All For One by Derek Breaux — The 2nd Line Band “All For One”, New Orleans, Louisiana. Feeling the passion of a 2nd Line band in New Orleans and the ectasy of the crowd enthralled in the moment is indescribable unless you experience it firsthand. However, a taste can be taken as you see the passion and exuberance the musicians are putting into the playing of their chosen instruments.
Woah Dude by Derek Breaux — Skateboarder Performing Tricks, Koln, Germany. A child’s toy turned into a finely tuned piece of sports equipment, allowing those gifted enough to do so, to perform hair raising tricks with no regards for their own safety, only truly happy when experiencing the rush of a successful trick.
Chief’s Mother by Garrett Hallbauer — Though no one knows her exact age, it is believed that the chief's mother is over 100 years old. Despite her age, she continues to labor diligently in her field, greeting all who pass by with a warm smile and proud demeanor. I captured this after glancing back one last time in admiration.
Movie Night by Garrett Hallbauer — A special treat for the villagers is "movie night," where a large projector broadcasts music videos and short films for the enjoyment of everyone. I took the opportunity of capturing a silhouette portrait of this young man who did not seem as interested in the film as everyone else.
by Karl Evertz
by Karl Evertz
Beyond Reflections by Kendall Sainata — Last summer I was an observer in New Orleans. Reflections can confine and confuse you. Is the reflection always the reality?
Sisters by Kendall Sainata — Elizabeth Grace and Kaitlyn Joy are two sisters. Two beautiful hearts; two of my sweetest friends.
NOLA Candid by Kristian Breeze — New Orleans is a city of culture. When exploring the streets with my camera, I wanted to simply capture that essence with each detail.
In Hiding by Kristian Breeze — In Hiding is a photograph from the Transparent Series. The series depicts the raw emotions we face through a fragile state of mind. “In Hiding” represents the seclusion we sometimes induce as a result.
Dad’s Drunk Again by Kylie Crowell — Frenchmen Street. Dad, after having enjoyed another vibrant night of music and spirits in great New Orleans fashion, is drunk again.
Out on a Ledge by Kylie Crowell — Skellig Michael is located off the coast of Portmagee in County Kerry, Ireland. Once inhabited by Ascetic Monks it is now the residence to thousands of fearless sea birds.
Joycie by Nick Bridges — Joycie represents the hardship of leaving behind a toxic relationship and looking forward to a beautiful, unknown future.
Maxxxed Out by Nick Bridges — Maxxxed Out is the product of exploration with color, texture and light. Combining these elements allowed me to create an expressive photograph, that is visually ignites the imagination.
NOLA Home by Tracy Carpenter — Walking the streets of New Orleans is like making a lifelong friend. It was enchanting to photograph this beautiful city while soaking in the sounds and spirit of the sweet people who call this home.
Roses for No Reason by Tracy Carpenter — Weathering storms while searching for peace, truth and acceptance, she’s learned that just as with herself sometimes what you see isn’t what you get.
Pensacola Beach Ball Support by Michael Suhor — Below the iconic Pensacola Beach Ball is the tower that supports it. Form and shape in architectural structures can become works of art themselves aside from their general function.
Beach — Sometimes it takes a walk on the beach to find ourselves in as we get lost in the sand.
Exposure Exhibit
In May of 2018 the The Mercantile Art Project invited student photographers from Pensacola, Florida to shoot scenes of New Orleans from the perspective of a visiting guest Co-sponsored by Luna Fine Art Gallery and Innisfree Hotels' corporate social responsibility program called The Hive, the project was supervised by Kristen Regan, an art professor at Pensacola State College. The students spent 3 days exploring parts of the city in search of unique images outside of regular tourist paths.
From the work of eight of the students, 73 images where chosen from hundreds and were placed throughout The Mercantile's 90 rooms where one can catch a broader glimpse of the diversity and richness that all of New Orleans has to offer.
The Photographers
Derek J Breaux • Kristian Breeze • Nick Bridges • Tracy Carpenter • Kylie Crowell • Garrett Hallbauer • Kendall Sainata • Michael Suhor
Derek Breaux
Bonjour, Olá, Guten Tag, my name is Derek Breaux and I have been passionate about photography and the arts in general for over thirty years; although over those years, photography was more of a hobby due to a full-time military career. I love to photograph with a creative fine arts perspective as well as sports photography and graphics design.
Born and raised just outside of New Orleans, where I admired, with awe, the beauty of Louisiana’s swamps and historical surroundings, from the smallest insect to the largest plantation. I decided early on to try and capture such beauty through the use of photography. Most of the time, unsuccessfully, yet undeterred. At 18, I joined the U.S. Air Force and my love of photography grew and my skills excelled. The military allowed me and my family to travel all over the U.S. and the world. We particularly loved Portugal and France as well as, Belgium, Egypt, England, and Germany. During my travels, I found an immense enjoyment of macro and landscape photography. Macro photography allowed me to show people the beauty of things normally unnoticed and unseen, whereas landscape photography allowed me to share my experiences with family and friends who were so far away. Plus, I just love the “wow factor” reactions that accompany macro photography.
Upon my retirement from the military and settling down in sunny Florida, I’ve found my love of photography has grown and expanded into different areas, such as studio and sports photography as well as a desire to become a professional photographer. I have recently begun a formal education in the arts with the hope of cultivating a career in photography and graphics design.
Garrett Hallbauer
Garrett Hallbauer discovered his passion for photography while volunteering for his high-school yearbook team. Though nothing escapes his visual interest, his favorite subjects to capture are typically found in nature. He noticed his photography develop immensely after taking a mission trip to Togo, Africa. He believes everyone should experience life away from their own country if given the opportunity. Garrett is humbled to know that the roads in his life have led him to a career in graphic design and photography, and he hopes to one day contribute his knowledge and passion to aid humanitarian efforts around the world.
Karl Evertz
I graduated from the University of South Florida in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. Marriage and children dictated my pursuit of a career in business. Thirty plus years later I was pleased to learn that film photography still existed. For the last 7 years I have been working with film, which lends itself to many creative processes, including, in my case, self made multiple pinhole cameras. This allows for juxtaposing three individual images on each piece of 4x5 sheet film.
Kendall Sainata
Kendall Sainata is a photographer in Pensacola Florida. Her work varies from portraits to landscapes, but she focuses on the relationships of her subjects and the emotions they relay. Her subjects tend to be the women closest to her that have inspired her most. Her work primarily focuses on their intimate relationships. Kendall has received her Photographic Technology Associate degree from PensacolaState College as of May 2019. Her work has been exhibited in many shows at Pensacola State College in which she has received scholarships and multiple awards. Her work has also been exhibited in theMayor’s office in Pensacola Florida as well as the Mercantile Hotel in New Orleans. She was also chosen to exhibit her artwork through her own personal show hosted by Jaco’s Bar and Grille. Kendall is incredibly passionate about her work and plans to grow and overcome challenges as she continues her career as an artist.
Kristian Breeze
Kristian Breeze received her Associates in Science for Photography and Graphic Design at PensacolaState College in 2018. Currently, Kristian is pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design. Her passion for photography sparked when she began her first photo course and realized she was able to conceptually convey her thoughts through imagery. Kristian is inspired by life and emotion, which is why details are important when photographing.
Kylie Crowell
In my work I am drawn to intricate scenes and capturing the duality the world around us obtains.Whether it be stripping all natural elements out and creating an environment around my subject,or removing the human element from a scene, it is the documentation of these complexities that inspire me to continue to create.
Nick Bridges
Nick Bridges is a documentary photographer from Pensacola, Florida where he received his Associates in Science degree in Photographic Technology from Pensacola State College. Nick draws inspiration from scenes of everyday life, around town, and at local events. He prefers to go unnoticed while photographing to capture pure moments in time. Currently, Nick is continuing his education at Pensacola State College, planning to earn an Associates in Science in Graphic Design. He hopes to combine his degrees and experience to become a traveling commercial artist, where he can continue to explore and create anywhere inspiration leads him.
Tracy Carpenter
Tracy Carpenter is a photographer from Pensacola, FL. She has always had an interest in photography, but her passion was fueled when she began Photography classes at Pensacola State College where she recently received her AS in Photography. Tracy plans to continue her education and hopes to convey messages of emotional and social awareness through her art, using many different photographic processes to accomplish this goal. Tracy has received awards for her photography and her work has been shown in multiple galleries and published in magazines.
Michael Suhor
Michael Suhor is a photographer born and raised in Florida. His Photographic journey has brought him to the northwestern panhandle where he recently acquired his A.S. Degree in Photographic Technology from Pensacola State College. Michael utilizes a variety of perspectives, mediums and analog technology to render anomalous visual and emotional responses within his subjects. His work explores varied relationships between light and color as well as humans and their environment.