Welcome to the 10th annual photo issue! I remember the first year we started publishing this special edition—it was hot, news was slow, the writers were in need of a much deserved break, and Dan and I thought August would be a great month to showcase the year’s visual stories and amplify the hard work of our beloved photographers. Over the years, ANTIGRAVITY has had the pleasure of featuring some of New Orleans’ finest shutterbugs. Who can remember those epic Gary LoVerde shots, Zack Smith’s artful portrait eye, Julie Dermansky’s scenic stories, Avery Leigh White’s street portraits, the way our own EIC Dan captured band photos, and so many more?
Even though the photo issue is only 11 years old1The first photo edition was published in August 2013, but was skipped in 2020 when COVID disrupted the traditional yearly cycle., I personally have been contributing to AG since 2009. Dan approached me to publish a photo of The Local Skank that I took at Banks Street Bar. I can admit, I was still learning and this photo wasn’t my best and certainly wasn’t (in my opinion) worthy of being featured in print. I was concerned about the composition and expression of the subject. I was still green, learning the craft, so I cringed when a not-so-perfect photo was on display for public consumption. As photographers, we aren’t only using a tool (the camera) to make a photo. We are using our eye and creative expression to tell a story. We spend years technically training and developing a style only to go into situations where the elements can limit or inhibit that vision. In the case of that photo, I was limited by terrible, small venue lighting and a plastic toy Holga film camera. It wasn’t until I saw the photo in newsprint that I realized those particular limitations were the charm. I was happy I took it and even happier it found its way to print. It shows me as a baby photographer and where I was in that moment of my life. I am lucky that Dan was encouraging and foresighted enough to see something in me I didn’t yet see in myself.
As I’ve gone on to have a career in photography, I’ve noticed there to be an emotional element and connection with all of my photos and shoots. Not every photo I’ve made is perfect but I appreciate and love each one for their contribution to my story. They’ve helped me evolve, learn, and grow as an artist. They’ve brought me to places and introduced me to people I would never have met otherwise. I’m learning to accept and appreciate the work more than the individual photo. The story it tells is bigger than technique; it is a document of time and place. For that, I am so grateful to have found my tool to capture it all.
With that, I am proud to introduce the talented and dedicated photographers in the following pages. Their image diary from the past year shows this city from all angles—from street photography to live shows. I hope you enjoy seeing their story as much as I have. —Adrienne Battistella
Top photo: Portrait of the author at Little Black Creek Campground, January 2019, by Dan Fox
Bottom photo: The Local Skank at Banks Street Bar, published July 2009 (AG #60)
August 2024 cover photo (Ezra at Home on June 22, shot on Ilford HP5 Plus 400 film) by Marisa Clogher.
