1850 House

Posing for photos on Fat Tuesday is something most revelers love to do in the French Quarter. This lady was happy to do so outside the 1850 House in Jackson Square. I wish i'd spent more time here on Mardi Gras day, over the years, but this was my last in the city, 2011

610 Stompers

The 610 Stompers are a cult favourite in New Orleans. A grown men spoof of high school marching bands, these guys are liking something straight of the 1970's with their cringeworthy but hilarious moves. Featured during the Macy's Day Parade soon after this shot was taken. Krewe of Thoth, Henry Clay, 2012

Strutting her Stuff

This was taken at the Lee Circle end of the parade route on St Charles Avenue, but the crowds are more sparse in this part of town, allowing for easier shots. the high school dancers also get more room to spread out and show off their moves. 2009

Marching Eagle

A high school trumpet player in the brass bad, one of the Marching Eagles, marches down St Charles Avenue in the sunshine of one of the Saturday afternoon parades in 2010, New Orleans.

Mardi Gras Royalty

Mardi Gras Royalty generally lead near the start of a parade, just like this young woman during one of the Saturday afternoon paraded on St Charles Avenue, 2010

Bead Haul

An impressive gaul of beads from this girl, but then sitting on your dad's shoulders would provide an unfair advantage! This is the Thoth parade on Henry Clay, 2011

Masked Beauty

For a while, Shangri La took the uptown route and not on Bourbon Street. In 2009, though, it returned to the French Quarter and perhaps recaptured some of its distinctiveness, despite being one of the parades rolling on the first weekend. This woman looked the part on Bourbon Street, not sure if she was in the parade or just watching.

Krewe of Bacchus

Baachus is one of the signature parades, rolling on the Sunday night before Mardi Gras. This is one of the lead floats, pausing outside Fat Harry's bar on St Charles Avenue, New Orleans, 2011. I've added a texture to this image, in addition to a faux-bokeh effect using the Alien Skin software.

Band Directors

Had a little bit of fun with this one, using a pre-set in the Alien Skin software. This is two of the high school marching band directors, taking their job, their uniforms, and the show very very seriously. This is during on the early Saturday afternoon parades during Mardi Gras in Uptown New Orleans, 2008

Mardi Gras Beads

A simple image of some Mardi Gras beads, perhaps one of the reasons why parades in New Orleans are so much more superior than other carnival parades around the country. The cheap plastic throwaways are indeed often just thrown away. These beads were found hanging on the fence at Lee Circle, in Uptown NOLA, 2009.

Night on the Neutral Ground

It was a very cold lead up to Mardi Gras, and those that braved the neutral ground were treated to a soggy and unwelcome vantage point, particularly behind those ladders that lined the kerbs. This night parade scene was captured on St Charles Avenue, New Orleans. 2009

Storm Trooper

This Star Wars storm trooper was quite a novel idea for a Mardi Gras parade, it being 2010. However, a few years later, after the release of Force Awakens, I can imagine that the crowds may be a little Star Wars-weary. Maybe? This was during the Tucks Parade on St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans.

Bourbon Street Balcony

Enjoying Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street from a balcony was something that I never got to experience in New Orleans. There is a lot of tradition involved, as most know all to well. I can imagine it was an enjoyable and "revealing" afternoon for those in this image. 2010.

Trombone

Donning a parade-weary hat, this high schooler gives it his all in a brass band, seen marching down Bourbon Street during the Saturday afternoon "Shangri-La" parade. New Orleans French Quarter, 2009.

Famous Door

A packed Bourbon Street, outside the Famous Door bar (one of my favourites) during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. 2008

Bourbon Street Crowds

Fat Tuesday on Bourbon Street; this most lively and outrageous days during the Mardi Gras season. This shot taken in New Orleans, 2008.

Tropical Isle

A woman posing while drinking a 'hand grenade' outside of the Tropical Isle bar on Bourbon Street, Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans. I believe hand grenades are particular to this bar, which was actually the very first establishment to serve me a beer in the Big Easy after my arrival in 2007.

Pre-Parade

Krewe De'tat ended up being one of my favourite parades, although I didn't really realize it until my last Mardi Gras in 2011. The parade lines up on Jefferson Street and as I lived a couple of blocks away I got to shoot photos of the runners and riders during prep. Very enjoyable hour or so.

Carnival on Bourbon

Fat Tuesday draws all sorts to Bourbon Street, including the religious protestors preaching to all of us sinners. The crowds are really something else, mostly well behaved if not a little adventurous, but that's a relative term during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. 2010

Tucks Dancers

Caged dancers on the streets of New Orleans? I guess this is something that only Mardi Gras could get away with, and only in the Krewe of Tucks parade. Tucks is the more "irreverent" (is that fair) of the parades, hence this type of float. It's easily my favourite parade though. 2010.

Tucks Majorette

I added a slight scratch texture to this image as I thought that it complimented the dark tones. I don't know which high school these kids were from, but it was an interesting addition to the Tucks parade, seen on St Charles Avenue in New Orleans, 2009.

City of New Orleans Float

I believe that this is the Krewe of De'Tat parade on St Charles, New Orleans. De'Tat is known for its use of satire in the parade float themes. This City of New Orleans float was one of the less biting though.....2009.

Rex Jester

The Krewe of Rex Jester is one of the signature sights / parade floats in the whole of Mardi Gras, and proudly sits near the head of the last of the major uptown parades during the carnival season. The Jester was seen here rolling down Canal Street, nearing the end of the route. 2008.

Cowgirl

A "cowgirl" rough rider hands out a flower as she rides down Henry Clay avenue during the Sunday morning Thoth parade. Uptown New Orleans, 2011.

Rough Rider

During the Thoth parade the corner of Magazine Street and Henry Clay is carnage, as evidenced by this busy scene when the Louisiana Rough Riders rode through in 2011.

Screaming for Beads

When taking Mardi Gras shots on St. Charles Avenue, I liked to be able to in amongst the crowds to capture the atmosphere of the "bead rush". This is an example, as the crowds swarm a Krewe of Iris float near General Pershing, 2010.

Kevin Costner Crowds

During my time in NOLA, I didn't actually get to see much of Endymion. However, one of the few times I did was when it rolled along its traditional Mid-City route in 2008. These crowds were swarming around the Grand Marshall's float, mainly because Kevin Costner was heading the parade!

Parade Girls

The burgundy gloves are a niche touch on the outfits for these high school lids, dancing during one the Saturday parades, St Charles Avenue, 2008

Getting Ready

A dancing troop, whose name I never established, run through their routines on Jefferson Avenue during preparations for the rolling of De'Tat in 2011. I loved being able to walk around an photograph the participants as they milled around or practiced pre-parade. Wish I'd gotten more opportunities like this in my 5 years in New Orleans.

Mardi Gras Girls

The one advantage of watching Mardi Gras parades between MLK and Lee Circle is that there is much more space for the dancers to spread out. With sparser crowds there's a little less tension. This is one of the Saturday parades near Lee Circle, 2009.

De'Tat on Jefferson

Another shot of this ladies dance troop practicing pre-parade on Jefferson Avenue in New Orleans, 2011. The girl in the white appeared to be the leader of this De'Tat act, as evidenced by her very serious demeanor.

The Devil's Work

This "she-devil" was captured taking a rest on Napoleon Av during the build up to the Bacchus parade in 2008. This was my first real experience of one of the big signature parades in New Orleans and, therefore, the first time i had so many revelers in costume.

Direct Hit

One of the dangers of photographing Mardi Gras parades from close quarters is that some of the drink fueled riders *will* try to throw beads right at the lens of the camera. Not so much with this guy, though, i think i may have just caught this one right. Druids, 2008

Drag on Bourbon

A bloke in drag on Bourbon Street is not great surprise, even less so during Mardi Gras. This fella, on stilts no less, was seen in the Shangri La parade in the French Quarter, 2008.

Drew Brees

Drew Brees, the Saints star Quarterback and Super Bowl MVP was nailed to be Grand Marshall of Bacchus in 2010, only weeks after the historic triumph, and sure enough, here he was on St Charles Avenue.

Rex Dragon

A subtle, but quite cool looking dragon, leads the way during a Rex parade on St Charles Avenue on Mardi Gras day in New Orleans, 2010.

Rex Rider

A rex parade rider fires some beads into the Canal Street crowds, downtown New Orleans, 2008.

Rex on Canal

One of the typically very colourful parade floats in the Krewe of Rex, Canal Street in New Orleans, during the Fat Tuesday climax, 2010.

Bourbon

One thing I learnt about Fat Tuesday in New Orleans is that people are more than willing to tolerate a stranger pointing a camera in their face, such as this girl on Bourbon Street, 2009.

Boom

Another shot from the prep for the De'Tat parade on Jefferson, 2011.

Tuning up pre-Parade

The moves are important to practice, even if the prep is done beneath the LSU parade float in De'Tat on Jefferson, 2011.

Throwing some Shapes

Rather than milling around and maybe having a beer, i like the fact that this dance troop practiced their moves instead during the build up to De'Tat on Jefferson. Some people take their participation very seriously in Mardi Gras! 2011

Easy on the Second Line

Cool as a cucumber, active participation in a Second Line is no reason not to make a cigarette in a New Orleans parade - St Charles Av, 2010.

De La Salle

The De La Salle High School kids lead the banner of their marching band along Jefferson Avenue at the start of the De'Tat, 2011.

Colorful

High school bands take their performance in Mardi Gras deadly serious. The effort they put in is commendable. This is a dancer in Iris, 2011