| Located at the narrow end of the funnel-shaped Mississippi
flyway zone, south Louisiana serves as a seasonal stopover for
wintering birds from all across North America as well as for
some neotropical birds from Central America. Many other bird
species make the region their permanent home. For more than
fifty years Charlie Hohorst, an avid outdoorsman, hunted ducks
in the marshes of south Louisiana. Now he shoots waterfowl with
his camera, and his passion extends to all birds living in or
passing through the state’s wetland areas. Wings of
Paradise, the first book of Hohorst’s breathtaking
photography, demonstrates the attributes that served him well
as a hunter—an exceptional eye, focus, keen observation,
manual dexterity, patience, a sense of oneness with the outdoors.
Brilliant color and clarity, as well as variety and movement,
define Hohorst’s photographs. Organized by type as shorebirds,
raptors, woodland songbirds, and migratory ducks and geese,
his images display dozens of different species engaged in
their many and fascinating activities: swooping, skimming,
plunging, meandering, soaring, pausing, preening, nesting,
romancing, arguing, catching prey, drying their wings, and
more. Hohorst captures individual features in remarkable detail,
and his commentary shows an intimate familiarity with his
subjects.
Following Hohorst’s photographic feast for the eyes,
noted food writer Marcelle Bienvenu reflects on south Louisiana’s
cherished hunting rituals and shares twenty-four favorite
duck and goose recipes from the area. From close-ups to panoramic
scenes, Wings of Paradise provides a visual delight
for families, birders, naturalists, conservationists, sportsmen,
and all who appreciate the natural beauty of south Louisiana.
Charlie Hohorst, Jr., began hunting at age
eight and photographing seriously in 2000. He lives in Lafayette,
Louisiana.
Marcelle Bienvenu is a food columnist for
the New Orleans Times-Picayune and the author or coauthor
of many cookbooks, including Who’s Your Mama,
Are You Catholic and Can You Make a Roux? and Prime
Time Emeril. She also coedited Cooking up a Storm:
Recipes Lost and Found from the Times-Picayune of New Orleans,
which was nominated for a James Beard Award. She lives on
Bayou Teche in St. Martinville, Louisiana, with her husband. |
