Landscape/architectural photography--Gulf coast.

[Donald Miller]

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[glbeas]

What kind of places are you looking to shoot at?

[Donald Miller]

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[Bruce Osgood]

I am strongly considering making a road trip through the southern gulf coast region. Considering photography of both landscape and architecture, what cities/regions would those who live/have traveled there recommend?

Does New Orleans have any restrictions on the use of tripods? What other cities would have restrictions in that region (southern Texas, La, Mi, Ga, Fla)?

Thanks for any information.

A couple of shots I missed last month traveling from NY to Austin Tx:

In Ga, Miss and La they have a vine that is locally called the vine that ate the South. I think its name is something like Kudzoo. At any rate, it covers EVERYTHING, and I mean it covers. It covers 40ft trees completely and a whole row of them, like a blanket of snow. It makes a beautiful scene that I realized I had no idea how to photograph it. It gives a very sensual appearance and you feel it is undulating when it's not even moving in the wind. In b/w I felt I could not capture the feelings it gives and in color, well, I felt it was a waste of a good scene.

We then drove to Beaumont/Port Arthur (Home of Janice Joplin) Tx where I wanted to photograph the oil fields in Pt. Arthur. I parked the car on the side of the road and the skys started darkening over the Gulf and a huge downpour started that got worse and worse. Rattling thunder and tremendous bolts of lightening We had to leave without the shot.

Perhaps you will get them.

[Jeremy]

just in case you're trying to find more info about the vine, it's spelled "kudzu"

[clay]

On the Texas Gulf coast, Rockport and Galveston have plenty of shrimper fleets, oil rigs, old rattle trap buildings and other sorts of local color. Lafayette, Louisiana is the heart of Cajun country, and I would recommend visiting Breaux Bridge, the Atchafalaya Basin, and if you are really adventurous and want to see some real wetland living, go on down to Golden Meadow and Larose, then head back up the river to New Orleans.

New Orleans is very picturesque, and also very dicey, crime-wise. Be aware, talk to some locals, and don't just assume that walking four blocks away from Bourbon Street will be necessarily safe. If you are planning on doing big camera photography in N.O., I would highly recommend the buddy system. If you are using handheld cameras, be discrete and non-flashy. New Orleans is one of the few places around where getting robbed at gunpoint by a six foot tall transvestite will just generate a yawn from the police officer taking the report.

North of N.O. try the River Road and visit some of the old ante-bellum plantations on the way to St Francisville and Cottonport.

[Donald Miller]

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[glbeas]

There are quite a few small towns in Ga. that still have old buildings still standing. Around Savannah theres a very large number of old architecture going all the way beck to one pre civil war fort I've been to.
The barrier islands all down the Atlantic and Gulf coasts have very interesting flavors to them.
Also consider Charleston, another vintage city. Haven't been there yet but I've heard good things about it.
Get in touch with me when you get into the Georgia area, I might be able to find some contacts for you.

[ann]

glbeas has suggested some interesting things for Ga. If you come in to Altanta the architecture is not really exciting. Too new and modern for my taste, however, if you like a lot of glass buildings it might be just the ticket.

Depending on the direction coming from , between Columbus Ga and Atlanta there are several small towns that have some interesting old buildings. Eufala has some very old homes down main street, but lots of trees and funky lighting.

[Jorge]

North of ATlanta there are many wonderful waterfalls. If you go to atlanta buy the book waterfalls in north Georgia, and you will find many wonderful places. I specially recommend Panther creek if you feel like doing a good hike while you photograph, a beautiful place with many wonderful opportunities.