The Understory

In New Orleans, there is a 700-year-old grove of live oaks - the oldest in the world. The sprawling canopy of this ancient grove is like a proscenium, a verdant stage that has stood for hundreds of years as human “actors” come and go beneath them. People arrive from all over the city to socialize, rest, and play in a space liberated from the predefined backdrop of their lives. 

Like actors, the people I photograph often assume a psychological mask when in front of the camera. This could be because here they are separated from their daily environment and so no longer judged against it. They are free to be who they want to be, not necessarily who they are.

The trees project their personalities too - they are named after what activities occurred most frequently beneath them - there is the suicide oak, the dueling oak, and the singing oak. Over time, the grove has become synonymous with a place to die, fight, and be.