About the Photos

The original images included in Love Letters to the South were taken by acclaimed celebrity photographers Paul Alexander, Alison Dyer, Nabil and Michael Grecco. Over the course of eight months - beginning just days after Hurricane Katrina's wrath devastated Louisiana, Mississippi and parts of Texas - celebrities the world over joined together to support all those who were touched by this remarkable natural disaster.

The first photos were taken by principal photographer Paul Alexander at the Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto in September 2006, and were the beginnings of a movement which saw studios set up at the Sofitel Los Angeles, Sofitel New York and The Hollywood Roosevelt over the course of eight months.

Determining which images to use was an agonizing process. Alexander pored over the thousands of images and selected the shots that correlated best with each subject's handwritten expressions of hope and support.

"After reading their letters only then could the real editing session begin," Alexander remarked. "Each image selected was reflective of the letter itself, not just the aesthetic."

 

"In many cases, I looked into their eyes to find the perfect fit. It was as if their eyes were speaking and you could hear them whispering to those who were affected."

In addition to the extraordinary and very personal celebrity photographs, satellite images of the hurricane's development, the ominous aftermath and photographs of victims and volunteers help underscore the importance of helping to rebuild the South and to offer assistance whenever and wherever disaster strikes.

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