No one is quite sure exactly why New Orleans was nicknamed “The Big Easy”. Many people hotly contest this nickname’s origins. Some believe the name comes from The Big Easy Dance Hall, in operation in the early 1900s until it burned down. The Big Easy may also refer to black entertainers having an easier time landing gigs in New Orleans than other southern locales in the 19th century.
Whatever its origins, some think the nickname refers to the slower pace of life in New Orleans and the city’s somewhat loose morals. The term became popularized in the latter half of the 19th century when James Conway wrote his crime novel, “The Big Easy,” and Betty Guillaud of The Times-Picayune began using the phrase in the 1970s and 80s. You might even know “The Big Easy” from the 1986 movie of the same name.
I have been to New Orleans two times. The first time I was there for a weekend and we wandered around the French Quarter taking in the interesting sites and decadence. My most recent trip was with my husband. We drove through the city vowing to come back and spend several days. I shot these images as “drive by shots”. As I get older, my interest in street photography has grown.
What was most memorable about my first trip to “The Big Easy” was my interest in photography was in its infancy .Picture taking in “The Big Easy” was challenging for me, as I didn’t have the skills to deal with the unique lighting and I didn’t understand about film speed and capturing moving objects.
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