I will be taking a business trip to New Orleans is June. I am not much of a Jazz enthusiast, so I don't imagine I will be going to any Jazz festivals. I thought I would enjoy the zoo & aquarium, but they appear to close at the same time my conference will be getting over each day. Let me know of any other suggestions as to what I shouldn't miss and what I should take for lenses. Thanks.
First of all, from experience don't rent a car unless your hotel has free parking. Otherwise it is $14/night. NOLA has a street car that runs all over. Google their stops compared to where you are staying. I filled 2 (16) raw+ SD cards in my four day stay. There is so much architecture. Two musts are the garden district and the french quarter. There are a million places to shoot. The flowers will be in full bloom, lucky you!
You don’t need to do anything but walk around. It’s gorgeous there and there’s so much just to see. Definitely wander through the French Quarter and the Garden District. Honestly, the zoo and the aquarium aren’t all that exciting. We’ve been twice with our kids in tow, and we’ve just enjoyed wandering the streets the best. We took a carriage ride around the French Quarter which also included a tour of cemetery. It was fun and informative.
New Orleans is such a fun place!! I'm not a huge jazz fan either, but their is still SO much stuff to do. I agree with the others- don't miss the French Quarter. You should try Cafe du Monde's beignets-- their version of a doughnut. There is also the French Market and Jackson Square. You'll be able to buy the typical NOLA gear at the French Market, like Mardi Gras things. Jackson Square has a bunch of fantastic artists and musicians to see, There is also a lot of really nice architecture around there. Oh, and stop somewhere and try a po-boy! It's a type of sandwich that can be found all over NOLA--so good!!!
Really, just wandering the streets you will find so much to do and see. Have fun!!
definitely hit up the French Quarter and Jackson Square. There are photo ops galore. Jackson Square is on the list of 20 places in the US every American should visit (according to Budget Travel). This is partly for the bearded oaks, partly because of the statue of Andrew Jackson, partly because of the neo-gothic St Louis Cathedral and partly because of Cafe du Monde. I've been there twice... as a teenager and as a college student. As a teenager, I took a candid of a can can dancer on Bourbon St. :)
Everyone is correct about the French Quarter and the Garden District. Bourbon Street at night, for that matter, almost any street in the French Quarter. Take a fast lens. Since they remodelled you can no longer see the strippers from the street, they made them move to the back of the shops. Lots of great opportunities for street photography.
St Louis Cathedral is gorgeous. Lots of great architecture.
http://www.neworleansonline.com/directory/location.php?locationID=1288
No one has mentioned the Besthoff Sculpture Garden. It is located next to the Museum of Art at City Park. You can take the Canal Street Trolley. City Park is the last stop on the Trolley. The Sculpture Garden is free.
http://www.neworleansonline.com/directory/location.php?locationID=1285
Also in City Park is the Botanical Gardens. $5 to get in.
http://www.neworleansonline.com/directory/location.php?locationID=1271
It's really touristy but Mardi Gras World was really interesting. They show you a bunch of the floats they are storing and show how they design and make them. After the tour was over they let us stay as long as we wanted and photograph everything. Even the floats for the next year. I am sure it would be better to go to Mardi Gras but figure I probably never will.
http://www.mardigrasworld.com/
For lenses: I mostly used a wider angle lens. Mostly 28-70mm though in the Garden District really needed the 12-24mm. Used my macro at the botanical garden. I don't think I used my 70-200mm at all in New Orleans.
@debrac I'm moving to New Orleans soon and trust me , your camera will never find a dull moment. From the people, architecture (the doors, you must shoot the beautiful doors of homes there)..here is a great link for a friend of mines blog..she put together a list of "the best of.."
hope this helps and remember, enjoy..it's a special city! http://latonola.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/favorite-things-in-nola-2012/
Jackson Square is great. I didn't care for the French Quarter, but that's just me. Garden District is just wonderful. Find a cemetary while in the Garden District.
Oh, if you can get out to any of the plantations those are also great.
@melody2289@jsw0109@mikehamm@lisjam1@tskipper Thank you for your help everyone. It does sound as though I could be busy even without the conference. @lstasel Thank you for your help and the links. I wasn't sure if I should take one of my zoom lenses or not. It sounds like it isn't much of an issue. @mizhayz The link is great. Thank you.
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Really, just wandering the streets you will find so much to do and see. Have fun!!
St Louis Cathedral is gorgeous. Lots of great architecture.
http://www.neworleansonline.com/directory/location.php?locationID=1288
No one has mentioned the Besthoff Sculpture Garden. It is located next to the Museum of Art at City Park. You can take the Canal Street Trolley. City Park is the last stop on the Trolley. The Sculpture Garden is free.
http://www.neworleansonline.com/directory/location.php?locationID=1285
Also in City Park is the Botanical Gardens. $5 to get in.
http://www.neworleansonline.com/directory/location.php?locationID=1271
It's really touristy but Mardi Gras World was really interesting. They show you a bunch of the floats they are storing and show how they design and make them. After the tour was over they let us stay as long as we wanted and photograph everything. Even the floats for the next year. I am sure it would be better to go to Mardi Gras but figure I probably never will.
http://www.mardigrasworld.com/
For lenses: I mostly used a wider angle lens. Mostly 28-70mm though in the Garden District really needed the 12-24mm. Used my macro at the botanical garden. I don't think I used my 70-200mm at all in New Orleans.
hope this helps and remember, enjoy..it's a special city! http://latonola.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/favorite-things-in-nola-2012/
Oh, if you can get out to any of the plantations those are also great.
@jsw0109 Jeff, if you check out the photo, you'll see why I tagged you.
@lstasel Thank you for your help and the links. I wasn't sure if I should take one of my zoom lenses or not. It sounds like it isn't much of an issue.
@mizhayz The link is great. Thank you.