Documenting New Orleans-The Passion of Ed Richards

In the finest tradition of large format documentary photography, my friend Ed Richards has been documenting the aftermath of Katrina and the evolving urban landscape of New Orleans for many years. See his work at his website. When we are taking images we oftentimes don't realize their long term historic value. It can be satisfying in the moment to make some great images, but the real social value may not be evident for decades when the images give others a window into the past. My hat goes off to unsung artists like Ed whose passion is now but who's true reward may not be realized even in their lifetime. Like Atget, their impassioned artistry are the bedrock of historic preservation and vital to the understanding of generations to come.