Bayou Visions - Reflections of a Vanishing Louisiana....
By Keith Skinner
30 September 2008
The exquisite beauty of the Louisiana swamps and wetlands remains one of the most sought after destinations for tourists in the United States.
Aside from offering the residents of Northeast Louisiana a recreation venue, the Sportsman's Paradise region remains a vital part of economic development of the communities located there. Many outdoor enthusiasts travel great distances to participate in activities such as hunting, fishing, boating and bird watching; which keeps our economy, and the people who thrive from its bounty, on an even keel.
The breathtaking beauty of the bayous and swamps have always held me in their magical spell, being first cast as a child on the many hunting and fishing trips on which I accompanied my Father and brother. This magnetic attraction drew me back to my childhood home, Bayou Bartholomew, from which I draw limitless inspiration.
Working twenty two years in Construction Management I was afforded the opportunity to visit some of the most awe inspiring places on Earth; I was touched by the beauty but not the "hard touch", forever feeling a longing I could not understand.
The reasoning for this lack of belonging was confirmed during a trip home for a duck hunt five years ago. After settling in at the hunting lodge, I managed to slip off alone to the banks of the Bayou at dusk.
The smell and sounds echoing from the swamp seemed to be beckoning me back, realizing what it was that seemed to be missing in my life. At that moment it hit me squarely in my heart and I knew I was being summoned to return to Louisiana in order to share the wealth of beauty for the many that may never venture here.
Sharply attuned to the interface of land and water, I now see the natural world through different eyes. I constantly search for shapes, patterns, colors and hues that combine to form an image that express the essence of my subjects. I have taken on the comforting role of storyteller with my images, to explore the many facets of these environments, encouraging the viewer to appreciate it with different eyes than before.
I find it unimaginable to leave the world with the vision of Louisiana played out in the media during the aftermath of Katrina. We are humble souls who revel in life as well as death. Our food is world renowned; nothing comes close to matching the smell of gumbo or crawfish boiling with Jolie Blonde playing on an old radio in the background.
I trust these images will touch the hearts of all who view them, showing the true beauty of an enviroment which is mystical yet inviting.
6 Responses
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On 30 September 2008 J Mac gave props:
yes! Yes! yes! and yes!!!!! Put it in the magazine...your photos rock!!!!
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On 30 September 2008 Sherry gave props:
1 vote from here love your photos and essay
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On 30 September 2008 Tod Smith gave props:
Keith as a Louisiana native, love it!
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On 1 October 2008 Randy Exline gave props:
Great work Keith, Louisiana never looked so good! Everyone entering my office compliments the Bayou Sunrise print I got from you! If JPG does not publish this they are missing a great oppertunity.
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On 1 October 2008 Jon Ayres said:
Great photos and story, even the photo of the Cottonmouth Moccasin striking, sure are a lot of those mean buggers in my home state of Georgia, your photos and story bring back a lot of memories for this old Georgia DNR Ranger, now stuck in Moscow, Russia. Your very talented with a camera and words. I voted yes for including this work in JPG mag.
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On 1 October 2008 Laura Hartley said:
Keith, Copying this and adding to it from a single image, where I had written this, to match the entire, fantastic tribute to Louisiana:
It is honestly hard for me talk right now. I am choked with tears. THIS IS ART. And THIS IS MY HOME. These images are remarkable, poetic, still, evocative.
How long has it been that I have seen the mist and sun over the bayou? Too, too long. Those cypress tress and knots? The smell of the marsh, the call of the duck, the pelican; magestic, the nesting Rosette spoonbills; all pink sky fluttering at dusk and dawn, like a tropical paradise, because, indeed, it is? SW LOUISIANA.
You take me back - waterskiing over the bayou waters - smooth as glass, then choppy, over a gator, watch out for the old cypress stumps, beer, sweet boat drinks, catfish, alligator gar....mosquitos....crabs at the wharf of our duck camp at Big Lake in Cameron Parish, gone now - two storms later. Our beach front land at Holly Beach? Washed away over time.
Man, you take me there.
The people, the kindest and most truly hospitable that I have ever known, that cajun accent, so charming, hard to understand at first, the "eaux" names, the dark, shining eyes, the brown skinned babies playing in the hose in hot/wet summers. Crawfish boils, the hot potatoes and corn, the onions, the garlic, shrimp etouffee, gumbo with, okra optional, boudin. The fesativals - the Frog Fest in Rayne, the irrigated rice fields, LSU, my alma mater. Shanty shacks along cancer alley, and New Oreleans. And Baton Rouge, and Lafayette. LAKE CHARLES, the Charpentier District, and our old house, those worn cement steps, the magnolia, in full bloom, pecans.
And these images could surely be the work of God himself, beckoning the lost and lonely soul, "Come back to me, come back to me....to Louisiana," that place I left, never to return, that haunts me still in darkness of night, in rain storms here over the flat, red, unfamiliar Oklahoma plains, in songs and smells along the way, no matter how far away the journey takes me, always, always, back in my mind; Louisiana.
Viva la Louisiane...Thank you for the journey, Keith. Thank you for YOUR journey.
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