Gorgeous sunrise, fun engagement shoot and an order of beignets to top it all off! I should wake-up early more often…….

I had such a great time with Annalise and Scott for their engagement shoot in DUMBO, Vinegar Hill and the Brooklyn Bridge. We even had a celebrity sighting! They are getting married in New Orleans in March, but live in Brooklyn, so just the perfect couple for me!

Scott recognized actress Beth Grant on the right, as we left the bridge. She was kind enough to take a picture with us. Such a New York moment…..

She’s 42, has 3 kids and a mean yoga practice. I love working with people who are passionate about what they do, and working with Tara was a blast! We spent the day shooting video and some stills for her website along Lake Pontchartrain. Luckily the weather cooperated and we had a lovely morning and a gorgeous sunset! I’m inspired to start back with my own yoga practice! Here are a few sneak peeks, video to come.

I thought I’d get a jump on the 5 year Katrina anniversary and take a look at some of the images I shot around then. There aren’t many. That was intentional. I generally like to take photos of things that will make people happy when they see the images and remember what it was like then. Katrina is not something to remember fondly. But maybe it is an opportunity to remember that my family was pretty lucky considering all that went on. Ryan and I were living in Houma at the time and didn’t get any damage, but we were lucky to be close by to help deliver supplies, cash, gas and food to my family.

My parent’s house in Mandeville, Louisiana. 7 trees fell on it! My dad, brother and grandmother rode out the storm together. When the trees fell, they were able to save things from the water. It still feels weird driving through their neighborhood and feeling like there is too much sky.

Mom always wanted a sky light in the bathroom, right?

Dad taking a break in the attic. Being handy and strong, he did a lot of the rebuilding on his own.

My Nonna. She was there -physically at least- during the storm and the aftermath. Double whammy for my parents taking care of her and dealing with the storm damage and general chaos in the months that followed. They had to put her in a nursing home because the room that had just been added on to the house for her was too damaged. She died about 4 months later. Better that she never got to see her beloved New Orleans in the state it was, it would have broken her heart. New Orleans just isn’t the same city to me now that she’s gone.

Yacht Club

Something you don’t normally see over a suburban neighborhood: Black Hawk helicopters refueling. There was a war zone just 24 miles away…

Along the Mandeville Lakefront area.

I remember seeing lone stoops along the Mississippi Gulf Coast when I was a kid, years after Camille. Never expected to see some in Mandeville. But it should have been a warning. Last time I checked, this lot was still empty and the steps were gone.

What building?

Rip’s Restaurant on the Lakefront, literally ripped apart by Katrina.

The new and much improved Rip’s.

I’m finally catching-up, it has been a crazy summer! Let’s flashback to Memorial Day weekend for Carla and Kerry’s fun wedding at Cedar Grove Tchoupitoulas Plantation outside of New Orleans. Lots of dancing, family, good food and a crawfish boil cake from Haydel’s!

I kinda felt this way after one of my flashes died! (I had a back-up, so it was ok, but it I hate it then things stop working!)