Photographer: Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee

My first time at Mardi Gras was in 2009. Two marching bands were “battling” in the street as a walking krewe was preparing to begin their route through the French Quarter. The light was in the right place, reflecting the band in the window of an antique shop on Royal Street. I wanted the photo to capture the excitement and vibrancy and noise of this early afternoon pre-parade gathering.