ABOUT
After Hurricane Katrina the New Orleans community was tasked with restoring and preserving various cultural and parading traditions. As my college professors lectured about post Katrina New Orleans, I was taking a trip down memory lane, reflecting on my teen years as a majorette, marching in Mardi Gras parades, making my debut, getting crowned school queen and my childhood in Treme, a hub of cultural and performance arts. Katrina devastated New Orleans, forced New Orleans to reclaim itself, forced New Orleans to rebirth itself. As a college student and research scholar, I returned home to New Orleans to document the journey.
As a self-taught photographer my roots, foundation and training ground were the streets of New Orleans, where, I focused on the African American experience, the culture of post Katrina New Orleans and various parading traditions. On my academic journey I became a photographer. My photography has gone on to be presented as featured, curated and standing exhibitions, published in the book "The Way I See It ... photographers who capture the soul of New Orleans", featured in the art festival The Rent Is Too Damn High for New Orleans 300th birthday and historic tricentennial year; and, is currently featured by Photo Nola and Ashe' Cultural Arts Center as a call for art for the Photo Nola Annual Festival of Photography.
I am a freelance photojournalist, a Getty Images contributor and an artist. My inspiration is humanity, my passion is capturing social, cultural, political and historical events that convey the spirit of the times and contributes to a larger narrative.
Cosette Richard
INSPIRATION
"The subject matter is so much more important than the photographer."
Gordon Parks
"There is one thing the photograph must contain, the humanity of the moment." Robert Frank
"Despite the variety of my explorations, throughout it all it has been my contention that my responsibility as an artist is to work, to sing for my supper, to make art, beautiful and powerful, that adds and reveals; to beautify the mess of a messy world, to heal the sick and feed the helpless; to shout bravely from the roof-tops and storm barricaded doors and voice the specifics of our historic moment." Carrie Mae Weems
SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @cosette_richard
Youtube: Cosette Richard
INQUIRIES
Please submit business inquiries, collaboration proposals and request for Permission to Use via the website contact form.
Thanks for visiting cosetterichard.com