*Image is the intellectual property of TMatt Photography LLC and is protected under US Copyright laws. It can not be screen shotted, used, or altered in any kind of way without written permission from TMatt Photography LLC. *
Prior to taking this image, I had been seeing a lot of beautiful Nola rain shots and it made me want to capture one that was completely amazing.
I wanted one so badly that I literally starting praying for one, about a week before a planned Nola trip.
It was in Sept 2018 and the weekend of the Saints first home game of the season. Bourbon street was packed and crazy, even during the day. People were running around having fun, throwing beads off balconies and music was blaring from the clubs.
All of a sudden, as I was walking, the skies just opened up and it started pouring. People starting scurrying around for cover and everyone on the balconies ran inside.
“Just like that”, within minutes, the atmosphere went from “partying” to being very somber.
Luckily, I had an umbrella and I had my camera hid under my shirt to keep it better protected. I noticed the people walking down the street and I just had a feeling that I needed to shoot right at that moment. So, I stopped and pulled out my camera, put my umbrella over it and snapped using only one hand.
Since, the umbrella was over my camera and not me, I got drenched. I was felt like a wet rat-a wet COLD rat. I walked about 8 miserable blocks back to my hotel to get dry and warm.
It was absolutely all worth it to get get an amazing shot like this though. Little did I know that later on, this image would take First Place and Best of Show in my very first art gallery competition.