to take a little break from distruction and that was relaxing. We finished the day by going out for pizza. Here are some of the images from today.

Day 2 1st day of shooting

Today is our second day here first day of shooting. I woke up to shoot at 6:30am today in the lower 9th ward and the lighting from the sun rise was amazing. It was so hard becuase all though I was getting some amazing shots of damage with amazing sun light I couldn't help, but think how it may seem so amazing untill I really relazied what I was shooting. The damage here is more than I had thought it would be. I knew they were still strugling to re-build, but little did I know how much still needs to be touched. There are so many buildings and houses with markings and haven't been touched, but there sitting next to a newly built house or buisness. It's hard to imagine the troubles people went through and still are going through. The best part about this city is that they still make it lively even though the city itself is in a sad state. Well that's all for now more shooting tonight.

Day Three

Today was day three of our trip. Today was warmer so it was really nice to be out side all day. I started my day today at 6:30am shooting with Colleen and Jorie while the sun was comming up. I got some good shots in the upper 9th ward. We found this really cool artist gallery in the upper 9th. There is three houses this artist bought after the storm and made them into art pieces representing the artist thoughts and feelings of the storm through art. They were really interesting. We also stoped by the habitat for humanity site and there was a live band we got to listen to. We then critique for the second time today and that was really helpful we had a guest come and look at our work. Today was Colleens last day so some of us went to eat at a sea food restaurant she likes and I HATE sea food, but I figured I'm only in New Orleans for a few days I may as well try something new. So I tryed oysters and they were really gross I probably will never have it again. Today was overall really good day and a lot of fun. Here are some images I took today.

My Essay For New Orleans

I decided that going down to New Orleans was Finlay my chance to show the horrible damage that still remains almost three years after Katrina hit. It was and still is a very damaged area and it's sad to know that people are still trying to get back there lives after Katrina. I hope to show through my images the damage that is still an issue after three years. So many people lost everything and are still struggling to make ends meet and rebuild there homes at the same time. I want my essay to show more than just the images we have all seen so many times of the painting of X's on houses and water lines. This trip is going to be a life memory I will never forget and I am very proud to be apart of it.