People march in the street during the Prince of Wales 88th anniversary second line parade in New Orleans' Irish Channel neighborhood on Oct. 9, 2016. 

A car sits in the street of New Orleans.

The Prince of Wales second line parade makes its way down a street of New Orleans' Irish Channel neighborhood on Oct. 9, 2016. 

Men dance on a float with Queen Terry during the Prince of Wales second line parade in New Orleans on Oct. 9, 2016. 

A young boy stands on top of a concrete wall at a cemetery as he watches a second line parade pass by in New Orleans. 

A young boy holds a snake during a second line parade in New Orleans. 

Homes along a New Orlean's street. 

A home in New Orlean's Garden District. 

Steph looks out of the door of our Airbnb in New Orlean's Garden District. 

A mural on the side of a building in New Orleans. 

A voodoo shrine in the French Quarter on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016.

Chopokthiinitka Taiyi, whose name translates into “Hummingbird Woman,” is the last full-blooded member of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana. With around 1,100 members today, many in the tribe have married into other tribal nations. Although, of its remaining members, 85 percent still speak Koasati, the native language. Known for their basket weaving, the Coushatta traditionally use Louisiana native longleaf pine needles to make their baskets.

Graves at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans. 

A man holds his pet snake in New Orleans. 

The swamps in Des Allemands, La. 

A 12-foot-long alligator climbs aboard an airboat in Des Allemands, La.

A crucifix stands in the Holy Rosary Cemetery in Killona, La., as the Dow Chemical Plant looms in the background. 

A woman stands on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter with a sign asking for money for photos with her on Oct. 10, 2016. 

A sign in Voodoo shop window in New Orleans.

John Boutté sings his popular song 'The Treme Song' at a bar on Frenchman Street in New Orleans. 

A man in a cowboy hat listens to musicians play at a zydeco jam session at the Blue Moon Saloon in Lafayette, La on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016. 

A drummer plays in a window of a bar along Frenchman Street in New Orleans on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016. 

A woman leans against a car during the Prince of Wales second line parade in New Orleans on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016.

I traveled to New Orleans with my fiance and fellow photographer Stephanie Strasburg for a little vacation in October. These are some of the images from our travels. 

Justin Merriman

Justin Merriman is a freelance photojournalist, commercial photographer, licensed drone pilot, and filmmaker based in Pittsburgh. His career began in Southwestern Pennsylvania, where he worked as a newspaper photographer dedicated to community storytelling and politics. Since then, his work has been recognized with regional, national, and international awards and has appeared in publications around the world.

After covering the crash of United Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 2001, Merriman committed to documenting the U.S. military’s War on Terror, reporting from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and across the United States. His international assignments have also included life in Fidel Castro’s Cuba, India’s campaign to eradicate polio, the aftermath of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Cuba in 2012, the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis in Rome, the second anniversary of Egypt’s revolution, Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea, and the uncertain future of Guantanamo Bay in 2015. That same year, he traveled the full U.S.–Mexico border to document immigration issues.

In addition to photography, Merriman works as a director and filmmaker, creating recent films on refugees in Turkey, Jordan, India, and South Africa.

Closer to home, he frequently covers stories across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, focusing on the intersections of economic, environmental, and political life. Most recently, he reported on the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and its impact on the community.

Born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Merriman graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg with a B.A. in English Writing. In 2009, the university awarded him its prestigious Alumnus of Distinction award. He is a founding member of Argo Collective, a group of photographers sharing diverse visions of America. He lives outside Pittsburgh with his wife, Stephanie Strasburg, a photojournalist with PublicSource.

http://www.justinmerriman.com
Previous
Previous

Trump's America

Next
Next

A Helping Hand