Louisiana | Photo of the Day

[dimebag1980]

A few photos from last night's Rockets Over the Red along the Shreveport-Bossier riverfront. For those who've never been, fireworks are shot off from a barge in the middle of the Red River, as well as from the Texas Street Bridge which spans the two cities. The show can be seen from numerous points throughout the two cities' downtowns, but the best spots from which to view the fireworks are definitely Shreveport's Riverview Park and the Louisiana Boardwalk. The show is synchronized to the music of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and along the Shreveport side of the river there are food and beer booths, as well as live music. The live music was cancelled due to cold rain and sleet that came down during this year's show. But despite the weather, Brian and his trusty camera and tripod were down there. An umbrella keeps the equipment as dry as possible until Brian can shell out $5,000 for a 1-series camera and a few thousand more dollars for some L lenses and not have to worry about the rain.

Anyway... the photos:

And for the hell of it, let's revisit last year's Rockets Over the Red show, where the weather was much nicer: Click here to view!

[NCB]

Great photos, Brian! That looks like a fantastic show! I think the rain/clouds added an interesting effect to the fireworks, kind of a spooky look with the skyline just visible in the background.

[dimebag1980]

Great photos, Brian! That looks like a fantastic show! I think the rain/clouds added an interesting effect to the fireworks, kind of a spooky look with the skyline just visible in the background.

Thanks, Nate! Yeah shortly before the show we watched a thick fog begin to settle in along the river and begin to cover the buildings. That, added to the smoke from the fireworks, made for a pretty nice backdrop for the bright fireworks. It created more of a glow in the sky, which on more than one occasion I said looked like fire in the sky.

Edited November 25, 2007 by SBCmetroguy

[NCB]

So I guess I'm obsessed with these aerials on Flickr...

Here are two more great aerials of the New Orleans CBD, both courtesy of "phileddy" on Flickr and TLW Productions.

I'll try to find some aerials from Shreveport and Baton Rouge as well.

[dimebag1980]

So I guess I'm obsessed with these aerials on Flickr...

Here are two more great aerials of the New Orleans CBD, both courtesy of "phileddy" on Flickr and TLW Productions.

I'll try to find some aerials from Shreveport and Baton Rouge as well.

Total sweetness, Nate!!

Not to steal your thunder, but here's my favorite Shreveport aerial on Flickr. I see this photo all the time when I search Shreveport relevant photos.

Courtesy Hoya99

Edited November 27, 2007 by SBCmetroguy

[NCB]

Thanks for posting that, Brian! That's a great aerial/angle of downtown Shreveport that I've certainly never seen before. It's also interesting because it shows just how much water is literally right next to the city. Something you rarely here about when talking about Shreveport...there's quite a bit of water around that city!

Here's an aerial of downtown Baton Rouge...or at least most of it, courtesy of anroolio on Flickr:

That one looks great, but I'm still trying to find one which covers all of downtown Baton Rouge.

[dimebag1980]

Thanks for posting that, Brian! That's a great aerial/angle of downtown Shreveport that I've certainly never seen before. It's also interesting because it shows just how much water is literally right next to the city. Something you rarely here about when talking about Shreveport...there's quite a bit of water around that city!

Here's an aerial of downtown Baton Rouge...or at least most of it, courtesy of anroolio on Flickr:

That one looks great, but I'm still trying to find one which covers all of downtown Baton Rouge.

Yep, the river butts right up to the casinos on the east, which are an extension of downtown. Then Cross Bayou branches off to the north, which feeds into Cross Lake to the northwest. There is a LOT of water here, for sure. Actually most people wouldn't know (because they consider this East Texas) but a lot of this area is swampy and when new construction occurs in many parts of this region dirt has to be brought in to fill many feet deep. For instance, Island Park was built in the middle of a swamp. Dirt was pumped in directly from the Red River to a depth of FIFTEEN FEET to bring that property to level! And now it's a very nice TND-type subdivision/condo/lakefront marina project. And just a few miles from my house Lake Bistineau is about as Louisiana as it gets. It looks like something straight out of The Waterboy.... in both the good and bad ways. lol And let's not forget that offshore oil drilling actually first happened on swampy, Cypress stumpy Caddo Lake, about 15 miles north of Shreveport near the Louisiana/Arkansas/Texas border. Hard to believe, for sure, but it actually did happen.

That's a good one of Baton Rouge, but yes... definitely need one more zoomed out!! You'll find one, I have faith in ya.

Edited November 27, 2007 by SBCmetroguy

[NCB]

So while searching Google images for "Baton Rouge aerial" I somehow stumble upon this...a really cool photo of pre-restoration/overhaul Canal Street that I want to post before I forget about it.

[richyb83]

I try not to post in this thread unless I have a pic; otherwise it's a wasted reply w/o a pic taking up valuable space. But I had to comment on those fantastic shots! Thanks for posting them, really enjoyed them all!!!

Brian, those fireworks over the river sure look impressive. The SBC riverfront has to be my favorite! Has a very festive look with all those lights ; I dig the pedestrian bridge too. Nice areial of downtown Shreveport! Cross Bayou would make a nice location for some new hip mid-rise condo's.

I really like the way the New Orleans CBD is set up. It puts Louisiana on the map as far as skylines are concerned. Canal Street is as "urban" a corridor as it gets! I appreciate Canal Street more since coming to UP! Those are some really tall hotels!!! NOLA's density has to be up with the best! The Causeway is one of a kind! Will they ever build that extra commuter lane??

Downtown BR now actually has 4 tower-cranes dotting the skyline. For the new II City Plaza; new Courthouse; 11-story parking garage for Belle of BR; and new State parking garage.

Edited December 5, 2007 by richyb83

[dimebag1980]

Brian, those fireworks over the river sure look impressive. The SBC riverfront has to be my favorite! Has a very festive look with all those lights ; I dig the pedestrian bridge too. Nice areial of downtown Shreveport! Cross Bayou would make a nice location for some new hip mid-rise condo's.

Thanks, Richy. I actually just received a payment of $800 on Monday from the company who put on that fireworks show. They wanted to purchase a limited usage license for 3 of my photos. After much negotiation I talked them up to $800 from their original offer of $300. It's a win-win, and just in time for Christmas. I can take advantage of some sales... my wife *might* be getting me a Canon 30D for Christmas if her bonus is decent, and I will use part of the $800 on a new lens or two. I have to use $80 of it toward my website, though. But as of right now every penny that I make from my photography goes back into the business to cover expenses until I have enough rolling in to be considered actual profit.

I'm not sure which bridge you're referring to as a pedestrian bridge? But there isn't one down there. There's the Neon Bridge which has a walkway on the sides, but no actual pedestrian bridge as of yet. The bridge in the lower portion of the photo, if that's what you're talking about, is actually a rail bridge. There has been talk through the years of having that double as a light rail line to get tourists from the casinos in Bossier to the casinos and the convention center in Shreveport. There's quite a distance between all those locations, so a light rail system would be nice. And as much as I want it to happen, there's just not enough funding there to support it so I know it won't happen. I haven't heard it talked about in at least 5 years.

[richyb83]

That's a cool side gig you got there Brian Sounds great! Especially since you enjoy that. That's some good $money you made. You have a good eye! SBC is fortunate to have you.

My bad on the pedestrian bridge; but the walkways are legit?? That would be nice to see a light-rail system connect both riverfronts even more!

I had no idea Lake Bistineau looked like that; good analogy.

[NCB]

Congrats on your success, Brian! Glad to see the photography business is going well for you!

Here's a shot of the Joan of Arc statue in the French Quarter:

[dimebag1980]

Congrats on your success, Brian! Glad to see the photography business is going well for you!

Here's a shot of the Joan of Arc statue in the French Quarter:

Thanks Nate ... and Richy as well ... I have enjoyed my $800 payment and the majority of it is still in the bank. I was also contacted by a local government agency yesterday about licensing some of the same photos. And since I provide no exclusive licensing and I retain full ownership and copyrights, I will license them to anyone willing to pay my fees. The way my fees are set up, the minimum I make for a 1-year license is $500. I sent my proposal to this agency last night and I think it would be great if they choose to purchase a usage license for 1 or more of my photos. Also, this morning I ordered a Canon 30D, battery grip, and spare battery for the grip. I should get my new setup either Monday or Tuesday and I'm excited. I need to continue upgrading my equipment to ensure my future in photography.

Nate... awesome shot, man!! I haven't seen much from you lately, I'm guessing school is still keeping you tied down. But in the end when you're a career man with a degree it will have all paid off. Good luck, I think it's great. And you have your photography on the side, so once your life levels out a bit where you can balance work with photography (ie. after school is finished) perhaps you can add extra income from photography. I think you would do quite well with that, you do very good work. You do New Orleans proud.

[NCB]

^Thanks, Brian! Yeah, I've been extremely busy over the last few months and photography had to take a backseat. However, my workload is starting to taper off a bit, so I'm plannning to break out the 'ole Nikon and take it for a few spins around New Orleans during Christmas/New Year's and The Sugar Bowl/BCS National Championship. Expect to see plenty from me over the next couple of months!

[NCB]

Other cities try, but this just cannot be replicated:

[dimebag1980]

^Thanks, Brian! Yeah, I've been extremely busy over the last few months and photography had to take a backseat. However, my workload is starting to taper off a bit, so I'm plannning to break out the 'ole Nikon and take it for a few spins around New Orleans during Christmas/New Year's and The Sugar Bowl/BCS National Championship. Expect to see plenty from me over the next couple of months!

Very cool. I'm looking forward to it.

Re: your photo of the New Orleans galleries... very nice, and oh so true. You just can't replicate that. You can replicate it to some extent, but there are a lot of factors involved here and I suppose the biggest one is just that it's New Orleans. You could have similar buildings lining every street of another major city, but you just wouldn't have that feeling. Dallas is far larger than New Orleans but walking around downtown Dallas leaves a LOT to be desired. Even Fort Worth, as touristy as its downtown is becoming, can't even compare.

[NCB]

You've all probably seen this one before, but I was looking through my photos today (preparing for my Christmas/New Year's in New Orleans photo marathon) and found one I'd sort of forgotten about. I remember posting a photo of the Saint Louis Cathedral well over a year ago, and Brian commented that it looked brand new because of its condition and cleanliness. I completely agree, and this photo really shows it, IMO.

I don't know, maybe it's just me, but if I didn't know better, I'd look at the Saint Louis Cathedral and find it hard to believe that it was built while George Washington was serving his second term as President. That's 213 years ago, to be exact.

[dimebag1980]

You've all probably seen this one before, but I was looking through my photos today (preparing for my Christmas/New Year's in New Orleans photo marathon) and found one I'd sort of forgotten about. I remember posting a photo of the Saint Louis Cathedral well over a year ago, and Brian commented that it looked brand new because of its condition and cleanliness. I completely agree, and this photo really shows it, IMO.

I don't know, maybe it's just me, but if I didn't know better, I'd look at the Saint Louis Cathedral and find it hard to believe that it was built while George Washington was serving his second term as President. That's 213 years ago, to be exact.

Exactly. The place is immaculate. Great shot, Nate. I think I've seen it before, or at least other photos from you of the place, but I love it. And still nothing like seeing it in photos, though for some strange reason it always invokes thoughts of Disney World in my mind and I half expect to see Minnie and Mickey Mouse in front of it, smiling and waving.

[NCB]

This isn't mine, but I saw it on Flickr and had to post it. Courtesy of M Styborski on Flickr.

I'm sure you've all heard of Brad Pitt's "Make it Right" foundation in the Lower 9 in New Orleans, and have seen the pink tents representing future houses. Well, here it is lit up at night:

[richyb83]

Thanks for sharing that Nate. Excellent shot with the skyline and sunset backdrop. That's really neat what Brad Pitt is doing.

[NCB]

Back from the watching the Saints lose in the Dome, (been there done that abotu 4,000 times) but I also bring over 200 new photos from the CBD. I tried to get some shots off in the Marigny as well after dinner at Port of Call (best burgers in the city) but it was just too dark. I'll share a couple over the next few days, but I'm going to be going on another photo spree sometime next week and I want to get some more shots from the Quarter, Warehouse District, Garden District, Marigny, Mid-City and Lakefront. I know I won't be able to cram all of that into one day...but I'll do my best using my feet and the streetcar.

Completely new photo thread coming up soon!

[dimebag1980]

Back from the watching the Saints lose in the Dome, (been there done that abotu 4,000 times) but I also bring over 200 new photos from the CBD. I tried to get some shots off in the Marigny as well after dinner at Port of Call (best burgers in the city) but it was just too dark. I'll share a couple over the next few days, but I'm going to be going on another photo spree sometime next week and I want to get some more shots from the Quarter, Warehouse District, Garden District, Marigny, Mid-City and Lakefront. I know I won't be able to cram all of that into one day...but I'll do my best using my feet and the streetcar.

Completely new photo thread coming up soon!

Sounds cool, Nate. I was -almost- going to go down there for the 4th fireworks but it sounds like the woman who wanted me to shoot the event wanted me to do it for ... *gasp* ... free. Iduntinkso. Would be nice to make it down there for that, but instead I'll hopefully be photographing fireworks in Chicago on that date. Only time will tell . . .

Looking forward to your new photos, and an early Merry Christmas to you.

[NCB]

Here's one of my newest photos, a shot of the Harrah's Hotel in New Orleans' CBD. I'd like to thank my Hoya Polarizer for this shot!

[dimebag1980]

Here's one of my newest photos, a shot of the Harrah's Hotel in New Orleans' CBD. I'd like to thank my Hoya Polarizer for this shot!

1. Great shot!!!

2. LOVE polarizers

3. Hoya is among the best, so it's a great one to own. The cheaper ones will give you unsightly lens flares at times when Hoyas won't (take it from me, I tried being cheap and it did more harm than good!)

[NCB]

Thanks, Brian! It was a shot that really jumped out at me once I uploaded the photos to my computer, and I'm definately happy with it. And you're right about Hoya, I'm very pleased with my polarizer after about 10 months, and spending $75 on this thing definately was the right choice in the end. I really thought about buying one of those $15-$20 polarizers, but I'm very happy I spent a bit more money.