I had never been to New Orleans before, so on my recent road trip I made sure to take some time out to see the city since I was going to be fairly close by. I know that there was still a lot of damage left over from Hurricane Katrina but its hard to get a grasp on just how much of the city is still in disarray until you see it with your own eyes.\n\nAs most of you know one of my main interests in photography is abandoned buildings, so you would think I would be shutter happy in a place like New Orleans, but thats not the case. I have way too much respect for the people and the tragedy that they went through. The last thing they need is some idiot with a camera reminding them of what they went through only to get in his car and drive away. \n\nThe night I arrived in New Orleans and the following day I did a lot of driving around the city trying to take it all in (it was honestly hard to absorb it all). I got to see wards 1-9 and 15 for the day I was there. It was amazing how the damaged buildings started a block after nice upscale businesses and then continued for many many blocks. \n\nI only stopped twice to take photos. These were taken in areas where there were no signs of any people around that I may offend. \n\nI think I feel this way because my parents house (the house I grew up in) was destroyed in a tornado about eight years ago and I know that the last thing I would want in the days following while I was rummaging through insulation, drywall and various other debris looking for personal items is sightseers setting cameras on a tripod to take photos.\n\nMy parents were lucky enough to have their insurance company cover the rebuild, I saw way too many people in New Orleans that called the underpass of I-10 their new home that are not nearly as lucky. \n\nNikkon D70, Nikkor 18-35mm, New Orleans, LA