We spent most of last week in New Orleans for Pictage’s PartnerCon, a national convention of photographers from all over. It was an amazing experience to meet so many incredible photographers, learn from them, and become motivated to take our photography to the next level. I am so excited about what we learned there, the sweet people we met, and the enthusiasm we left with for our business, our clients, and our craft!
I could go on forever about the conference, and since I don’t have any photos to show from the conference itself, I’ll keep the gushing to a minimum. The theme was “Dream. Create. Inspire.” and I’d say all of those things happened while we were there. 
I have photos coming soon for you from some shooting workshops Jeff and I both did, and you’ll be excited to see them. I promise.
Before the conference started, though, Jeff and I arrived in New Orleans a few days early to enjoy the city and experience New Orleans and the surrounding area. Here are some shots from our stroll around the French Quarter area.
We arrived on October 31st, and since we were staying in the French Quarter, it was difficult to miss out on the Halloween festivities. It was fun seeing the costumes and the people having a fun time. It’s not an experience I probably ever would have had at any other time. These were all shot with available light, for my photographer friends.
We also rented a car one day and drove about an hour west of New Orleans to visit some of the plantation homes. I have never visited this area of the country before, and it was really interesting to see. The two sugar cane plantations we visited were very different, with very different stories and different families who lived there.
The first plantation we visited was Oak Alley. It was very picturesque. We couldn’t take photos inside, unfortunately, but we did eat some AMAZING southern food at the restaurant on site.
The second plantation we visited was the Laura Plantation, and I enjoyed the tour here so much. This home was run by a Creole family, and the colors throughout the home and the property were amazing. And the trees in that part of the country are breathtaking.
I share this next photo, because the photo on the very left shows a woman on her wedding day, in her wedding dress. And see that fan hanging above the mantle? Apparently, these fancy fans took the place of a diamond engagement ring. Ladies… who’s up for a fan instead of a ring? Still, it’s so beautiful and has that Southern charm!
A few more shots, with some of the gorgeous plants growing on the plantation! Jeff took all three of these:
