My Grandmother – Before & After in City Park!

Arte by Doug

Sometime last year while visiting with my grandmother, I noticed a stack of photo albums piled up in the corner. I enjoyed flipping through them and seeing the various places they lived as they were moved around while my grandfather was in the military, as well as seeing what New Orleans looked like many years ago. But there was one photo that really caught my attention and sparked an idea.  As a wedding photographer, we do lots of shoots – bridal and engagement – around City Park, and often use the lion statues as props, background elements, etc. So I was very excited when I came across a photo of my grandmother as a 19-year-old sitting on one of the lions! Since seeing that photo last year, I’ve been wanting to take her out to the park to re-create that image as she’s quickly closing in on her 88th birthday. Well, we finally did just that a couple weeks ago and I’m so happy with how it came out!  It’s moments like these that really drive home the importance of photos and documenting our lives and those of our loved ones. Now, my grandmother is probably the most fit 87-year old I’ve ever known, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified as we were getting her onto the lion and thinking “great, she’s made it to 87 and because of my crazy photo idea she goes into her 88th birthday with a broken hip!”