The Lovely Details of New Orleans

Every city has a little something that sets it apart from other cities. One city might sidewalks everywhere and funny-looking traffic lights. Another city might have buildings with lots of brick and wood accents. New Orleans has a lot of little somethings that make it different.

I love these tiles which mark the street names on the sidewalks of New Orleans. The idea comes from another era; these days, at best, a city might paint the name on the sidewalk, or impress it in the wet concrete.

Tiles? What if they crack, or get stolen? Practicality and fear often wins over charming and beautiful. New Orleans isn't afraid of a little impracticality for the sake of loveliness.

I also relish the design that went into the tiles. Look at that wonderful yellow outline. Look at how the width of the space and the 'I' are smaller so that the word lays out as if it were in a magazine. Lovely.

I wonder how many people have treaded over these markers without appreciating their beauty and uniqueness. You can read a bit about the tiles from the current manufacturer.

My New Camera

Since mid December, I've added a new camera to my aresenal. You can read my review and impressions of the Sony NEX-6 on Engineering Adventure. The above photo, and my photos from Journey to the Beast's Castle were taken using it. Let me know what you think!