Katrina days

When allowed to return to his home in the weeks following Katrina, photographer and New Orleans resident George Long did what came naturally, he reached for his camera. With an eye for the minutiae of the tragedy, Long set out to document not just the effects of the storm, but the resilience and surprising humor of the people of the Big Easy. Ranging from the haunting to the darkly humorous, the photos in Katrina Days cover the immediate aftermath of the storm through two years of recovery, painting a vivid picture of post-Katrina life. Long adds a comical touch with slightly snarky titles—one photo of a ransacked supermarket is dubbed “Clearance Sale”—but the work is at its best when focused on the residents themselves. One of the most affecting images is that of several area business owners at a “Back to Business” meeting. The weariness and uncertainty on their faces is an indelible reminder of how far New Orleans has yet to go if it’s ever to be the city we remember before the storm. Long’s pictorial efforts to reconcile his Katrina experiences seems like another firm step on the road to rebuilding. georgelong.com