New Orleans: The golden hour

This post is the first in a series of photographs that I took in New Orleans.

During my recent visit in July, I looked forward to walking through the Lower Carrollton and Leonidas neighbourhoods (near the bend in the Mississippi River) and taking photographs. The record-setting heat had driven people from the streets, which were eerily deserted. Folks were either at work or hunkering down at home to stay cool. So street photography was limited, especially in the harsh light of noon and the oppressive heat.

The best time to walk was in the late afternoon, when the cicadas begin their long mesmerizing buzzing, and the early morning. Fortunately, those are the “golden hours,” when the slanting sunlight creates striking shadows and saturated colours. Such illumination of the houses and wrought iron reveals quietly magical scenes. Here are a few . . .