The day begins with the sound of pouring rain banging against the windows. A humid air lingers outside and although the AC keeps the living room cool, you can already feel the humidity creeping into the kitchen. We make some oatmeal, coffee and get some work done in the morning. The plan for today is to meet with my friends Austin Raye & Julian Daigre.
A few months back, Marco and I worked a job that had the both of us touring around country to 6 cities, me as camera operator and him as camera assistant/BTS photographer, for a company that represents athletes. During our time there, we befriended one of the coolest couples we’ve ever met. They’re both incredibly talented acrobats who combine yoga, tumbling and cheerleading into a mix of insane workouts. There was nothing but good vibes attached to them so I made a promise to Austin that I would come down to New Orleans soon to shoot their story. This is why New Orleans was one of the cities we simply could not cut.
They’re kind enough to pick Marco & I up from our Airbnb spot and take us out to lunch. On the ride there, Austin points out some of the damage that was caused by Katrina and how much of an impact it made not only on the city but him and his family as well. Austin and his family were some of the few that decided to stay and help when things got really bad. His uncle in particular, Joey LaBella, or Pappy as Austin calls him, gave back by providing food to those in need during the cities darkest time. This is where we came for lunch and had the pleasure of meeting Pappy.
We were treated to a fantastic lunch accompanied by great conversation with Austin, Julian & Pappy. Marco goes more in depth on this experience in his post here.
After we finished up with lunch we made a pit stop at a gas station that is supposedly unlike any other according to Austin. I was skeptical at first, considering the fact that we literally stopped at every gas station within 200 miles of each other since we’ve started this trip, however I was curious about what makes this place unique. It didn’t disappoint; a massive variety of soft drinks, ice cream and coffee you could think of! Free ice cream samples too! This place was legit. Bruno would love it here since he’s got a bigger sweet tooth than Marco & I do. As much as I enjoyed it, I’m glad they don’t have this place back at home because I’d probably make it a frequent stop of mine.
After the pit stop, we headed over to Austin & Julian’s apartment to start their interviews. In a perfect world, I’d prefer to do the interviews somewhere with a background that screams New Orleans but considering the fact that the weather wasn’t favorable and there wasn’t much time left to go scouting for a location, we worked with what we had. What I did enjoy about working from their home was that this was their comfort space and since we were going to ask some very personal questions, I wanted them to be as comfortable as possible.
Once we finished up the interviews I sat down with Austin & Julian to discuss their schedule for the following day and what our options are in case we get rained out. For the most part, they can practically turn any kind of location into their own playground which is great because it gives us options on where to shoot but not so much when it’s pouring out. The interviews are by far the most important for me to get however I need footage of them doing what they do best to put over the interviews so I have something else to cut to. Since we’re at the mercy of Mother Nature we decide to just see how things play out the following day and go from there.
Austin gives Marco & I a ride back to our place and takes a few detours along the way. He points out some great spots for food, music, drinks and anything else in between. Once we get closer to the French Quarter and Bourbon street we can feel and hear the soul and energy that can only be found in New Orleans. Bands playing literally on sidewalks facing the street on almost every block. This is it right here!
No better way to see it than with a local who truly knows the city and what it’s about. It was at this moment that I felt truly grateful that we had another friend on our journey who was kind enough to show us around, introduce us to his family and make us feel like we were a part of it.
