In July 2006, accompanied by my friend Cliff who grew up in New Orleans, I embarked on a photographic expedition to cover the city a year after the devastating storms of 2005. Hurricane Katrina and the resulting catastrophic levee failures resulted in countless deaths and destruction totally more than $100,000,000,000 (that's $100 billion) in damage. Whole neighborhoods were wiped away as the city's poorest residents were left to fend for themselves.

A year later the devastation was still visible. At times I was overwhelmed by the scope. There wasn't a parish not touched by the storm. While my overall experience was positive, I am still struck by how much has yet to be done.





Song: "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap

To learn more about how you can help the city of New Orleans and its residents, visit the following websites:

"Mama D" Dyan French on MSNBC - Watch the video! You'll recognize her from mine.
Common Ground Relief - Solidarity, not charity
New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund
Unity of Greater New Orleans - formerly Unity for the Homeless

Labels: America, Help the Homeless, Hurricane Katrina, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck Photography, New Orleans, Photo, United We Stand, Video, Volunteer

In 2005 I hosted a series of forums for energy providers discussing ways they could use energy conservation as part of a broader marketing campaign. The benefits of this new "greenvertising" strategy seemed obvious to me on several fronts. Energy providers, especially those in competitive energy markets, would be able to reduce consumption using a myriad of innovative power management devices like the EleSaver. Not only would they reduce the strain on the current electrical grid, but they would slow the need for increased capacity and the capital costs associated with infrastructure creation. In addition to these obvious benefits, line operator labor shrinkage would be offset by the creation of new jobs focused on installing power management devices at sub stations, industrial complexes and at an infinite number of other installations.

In my meetings with energy executives I stressed the need to appear ahead of the curve on energy policy. The market has always awarded the innovative thinkers and those who leap forward. As you might imagine, my predictions of a looming energy crisis were viewed with marked skepticism and brushed off as the rants of a young liberal. How prescient I now seem. These same executives are now frantically working to transform the image of the energy industry as one that is forward thinking and invested in responsible ways to reduce consumption.

And how are they achieving this? One word: Greenvertising. I started using this term when I was the Director of Marketing and Operations for SaveTech Ltd./Electric Energy Savings Systems. In 2005 gas prices hovered near $2.15 per gallon until hurricanes Katrina and Rita led to a surge in energy prices across the country. Oil was near $50 per barrel. Now we have seen a 200% increase in fuel costs. The bad news about our current energy crisis is that it's accelerating inflation and weakening the U.S. dollar. However, a side benefit of the changing market is that companies from every industry see value in reducing overall energy consumption and implementing green advertising campaigns.

I've just finished some ad designs for The Inn at Andrews-Green. Take a peek:




Greenvertising isn't an entirely new concept, but it is another effective way for companies to differentiate themselves from their competitors in any market. The smart thing about Andrews-Green is that their capital investments in energy infrastructure will save them thousands and potentially millions of dollars during the life of the inn. Now that's some green everyone can appreciate.

Labels: Advertising, business, Case Study, design, Gulf Coast, Hurricane Katrina, Identity, JSDS, Marketing, Maryland, washington dc

I recently returned from a photographic expedition to New Orleans. Having not experienced the pre-Katrina New Orleans, I long for something that, for me, never was. But the New Orleans of old is still a sad and painful memory for most. The old mind's picture is of children playing and going to school; of families enjoying loving meals in their dining rooms; of a community that served each other.

It could be said that I toured the devastated areas, and visited and patronized others, but to me, there was no neighborhood that was not devastated. I had the great fortune to volunteer in New york immediately after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. I witnessed and documented the devastation, and the massive loss of human life.

In New Orleans, the devastation is far greater than that in New York. The devastation of the entire gulf coast is about more than destroyed homes, schools and the physical structures that man erects. The devastation has separated families, in many cases by thousands of miles. The devastation separates pets from their families and friends. The devastation turned cities with astonishingly low homeless rates into cities with low home-dweller rates.

It's honestly the saddest thing I have ever witnessed. I will continue to occasionally post items here about my stories from New Orleans, including selected images for my new rotating gallery show.

Labels: Art, Gallery, Gulf Coast, Hurricane Katrina, Justin Schuck, New Orleans, photography