Bourbon Street Jazz

In 2002 I was at a loss as to what to do for vacation. The usual week of heading down the Jersey shore with friends (commonly referred to as “Abuse your body week”) hadn’t panned out. So, on a whim I decided to visit somewhere that I had always wanted to shoot. That day I booked a ticket and hotel in New Orleans. Initially I tried to stay away from Bourbon Street. One of the first things I do when arriving in a place is to ask a local where they hang out. “Not Bourbon Street” was pretty much the consensus. So I visited the Garden District, the above ground cemeteries, and even found myself on an airboat in the middle of the swamp. My hotel was right in the middle of the French Quarter so I couldn’t avoid Bourbon Street for long so one night I set out, camera in hand. Bourbon Street is usually dead during the day and comes alive at night. So, with high speed film and no flash I started walking. It’s actually a fun place to be after dark (albeit tacky in places). There is an energy there that I have only found in London and New York. I saw the band playing in this bar and knew I wanted a shot from outside looking in. I then had to wait for the right people to walk into the frame. The girl was already there but it needed people on the left to frame the shot. I took about three shots and on the final one, one of the guys turned his head and looked into the bar. One of the things I like about this image is that there are a number of stories going on. Inside the bar you have the musicians and the people sitting down listening. You have the two men walking past and looking in, and finally you have the girl below the sign presumably waiting for someone. I think a good photo is like a good book, It leads you in, tells it’s story, but leaves you to decide what happens after the final page is read. For all you Photogs out there, It was shot on T-Max 1600 pushed two stops to give 6400 ASA. It was shot around 125th (no idea what f-stop). The grain is natural due to the high speed of the film although a little noise was added to smooth out some of the gradients.

Girl on Paris Metro

This shot was taken on the Paris Metro back in 2003. I had gone back to England with my, then, girlfriend. We had spent time in London visiting friends and them met up with my dad for a trip on the EuroStar to Paris. The camera was down by my hip (something I tried and liked in New Orleans, It gives a different perspective having the camera down that low). 


When I took the shot I had no idea that the girl was looking straight at the camera. She doesn’t look upset, it’s just a matter of fact stare. The lines of the train then lead you further down the carriage to the man sitting next to her listening to music and on to the man sleeping with his arms folded. I like photographing people in their surroundings. I often wonder what these peoples lives might be like. Maybe the girl then went home and complained to her boyfriend that “some asshole on the train today took my photo” I think this was my last trip using film.