I don’t normally photograph weddings, but every so often there is an exception. These exceptions happen maybe once or twice a year.
I recently photographed a wedding in New Orleans. One of the fun things that happen at New Orleans weddings is called Second Line.
Second line is a tradition in brass band parades in New Orleans, Louisiana. The “main line” or “first line” is the main section of the parade, or the members of the actual club with the parading permit as well as the brass band. Those who follow the band just to enjoy the music are called the “second line.” The second line’s style of traditional dance, in which participants walk and sometimes twirl a parasol or handkerchief in the air, is called “second lining.”
The band who played and led the wedding guests through the sidewalks of The French Quarter was the Treme Brass Band. They were amazing.
Commonly Second Lines occur in the streets, and there are police escorts blocking traffic. However, the couple had the parade in the sidewalk instead. So many of the photos were side angles. Using a wide lens I was able to make those angles fun, and get quite close to the band, the couple and the guests as they paraded.
It was also quite dark in the street, so I used an on-camera flash and a MagMod to add some light to the scenes as we walked around.
As a musician, I had a blast photographing the Second Line, and the music, of course.
