The first parade of the holiday was passing near my hotel, so it seemed like an obvious place to start. The streets were packed, and I was worried Rebecca would disappear in the crowd. I realized that she could stand above the crowd on a newspaper rack and be illuminated by a streetlight.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqmnsKb47YgrE5X0X8Q9BIf0LVSYJAhyphenhyphenTuRkcAslBRstvSOOut5FIcDA59UI5gs4uaBJ1TEhC-IaWpBrTymsuU8E8SaUNDqiBpkGS9bxuwGPQVgNzn0mjChuiIY0yPtbXyr5gul6JgSg/s400/mg-8.jpg)
Perfect! We rehearsed some poses and waited for the floats to pass by.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2ncHXK25YUBEXZEoQ22a3ED5zgFQkBcoNvdXjIe8WsOsPllWdxrRgT4DpyjFA3pQIXfUmzcAHtgL9fmuf2jhYWdBV_DmvGbNzG5dIy6jYcZjSFXe9fX8ZLb-YY7sgzdoGW1xfyYMEw/s400/mardi_gras_1.jpg)
As the parade drew closer, an unwanted visitor parked his horse right next to us.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnLTZOp0U1WlCcZRJ8UWgQyjJ4Uj9CYoJG-6yw99blRyb7dT6ehlIOTDwYC-FoyjQKxlsDUhAbH_JH5pY8uGKleUh3ME2fhNEiUgPq3PdNQghbpowwfr9mLPRsnW0i4a2gI1fuRRHAg/s400/mardi_gras_3.jpg)
Police officers usually concern me, but in this case I wasn't very worried. A city that encourages overt nudity, drunkenness and debauchery couldn't possibly have an issue with a simple back bend on a newspaper rack.
The parade arrived. We waited for a large float, then Rebecca climbed up and hit her pose. The stands were wobbly but she maintained her composure. I took ten photos.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3QQPNIHc_JDR9bNwQ8IRW-rOtynck4sOWFEWlaTrYPNq4Yeov00wCjvjNDTe-JrZhieR9BguyyI3c20dgobbpI1fqt9kMXsUNZBHPaLeAdLqUxIchMtRxSkTuUPdy_73QN5gsI580Q/s400/Parade.jpg)
Suddenly I heard a horse's hooves moving quickly toward me. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? GET DOWN RIGHT NOW!"
I guess we discovered the only punishable offense in New Orleans.
Undaunted, we moved on. We chased the parade from behind and looked for a new location. We found it when I saw a huge "Mardi Gras" sign in the distance. We tried again, this time uninterrupted.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zdvyICWQ53QY-mC2gKYG24COeiLQvtoQCLcjT_m9LLGhNE_cSnWBjN_jHCyognb6rcaKFgnPOAaOOc12AWBsMqJaSBHlHtWKGbzA-7VASqQq8VAlp0Quh2jJ8zzlAjy_fJHjGgfbag/s400/Parade_2.jpg)
After the parade ended, we decided to try our luck on the famous Bourbon Street. Rebecca changed into a bright red dress, and we descended into the madness. I found a perfect sign, with a view of City Hall in the background.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYzMZpdbaHMzWfPSmRLsA1uJihlFLxLWLZQEbRMfr59L1qRPbH7y5b3HfMcvq2T8wuiwStm2xUg8j55r0LhhBIBEF6dS_LwQrTIXgierw20o4YFtbfxRC24zuThqupCOm2azGOSLq8Q/s400/mardi_gras_4.jpg)
In the midst of this chaos, we took a fantastic photo that perfectly captures the raw beauty and reckless abandon of Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras. Unfortunately, I can't show you the final image until the book is released.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaO8IbOMaeW4H4BTUTaqkF8dXU_1czI_1cj4-ZJtVUlgdqrsMPo252uRT2qj-Q6DLaf0zXjHOe73cDdm_FzU-6wJJYB5wqY3XujkzC-cH6CKE_smEJOr-4lVbsL4PeK1MTof-yIJqGw/s400/mardi_gras_5.jpg)
We agreed to meet the next morning at the same location for one more photo.
"Mardi Gras, The Morning After"
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgI4gxcgs5HesyNp8lOu0NArJHL08UwDA2Wc-QD3bx8w3C3NOq_36zHzCsjNYvyW5CHFNl1pJIiNSpp2qaxGjVWFlMF3GO0CFpSYgi5lxFHlB45kMpHmJ2ztptk0RpQcrifS_WykAzuQ/s400/mardi_gras_6.jpg)