photobyjohnbo

Cellpic Sunday – New Orleans Cruise Departure

New Orleans at sunset.

February 2024

New Orleans, Louisiana.

A year ago, in February, we boarded the Norwegian Breakaway for a Caribbean itinerary out of New Orleans. We are thinking of sailing out of New Orleans again, maybe this fall, and we’d like to explore more of the Big Easy. Last year, it was Mardi Gras season, and the city was crowded. Maybe the city will be more laid-back in the fall, like its nickname.

We left our hotel on Sunday morning for the short trek to the Julia Street Cruise Terminal. Lynn and I drove to New Orleans instead of flying into the city. I dropped Lynn, my niece, and her husband off at the terminal with our luggage. Then I headed for a public parking ramp where I’d reserved a space online a few days earlier. After parking the car, I walked two blocks back to the terminal to join our party.

About the photo: We boarded the ship shortly before noon and got situated on the Breakaway for our 5 p.m. departure. By 5:30 p.m., we sailed down the Mississippi River toward the Gulf of Mexico and the southern Caribbean itinerary. The sun was low on the horizon, and as a hotel blocked the sun, the sky turned to gold. I grabbed my Samsung S23U for a quick snapshot. Processing was simple. There was a bit of ship superstructure at the bottom of the image that I cropped out in Adobe Lightroom Classic, and then I sent it to Luminar Neo to tweak with Accent AI. When I advanced the setting toward my usual 50-75 percent, I was surprised that severe banding was visible in the sky. I backed off the setting to about 20 percent to eliminate the banding. I finished the edit by applying a slight geometric correction to lessen the keystone distortion that creates a “leaning back” effect of tall buildings when shot from a low angle. Click on the image to view the photo in 2K HD via my Flickr site.

I wrote this post a few weeks ago, not knowing that it could be a good inclusion for Egidio’s Lens-Artists Challenge this week. As usual, my response to his challenge will be posted on Thursday, but here’s another for Egidio‘s challenge.

I encourage fellow bloggers to create their own Cellpic Sunday posts. I never have a specific topic for this feature, and the only rules are that the photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or another mobile device… If you have an image from a drone or even a dashcam, that’s also acceptable. The second rule is to link your challenge response to this post or leave a comment here with a link to your post in the comment. Oh, you don’t have to post it on a Sunday.

John Steiner

44 comments

    • I use Pro mode for shots that require modified settings like slow or fast shutter speeds. I like the ability to run Denoise and recently discovered Adaptive Color. I like that the mode creates DNG files for those advanced features. I don’t use the mode for quick snaps or fleeting opportunities.

      Reply

  20. What a stunning capture of New Orleans at sunset—there’s something so magical about the way that golden light wraps around the skyline as the ship begins its journey. I love the personal touch you bring to Cellpic Sunday, blending travel stories with thoughtful photography insights. Looking forward to seeing where your next cruise—and lens—takes us!

    Reply

      • You’re very welcome, John! The format shift has really elevated the series—it feels more immersive and personal. It’s like getting a postcard with a story behind the photo, which makes it all the more engaging. Keep doing what you’re doing—it’s a joy to follow along!

  24. John, I really like the light you grabbed in your clear NOLA shot.
    Also, I hope you do get a chance to explore the area more – we had the chance to go there in February and on one hand, the partying and overall vibe was not really our thing, but folk were nice, the cultural experience was a blast, and the food was so good.

    Reply

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