Mardi Gras Royalty

A pair of princesses - Mardi Gras Royalty is a key part of any parade - St Charles Avenue, New Orleans, 2008.

Princesses

A black and white of one of the early Saturday parades. General Pershing and St Charles, 2008

Uptown Parade

Some kids give their all during Mardi Gras, including this guy marching with the Washington Marions on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, 2009.

Practicing

I loved wandering along Napoleon Avenue as the parade performers practiced on the neutral ground before the big show, just like these high school band members, 2008.

Waiting

Another shot of the scenes pre-parade on Napoleon Avenue, 2008. Sometimes there's practicing, other times there's a bunch of milling about - but all the same, this is a great way to photograph Mardi Gras.

Practicing on Napoleon

This shot was taken on the neutral ground prior to one of the early Saturday parades. I loved taking shots of the bands and dance troupes running through their moves. New Orleans in 2008.

Rex King on St Charles

A Mardi Gras King riding on one of the Saturday parades in New Orleans. 2008.

SMA Majorette

A majorette band leader marches on one of the Saturday afternoon parades at General Pershing, 2008.

Band Directors

Had a little bit of fun with this one, using a preset 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

These boys can dance!

Maybe it's because I hail from a different land / culture, but the dance moves of these High school marching bands can be a little comical. Harsh, perhaps, but it does make for an interesting sight. St Charles Avenue, 2008.

LSU Players on St Charles

Some players from the SEC College Football National Champions, Louisiana State University 2009.

Catch This!

Spotting a target in the street-side crowds - a parade rider on St Charles, 2009

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

Muses Women

First time that I experienced the women of the Muses parade. These are the 'Pussyfooters', flamboyantly dressed and marching along St Charles Avenue, 2008.

Iris on Napoleon

Another of the Iris riders - an all female krewe - mixing it up with the crowds on Napoleon Avenue, 2010.

Iris Beads

A favourite image of mine, these are the all-female Iris riders on a float at General Pershing, 2008

Colorful Iris

This is one of my favourite floats in the Iris parade - not necessarily because of the caged dancers, but the colourful costumes. This is on St Charles Avenue in 2008.

Marching past General Pershing

High schoolers on parade in Mardi Gras - definitely a Mardi Gras tradition. Saturday parades in 2008

Monk

Riding in Tucks in 2008. This is a great krewe, which brings out some very interesting characters, such as this guy.

Tucks Dancers

I just loved the Krewe of Tucks; the participants were so much more original than in your typical Mardi Gras parade. These girls made quite the scene on St Charles Avenue in 2008.

Tucks Dancer

I loved watching the Tucks parade in New Orleans - the performers, such as this dancer, were just that little bit different. This is on St Charles Avenue, 2008.

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!

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 seen so many revelers in costume.

Hulk Hogan

I love the pre-parade costumes on Mardi Gras weekend - this couple were getting in to the spirit of things in anticipation of Hulk Hogan Grand Marshalling Bacchus. Napoleon Av, 2008.

Waiting on Zulu

I took this shot of this kid while we (and everyone else) were waiting for Zulu to roll down St Charles in downtown New Orleans. It was a long wait and the crowds were insane - any vantage point will do at times. 2008.

Mr. Big Shot

The Big Shot, Parade Float #1, meets the crowds on St Charles Avenue just before Canal Street in New Orleans, 2008.

Fat Tuesday Jester

Decked out in very traditional Mardi Gras colors and some extra large beads. A very distinctive, but very safe costume. Canal Street, 2008

LSU in Rex

The LSU band is quite a sight; these students were seen parading infront of the brass band on Canal Street during Rex in New Orleans, 2008.

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.

Scots in Rex

I saw these guys quite a few times during Mardi Gras over the years - an act paying homage to Scotland, complete with bagpipes and everything that goes with it - seen on Canal Street, 2008.

Bourbon Street Crowds

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

Famous Door

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

Second Line on Bourbon

One of the signature sights in New Orleans - a Second Line jazz performance on the street - this one was during the Shangri La Mardi Gras parade in the French Quarter, 2010.

Rough Rider

Can't remember, was she part of the rough Riders parade? Lee Circle, 2009

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

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.

Lee Circle

First weekend parades on St Charles Avenue, 2009. This shot was taken on Lee Circle, as the parades continue their march toward downtown.

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.

Muses on St Charles

I look at this Pussyfooters Mardi Gras shot years later and I do wonder if she was "dissing" me? I guess, not? Looks like here pose was the same as her partner. New Orleans. 2011.

Flambeau

The Flambeau is somewhat controversial as it has some connotations of forced labor from years gone by, but it is still a big part of Mardi Gras tradition. This was on St Charles Avenue in 2009.

Thoth Crowds

Getting in among the crowds as the Thoth parade rolls down Henry Clay before turning on to Magazine Street, 2011.

Majorette on St Charles

One of many dancer leaders on a Saturday afternoon parade in Uptown Mardi Gras, St Charles, 2010

Tucks Majorette

I added a slight scratch texture to this image as I thought that it complemented 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.

Tucks Parade

I added a matte effect to this image; and it seems to work with the colours. The is a float during the more gloomy day for the Krewe of Tucks to roll - St Charles Avenue, 2010.