For photography, I highly recommend a visit to the 9th Ward. I recently returned from a volunteer trip in the Gulf. You want to go with a group and during the day, but it is absolutely fascinating. A ghost town.

Here’s a pretty good list to start with:
http://neworleans.citysearch.com/roundup/40082/

If you’re interested in unique architecture at all, there’s plenty of it all over the city. Of course, you’ll also run into a lot of flood damaged neighborhoods that will shock you. I spent most of my time down there gutting places, but outside the French Quarter, St. Charles Avenue is definitely worth a drive. Be sure to get pictures of both.

Well I would wander outside of the French Quarter if I were you… farther down toward the Mississippi River where it is still technically the french quarter but is more … real. There are wonderful outdoor markets and bakeries. Also, the Garden district is wonderful.. take the St. Charles trolley down to the street Ann Rice used to live on and walk through the campus at Tulane… I cant tell you how beautiful that is. Also there is the Zoo in the Garden District as well and the aquarium of the Americas. Let me see…. make sure to go on a cemetery tour.. that is fun. There are also vampire tours and voodoo tours as well… those are touristy but so much fun!
I love that city… have not been since the tragedy but I plan to go back this year. Please write back and tell me how it was! And be careful… it is not exactly the safest city in the world. I know it is charming, wonderful, and you will certainly fall in love with it but watch yourself!
Salena

Lucky you!

So many places, along with what’s mentioned above …

City Park. The cemetaries. Go across the river and take pictures from Gretna. Audabon Park and the Zoo. St. Charles Street. Magazine Street. The river up by Carrolton and St. Charles. Wander about the Marigny. The lakefront can be lovely, down by UNO.

Get out into the Bayou if you can. Lovely.

Go visit Kappa at Slim Goodies (garden district) and tell her Bobby (Karen’s brother) said hi!

(http://slimgoodies.com/)

Enjoy! It’s almost impossible not too.

For photography, I recommend finding the chapel in St Roch cemetery, taking the ferry across the river to Algiers and walking up to Mardi-Gras world, and exploring the neighborhoods downriver from the quarter, Faubourg Marigny and the Bywater.

The French Quarter has a lot of neat architecture, and a wide selection of photogenic people. Close by is the river and you can often see interesting water traffic.

If you like long bridges, gp north to the Cauesway- it is a 24 mile bridge across Lake Ponchartrain. I would also visit the lake front area- not a lot of photo ops, but very beautiful and peaceful.

I lived there when I was a child and I haven’t been there since Katrina so my recommendations may be not so great anymore but…I would definitely have a look in the Garden District and then one of my personal favorites is Audobon Park. There used to be this really huge beautiful tree (that I thought I had heard was damaged or even destroyed in Katrina) that I just thought was so amazing. Also the campus of Tulane is really pretty. I would have to agree with the first repsonse that I would hit up the 9th ward for sure. Some friends were there about 6 months or so ago and they said it still looked like the storm had just happened. I imagine there’s some pretty poignant stuff there. It really breaks my heart still. I’ve lived in many places but I definitely have some roots there. Even if they are broken. So is my heart. I’m kind of afraid to go now actually. It might be too painful. Wherever you end up you should have no lack of subject matter. It’s a really colorful place. At least it was…

Though it’s not a great one, and I’m not sure if it was hit by Katrina, they do have a botanical garden next to the art gallery. Might be worth checking out if you have time.

Have a great time, and good luck with the photography. It’s a great place to visit!

I was raised here and came back after being displaced by Katrina. I tried living somewhere else and missed it too much.

Definitely visit places devastated by Katrina-Lakeview and the Lower Ninth Ward. Please visit other neighborhoods other than the French Quarter. The Bywater/Frenchman/Esplanade area just outside the Quarter is great! The areas around Bayou St. John and City Park are very photogenic. Also, the Uptown area by the universities, zoo and Audubon Park-especially Magazine St. There is an area behind the Zoo known locally as the “Fly”...some of the best views of the River away from Downtown. If you want shots of the skyline, take a ferry to the Westbank and go to Algiers Point and Old Town Gretna. If you are really adventurous, go out to N.O. East and visit Village L’Est. There is a whole Vietnamese community out there with an open air market. You will think you are in Ho Chi Minh City.
Of course, the cemeteries and mansions on St. Charles.

If you let me know what you are specifically looking for, I can point you in the right direction. I live here so I know what is still around and what’s not.

My friend Fletcher says:
I suppose one person’s photogenic is another’s photographobic. (No, that is not a real word, as far as I know.)

There are, of course, the tourist areas, such as Audubon Zoo, the FQ (and the surrounding area), as well as the Aquarium of the Americas. There are also the world-renowned cemeteries, as well. If she’s keen on Louisiana-particular wildlife (minus the alligators, and the cages), I would suggest also try Lafreniere Park, which is New Orleans’ take on feeding the pigeons in New York City. If she’s into edifices, she could try the artistic and modern Galleria (Metairie), or any of the taller buildings in downtown NOLA. If she’s going to the French Quarter, it’s worth noting that she may wish to walk down Canal Blvd. She will also want to check into the riverboat ride (just check in at the Aquarium/Zoo for that). Of course, the people at the airport will be more than happy to tell her of all the other places to go, and more importantly, where to avoid.

When I visited several years ago I was blown away by the number of street musicians in the French Quarter. Very photogenic place.

You have to try the beignets from Cafe Du Monde. Just looking at a picture of them makes my mouth water.

The cemetaries with their gigantic tombs are amazing photo ops too.

thank you all so much!! i am leaving in about half an hour, so i am definately going to print this page off to take with me! hopefully i will have a lot of good pictures up next week :)