When people ask where I’m from, my answer is a tale of two cities. I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana but grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I don’t have much memory of living in Louisiana since I was only three years old when we were forced to evacuate. My parents had every intention of returning home after the hurricane, but the trail of devastation was catastrophic. We like other family members and friends lost everything. Our family home was destroyed, a lifetime of memories was lost, and the way we had come to know life changed forever.
People assume it’s a flex to say you are from New Orleans, the city also known as “The Big Easy.” I usually wonder why. What makes being from New Orleans so intriguing? Is it the stories about Bourbon Street, non-stop entertainment, great food and music, the “laxed” mindset and lifestyle, or the madness of Mardi Gras? Whatever the reason, the city is celebrated as the ideal destination for people to embrace freedom and live without inhibitions. Sometimes when New Orleans is mentioned the phrase “laissez les bon temps rouler” happily roll off people’s tongues. This famous mantra, “let the good times roll”, has become more than the city’s catchphrase though— it is now an accepted way of life. It makes me wonder if locals are guilty of surrendering to this ideology at random, or if Hurricane Katrina is responsible for turning a city once rich in tradition, culture, and history into the city it is now.
The way I see it, there are two kinds of people that make up New Orleans: “the haves” and “the used-to-haves.” Photographically, I want to capture both perspectives through street photography. The haves’ side will present the idealized side of New Orleans as illustrious, thrilling, and idolized— a version people are more familiar with. Contrastingly, the viewpoint from the used-to-haves will feature a more somber and nostalgic look of the city showcasing citywide failures, economic and racial disparities, and a slow recovery process. Through my lens, I want to explore the grey areas of each group and reveal the complexities of believing and living in a culture of dissonance.
