Get To Know: Matthew D. White’s Study Of The Last Few Miles Of The Mississippi River

Working for the New York Times series called The World Through A Lens, photojournalist Matthew D. White chose to hunt for the beauty in the low lands repeatedly slammed by hurricanes. The muddy river merges with the Gulf of Mexico just south of Port Eads, in Plaquemines Parish, sliding by Fort Jackson and Buras on the way.

The once busy communities are gone. The jail remains, but is unused. River traffic persists. The river pilots from Pilottown guided cargo ships for over 100 years, but no longer call this area home.

Enjoy Mr. White’s sparkling black and white images, and try to imagine when the area was full of guides, trappers, and fishermen.

Super Jumbo (detail) by Matthew D. White from the New York Times “The World Through A Lens” series