New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina

The Gulf Oil Spill and Louisiana

Five years ago Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans flooding approximately 80% of the city and causing massive destruction and loss of life. Whilst our focus has been on the Gulf of Mexico for the past months few of us have stopped to think about the continued rebuilding effort in New Orleans and the issues Katrina still raises within the city.

I went to New Orleans six weeks after the disaster. My work then focused on people returning to the city for the first time since the hurricane. It documented the devestation that the encountered. I used only natural light, a medium format camera and a tripod and hopefully created hauntingly beautiful photographs that also documents the story.

I returned to New Orleans earlier this year to see the city five years on. Whilst the tourist centre has returned to normal, of the 204,000 buildings in New Orleans that were damaged or destroyed approximately 27% are still uninhabitable. Unable to afford to come home and rebuild people have simply abandoned their houses.

I decided to take images this year at night. In contrast to the bright lights of the French Quarter these eerie photographs show the dark and menancing side of a wonderful city still struggling to rebuild five years on.

Check out my photos at http://www.mjmaybury.com