Bayou

A song played from the radio when I was young by Credence Clear Water Revival called "Born in the Bayou". That song had a spirit that went beyond its lyrics to create in my youthful mind a place with magical mysteries. Inspired by that childhood memory I visited the Louisiana Bayou to capture in photographs a visual testimony of the life and spirit of the Bayou in my mind. I chose to explore the southern most towns and surrounding area of the Bayou down in Louisiana. I made quick friends with the various people that live and make a living off the resources of that area. I reached into that magical world to visually distill the various flavors and rhythms of that wonderful culture I was lucky to experience. Being welcomed by the community, I was shown a world sustained by a grounded humanity and profound love for the land and water. I sought out people whose appearance and life circumstances were in line with my ideal of the Bayou’s mythical image. The subjects I chose for the portraits were mostly ordinary, very generous people who were coping daily with personal cycles of boom and bust. The openness of the people gave me the opportunity to experience their life in a deeper way, which allowed me to contemplate a taste of reality mixed with my childhood vision of the Louisiana Bayou. Through the honesty of my intentions I hoped to give the subjects a visual voice and a platform to be remembered and celebrated.