Just to say that “I love South Louisiana” really doesn’t give credence to the fullness of my love for this sacred place.   The people of the region are some of the most unique, hilarious, down to earth and warm people you will ever meet;  the culture is full of fun, good food, sassiness, and history;  and the landscape, well its as stunning and unique as the culture that lives in it.  Gorgeous swamps, large live oak trees, and lush green & flowers adorn this subtropical place full of southern charm and mystique.  The week of June 14th- 20th I was down photographing in New Orleans so I thought I’d drive even further south to Venice to see the damage from BP’s oil spill for myself.

It was an hour and half drive that felt like I was driving to the end of the world.   Arriving in Venice was a bit odd because one would never know that the largest oil spill in history was STILL taking place in the region.  There were a few cues that all wasn’t well because there were so many helicopters, of various sizes, flying overhead– yet I still couldn’t believe that one of the most horrific environmental tragedies of all time was happening in this small town!  I was getting quite frustrated so I decided to pull over to get a cool drink, and this is when I hit the jackpot.  It was here that I met the self-proclaimed, “King of Venice”.  The King and I hit it off instantly, and he then began to give me the ins and outs of the oil spill’s effect on the town.   This small town, who not until the 1920’s did they actually have roads, was being affected more deeply than it seemed. (Note: the townspeople got around before roads via perots, which are small boats traditionally used by Cajuns.) He said that it wasn’t only the fishermen who were loosing their livelihoods in the region, but many of the subcontractors of BP as well.  On Day 63,  he was nearly $100,000 in debt, due to BP’s lack of payment.  He also told me that BP and the government had armed guards at the marinas so to block media and the public from seeing the oil covered boats that would come in from offshore.  He said BP had managed to keep the oil from arriving on shore by putting large sandbags on on the barrier islands, which is good, but it’s also why there was no sign of oil and why there were so many helicopters everywhere.   He could tell that I was disappointed by BP hiding their mess and not actually cleaning it up, so he told me that if I wanted to see the most devasting and yet hopeful aspect of the damage to go to Fort Jackson to see the sanctuary for oil drowning pelicans.  He told me not to get my hopes up too high about getting in since it was a high security spot, but away I went anyway.

The Brown Pelican is the state bird of Louisiana.  Though I was born & raised + went to college in Louisiana, I have never seen a pelican, not even when I did an airboat tour of the swamps before I headed out West.  Needless to say, I had no idea of what I was about to experience at the sanctuary.  When I arrived at the sanctuary I saw that there were lots of reporters at the entrance.  It appeared that I had just “happened” to arrive at the sanctuary at the exact time that they were letting the media in.  Lucky for me I had my camera with my big lens on, so I looked official and was almost able to pass as media.  Before the tour started, one of the volunteers stopped me and asked me to get a media pass before entry.  This of course made me a bit nervous since I was, in fact, not media.  Lucky for me the guy in the office went to my college in Lafayette (though we didn’t know each other) and when he found out I was a native, he gave me a wink and then a media pass; I totally love the loyalty of Louisianaians to fellow natives.

For the next half hour I was taken on a guided tour along with the media, like ABC, BBC, and other publications from around the globe, as I heard stories of volunteers working diligently to clean the extremely large oil soaked birds and learned of the drama of bureaucracy and funding.  The most telling aspect of the tour itself was found in the eyes of the pelicans who seemed so very sad and confused. Oh the irony in that the pelican is a symbol of Louisiana–beautiful, humble and exotic, and it was now in a life threatening situation because of exploitation by large corporations.  (Don’t get me started on International politics in Louisiana!)  Ok,…(breathe),  I’ll now stop talking and let my photos tell you more about my experience. I believe that they’ll do a much better job than my words ever could.

Above: A sample of the vibrant green of South Louisiana’s Gulf Coast.

I guess BP didn’t get the polite suggestion of Plaquemine parish to keep it clean!

Large and small helicopters were flying all over Venice with long ropes carrying sandbags offshore.

In the words of Flight of the Conchords, “think about, think, think, think about it.”

“Safety first!?, oooh! the sign was ripped, I didn’t know,” says BP.

Their new habitat.

Volunteers from around the globe working long hours to save the birds.

The remedy: Dawn dish soap.

I was amazed at how large the birds are!

For the birds who actually make it, they are put in a temporary holding pool outside of the compound until they can be shipped out to Texas.

Oil: Days of old?

Dats right!

Though I am not with the media, I did in fact get some press from my trip to South’s Louisiana’s southernmost coast.  Denver’s CBS 4 did a live interview with me in early July about my experience and featured some of the images I captured on their 6 o’clock news report.  Click on the image below to view the 2 minute interview.

Though I am very glad the oil spill has now been capped, South Louisiana’s environmental troubles are far from over.  Of the pelicans who actually survive, there are an estimated 250 birds cleaned and released every 8 days, many now have their home in Texas.  What does the say about Louisiana’s state bird? Hmmmm… And what does the future hold for Louisiana’s extremely fragile and damaged Gulf coast? Well that question is one that will take many, many years to find the answer to.

Share on Facebook

Related posts:

1. Jennifer Levine, Wonder Woman :: November 19, 2009 This is the one, the only Jennifer Levine. An...
2. The Botanic Gardens of Denver I have found a gem located in the heart...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Last month I had the privilege of working with Corinne Domahidy and Megan Weber of Domahidy and Weber, LLC based in LoDo of Denver.  Domahidy and Weber supports early and mid-stage nonprofits and social entrepreneurs as advocates and strategic partners, providing comprehensive legal, business and consulting services.  As a compliment to their brand, DW hired me to capture photos that displayed the approachability of both Corinne and Megan, as well as communicate their commitment to excellence and service.   Here are a few shots from our sesh in early April.

Corinne and Megan, it was a pleasure to work with you both.  I hope that DW thrives even as it helps other business and organizations do the same.

All the best to you both!

j~

Share on Facebook

Related posts:

1. Cindy Kerr: Internationale de la Femme Cindy Kerr is a heart friend. For the past...
2. Luce’ PhotoG is on Flickr.com You know its really hard to share a good...
3. Your Daily Dose of Awesomeness. In my journey to express the fullness of who...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Late January, Dr. Jean Link contacted me to capture some stills of Mayor Hickenlooper’s 10 sec spot in her upcoming PSA about safe driving for teens. I jumped on the opportunity because Mayor Hickenlooper is quite possibly one of the coolest people I’ve ever met; well in politics. While in the Library at the Capitol, I watched in amazement at the ease with which he spoke about each public issue as well as his sincere and natural rapport with people. Here are a few stills from our day.

p.s. Notice the tie; speaks volumes about him.

Share on Facebook

Related posts:

1. The Pomegranate Place, Denver :: 03.10 Recently I’ve been shooting Interiors to a.) expand my...
2. Moments Last month I visited Utah with Scott, my main...
3. Luce’ PhotoG is on Flickr.com You know its really hard to share a good...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

It’s a new year and with each new year, comes new projects and opportunities.  Earlier this week I connected with Toni Palmer to photograph a bath she remodeled in Cherry Creek.  Since I’m primarily a portrait photographer, I was opening myself up to the challenges of having no people to create emotional texture to fill my images, not to mention space constraints.   It was a fun challenge and I feel I captured images that not only showed the design and texture of the space, but also a bit of spirit as well.

To connect with Toni about space and home rennovations, please check out her website at:  www.ToniPalmerDesigns.com

Share on Facebook

Related posts:

1. Toni Palmer :: Interior Design :: 11.09 Last Month I was able to partner up with...
2. The Pomegranate Place, Denver :: 03.10 Recently I’ve been shooting Interiors to a.) expand my...
3. Elin Palmer + Band :: 10.24.09 Meet the Elin Palmer Band. Last month my 4...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

When I was hired to shoot Cherry Creek North’s new website images, I found myself finding lots of interesting boutiques!  One such was the Blues Jean Bar.  A stylish locale filled to the brim with denim and accessories, I felt I had found a gem.  And well, they found that they really liked my images of the shop.  So, when “Where” magazine of Denver did a feature on the shop they asked to used one of my images.  Check it out!  And to see more of this shoot + other editorial/ad work, check out my website.

Share on Facebook

Related posts:

1. The Happy Hatter of Cherry Creek North, July 2009 Talk about delight when Go Go Chapeaux of Cherry...
2. Luce’ PhotoG is on Flickr.com You know its really hard to share a good...
3. 12.09 :: Luce’ Weddings on “Style Me Pretty” + Berlin Germany’s Fashion Bridal Site :: Yes, it’s me again.  I know it’s been a...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Talk about delight when Go Go Chapeaux of Cherry Creek North contacted me last week to shoot images for their upcoming editorial spread in American Airlines magazine, set to publish in mid September.  My first thought was, “people still make hats?” My second thought was, “Absolutely, I’m in!” Erin Saboe has been making hats for 12 years.  About a year ago she and her family moved back to Colorado and opened her shop in Cherry Creek North.  Erin’s hat are one of a kind and are made by hand with the finest materials; straws, felts, vintage flowers, feathers,  ribbon, and so on.   Stop in and get your hat for next year’s Derby Party.  I’ll try to give you a taste of her work with my images, but you’ll just have to go and see them for yourself. 290 Columbine St.

And the adventures continue….Thanks Go Go Chapeaux for a great shoot and opportunity.  All the best! j-

,

Share on Facebook

Related posts:

1. Blues Jean Bar in Where Mag When I was hired to shoot Cherry Creek North’s...
2. Michelle Odenbach’s Pre-Wedding Extravaganzas, July 2009 Michelle Odenbach recently tied with the knot with Jim...
3. V, Rach, & Brett :: October 24, 2009 Rachael + V Both are repped by Donna Baldwin...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Last week Kiersten Rowland of the Knot in NYC contacted me about featuring my Bachelor’s Gulch wedding in their Spring 2010 edition! She located my work through my blog and much to my delight, contacted me! I submitted the full wedding today and I hope to know in the coming weeks if I will be published. I’ll keep you posted… stay tuned!

xoxo

Share on Facebook

Related posts:

1. 12.09 :: Luce’ Weddings on “Style Me Pretty” + Berlin Germany’s Fashion Bridal Site :: Yes, it’s me again.  I know it’s been a...
2. Luce’ PhotoG is on Flickr.com You know its really hard to share a good...
3. Elin Palmer + Band :: 10.24.09 Meet the Elin Palmer Band. Last month my 4...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

LuLu books, publisher of my 2008 portfolio “Finding Ourselves Together”, contacted me yesterday to let me know that Amazon is now carrying my book.  You can go online to Amazon.com to have your very own coffee table version of my work from 2005-2008.  Thanks to everyone for your support!

Share on Facebook

Related posts:

1. Luce’ PhotoG is on Flickr.com You know its really hard to share a good...
2. New Images to Luce This season of shooting is particularly fun for me! Over...
3. The First Annual Luce’ Photog Photo Workshop :: Denver, CO Last Saturday, Luce’ hosted it’s first ever photo workshop...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

In March of this year,  Unleaded Software hired me to capture photos for Cherry Creek North’s new website that expressed the Cherry Creek North experience. This was a great project as I got to work closely with good friends from Donna Baldwin Talent,  as well as work with my incredible assistant and friend,  Alex Arvizu.  The project spanned across 2 days as I shot local models at many of Cherry Creek North’s hot spots, i.e. Pure Vida, Blush, North, Hapa, SEE, John Atencio, HW Home, and a little gem called the Wizard’s Chest,…. to name a few.  

Their website is set to launch this summer so be sure to check it out.  Or just save some time and go hang out there directly.  For now, here are a few shots that will hopefully tempt you to visit.  

Share on Facebook

Related posts:

1. The Happy Hatter of Cherry Creek North, July 2009 Talk about delight when Go Go Chapeaux of Cherry...
2. Blues Jean Bar in Where Mag When I was hired to shoot Cherry Creek North’s...
3. V, Rach, & Brett :: October 24, 2009 Rachael + V Both are repped by Donna Baldwin...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Erin Hornstein could be called the flower whisperer. Her arrangements are organic pieces of art that express and inspire. Erin’s work definitely adds to the phrase, “the Fine Art of Living,”  as you’ll soon see why.  

Located in the Highlands of NW Denver, Plum Sage beautifully adorns weddings and occasions in Denver and all over Colorado.  Check out their website at: www.plumsageflowers.com.

Share on Facebook

Related posts:

1. Blues Jean Bar in Where Mag When I was hired to shoot Cherry Creek North’s...
2. Anna Be’ turns 3! On Sunday November 8th, why yes- that is also...
3. Luce’ PhotoG is on Flickr.com You know its really hard to share a good...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.