Mississippi Delta

[Hollis]

Im thinking about making a quick sojourn to Mississippi to shoot in the delta. Anyone know of some 'must see' places? Im thinking about going tomorrow so this is very last minute.

Hollis Bennett

[Pat Kearns]

Vicksburg and the Civil Wat battlefied area are nice. Port Gibson was claimed to be the town too pretty to burn was spared by the Union forces. There is a church with a gold hand with it's finger pointing to heaven on top of it's steeple Further south is Natchez with numerous antebellum homes. If you want to venture further south I would recommend St. Francisville, LA. There are quite a numer of antebellum homes here as well. There was an old motor court in St. Francisville that I expected to see Bonnie and Clyde drive out of. I've been wanting to get back to photograph it but I don't know if it survived hurricane Katrina.

[Hollis]

Thanks. I wasn't able to get out today so maybe next week - will give me some time to stew over it.

[Vick Vickery]

If you venture south of Vicksburg (I don't know the Delta very well north of there), Port Gibson and Natchez are well worth a visit if you want to do some architectural photography. Be sure to take a look at Natchez on the web for dates of the Spring and Fall Pilgramages also...very colorful with alot of homes open for inspection that are normally closed (private residences) and complete with hosteses in antebellum costume. Have fun!

[Bill_1856]

The so-called "Delta" is a huge area, essentially everything south from Memphis to Baton Rouge. In the last 15 years Riverboat casino gambling has grossly infused the area with "modern urban" commercial development. Walker Evans' kind of images are still there, but now you'll have to look for them, whereas before they were everywhere.
One area to consider which may not have changed much is Greenville, MS.

[venchka]

My one excursion through the Delta, contrary to previous posts I think the Delta is centered on Clarksdale, was a drive from Helena, Arkansas to Batesville, MS. Cotton fields, cotton harvesting hardware, cotton fields, cotton mills, cotton fields, that is about it. I do remember driving through the most economically depressed yet very interesting town I've ever seen. It looked like a place out of the Great Depression or a Mad Max movie. I recall thinking at the time that it would be a great place to photograph if you could get the confidence and acceptance of the inhabitants. A place for a Leica and a Speed Graphic. I looked at a map yesterday. Jonestown (interesting name, hey?) on MS highway 316 is the only town that fits the location I remember.

Several years ago an episode of 60 Minutes featured Morgan Freeman and a BBQ-Blues place he owned in Clarksdale. I have know idea if the place is still in operation.

Good luck! Share your photographs if you go.

[Jim Rice]

Also the largest, thirstiest mosquitoes on the planet in the summer.

[Hollis]

All sounds good to me! As for the mosquitos, Im going to have to challenge that one and say that the ones in Alaska are by far the worst around. I have seen them actually run caribou to death trying to get away from them.

I was just in Wilmington, NC (not the delta at all) for a commercial shoot and that place holds some promise, especially up hwy. 74 West what with all the logging - very desolate.

[Ed Richards]

I will concede that the Alaska mosquitoes are probably worse during their short season, but for pure long term misery ours win out since you usually have them around for about 9 months.

As for what is the delta - a hydrologist would say that it extends throughout southern Louisiana all the way to the end of the river 100 miles south of New Orleans. Culturally, St Francisville is where you start blending into the Cajun and Creole culture.