Transportation in The French Quarter

Speeding through The French Quarter at night… or, so it seems. Royal Street is like most of the other streets in The Quarter. Old. Narrow. Badly paved. When the paving really falls apart, it’s patched. Not very well. Because of that, nobody is going to speed through any street in The Quarter at any time. Night or day. But, the lines of mixed traffic — old and new ways of commuting — do make for some very nice pictures. Especially at night. It’s even better when the pavement is wet or slightly wet. Then, there are reflections. Lots of them.  For me, even the much of the Quarter is given over to tourists, it’s fun to shoot there. Night or day. I’ve been going there for years. Especially after I’ve been traveling. The Quarter welcomes me. I feel at home. And, it never fails to surprise me when I see something new, on a street were I walk often. And, since the city is a dog and bike town, I can take the dogs. Aside from the pet shop that allows dogs to pick their own treats, there are many bars, cafes and restaurants that put out bowl of water whether the weather is hot or not. All I can say to that is… woof.

This picture. It came at the end of a stroll. Or, photo walkabout, as some people call them. I was headed back to the car when a line of traffic sort of stopped dead. I looked ahead and saw that it was stopped for a pedestrian. So, I made a few pictures. This is one of them. I wanted the carriage to be slightly blurred so I focused and followed the taxi. The one that looks like a van. That tactic seems to have worked out. And, the slowed shutter speed captured the moodiness of the misty night. Post production was fairly simple. I did add a little more softness and glow to the picture. I think it helps the mood of the scene.