New Orleans visit

[ardvorlich]

Hi all going from Scotland to New Orleans in a couple of weeks time and wondered if apart from the normal street scenes ,does anyone have any suggestions for good shooting locations in or around the city.Also what's the weather like.
Thanks in advance.Iain

[Rain Lily]

Originally Posted by ardvorlich

Hi all going from Scotland to New Orleans in a couple of weeks time and wondered if apart from the normal street scenes ,does anyone have any suggestions for good shooting locations in or around the city.Also what's the weather like.
Thanks in advance.Iain

Audobon Zoo is nice, for scenery and for the animals. There's also an aquarium that's pretty good.

The cemetaries in and around New Orleans are haunting and really beautiful, so check those out.

Street scenes you don't want to miss, if they are still doing things like they used to, and if the weather doesn't keep them away - artists lined up around Jackson Square with their work; Cafe du Monde (be sure and try the cafe au lait and beignets); and night life in the French Quarter. There are riverboat tours available on the Mississippi. Countless clubs you could try to grab some shots of bands and such. Beaches on the Gulf aren't very far away too.

I think the weather lately has been in the high 50's, low 60's, and it can be kind of humid down there.

Don't know exactly when you'll be there, but here's a schedule of Mardi Gras parades around NO. Parades & Schedules - Mardi Gras - NOLA.com

Hope some of that helped you.

[ardvorlich]

Superb just what I was looking for.Thanks for the response.Iain

[RussTKD]

The French Quarter goes without saying. There's so much cool stuff to shoot out there you could easily kill a couple days and not see everything.

Moving away from the Quarter, the area around the river at the foot of Canal St. is interesting as well. You'll find Harrah's Casino, the Aquarium of the Americas, The Riverwalk, riverboats, and the Crescent City Connection bridge. On Canal St. you'll also find some neat old buildings as well as streetcars.

Go all the way up Canal St. and that'll lead you to some of the cemeteries New Orleans is famous for. St. Louis Cemetery is off Rampart St. and is quite famous for several reasons, but you don't want to venture there alone and carrying expensive camera gear. Stick with the cemeteries off City Park Ave. and the end of Canal St.

Continuing out that way on Canal Blvd. (different street) you'll find City Park. Lots of old oak trees, a stadium that was built in the 30's, Bayou St. John, and some 'newer' New Orleans. At the end of Canal Blvd. you'll be on Lakeshore Drive, on Lake Ponchatrain. Sailboats, people, cars, etc. in abundance out there.

Go west on Lakeshore Drive (if it's not a weekend) and you'll end up in West End. Not a lot to shoot there, but there's a marina and a couple restaurants.

After that, head south on West End Blvd. and work your way back into the CBD. Off Poydras you'll see the Superdome and the New Orleans Arena. Unfortunately the Superdome is being reskinned right now, so it's not too photogenic, but the side closest to I-10 still looks like it always has. You can't leave NOLA without a shot of the Dome.

From there, go to Loyola Ave., then to Howard, and take Howard Ave. to Lee Circle. That'll connect you to St. Charles Ave., where you'll see more streetcars, oak trees, 150 year old mansions, etc. Take a street car down St. Charles and enjoy the sights and give your camera a workout. At the end of St. Charles Ave. you'll come across Tulane and Loyola's campuses, as well as Audubon Park. Audubon Park is nice, as there is a 2.5 mile circular walking/bike path that'll connect you to the zoo on the river side. And Audubon Zoo is one of the top 5 in the US.

Here's a link of the path sort of outlined above. Keep in mind there's parts of New Orleans that are still in recovery mode from Katrina, and straying off the beaten path a couple blocks can land you in some rough neighborhoods. If you stick to the main roads you'll be fine. But trust your gut when getting adventurous.

[ardvorlich]

russTkd .Thanks for the detailed response.I found it informative and exactly what I wanted.I will almost certainly follow most if not all or the suggested route.Very much looking forward to my trip now,thanks again.
Cheers Iain

[twalker294]

I can't possibly add anything to Russ' response above so I won't even try. I can show you some of my recent pics from N.O. though to wet your appetite a bit more

Most of these are of St. Louis Cemetery that Russ mentioned:
New Orleans August 2009 - a set on Flickr

And a few from around the Riverwalk area and French Quarter here:
12/15/09 New Orleans trip - a set on Flickr

[Douglas]

I need to get back to NO one of these days. Last time I was there was summer of 2003. Great fun.

[RussTKD]

Originally Posted by twalker294

I can't possibly add anything to Russ' response above so I won't even try. I can show you some of my recent pics from N.O. though to wet your appetite a bit more

Most of these are of St. Louis Cemetery that Russ mentioned:
New Orleans August 2009 - a set on Flickr

And a few from around the Riverwalk area and French Quarter here:
12/15/09 New Orleans trip - a set on Flickr

Nice stuff, especially of Marie Laveau's tomb.

Couple of mine:

[beyondphotos2]

A couple of weeks from now will be Mardi Gras time in New Orleans. The biggest main celebration will be on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 16th. If you are there during that time, be prepared for the crowds of people everywhere! This should be a good time for some street photography. Good luck and enjoy your trip!

[dwallace29]

The lemonade at Emerils is the best on the planet. Forget the Commanders or Brennans, both restaraunts highly overrated. 1.) Emerils, 2.) K-Pauls, incredible., 3.) Arnauds., 4.) Gallatories. Right around the corner from K-Pauls is this little praline shop, the candy is incredible.