Through the vibrant images captured in his compositions, photographer Armand J. “Sheik” Richardson lures the viewer into the city that lives within his imagination. Richardson passionately relates the experimentation that first brought to life the magical world he saw through his camera’s lens. His fascinating anecdotes accompany each picture providing context to the images while conveying the rich pallet of colors and textures that makes New Orleans such a unique place. From personal moments of his childhood, family, and friends to professional shoots and casual snapshots of the hidden life and everyday events in the city, Richardson presents a captivating visual record of New Orleans. In this remarkable collection of photographs taken over a career that spans more than fifty years, locally renowned photographer Armand “Sheik” Richardson presents his vision of New Orleans. See the Crescent City as never before through the unfiltered lens of a man who learned to crawl on the darkroom floor of his family’s shotgun house in the city’s Ninth Ward. Accompanied by fascinating narrative captions, the striking images captured in this compilation guide the viewer on an insider’s tour of New Orleans. Through his viewfinder we see both the spectacular and the mundane. We see stately Mardi Gras Indians in their fabulously ornate garb, as well as an exhausted bass drummer taking a break from a parade. From personal moments of his childhood, family, and friends to professional shoots and casual snapshots of the hidden life and everyday events in the city, Richardson presents an intriguing and visceral record of life in New Orleans. In this remarkable collection of photographs taken over a career that spans more than fifty years, locally renowned photographer Armand "Sheik" Richardson presents his vision of New Orleans. See the Crescent City as never before through the unfiltered lens of a man who learned to crawl on the darkroom floor of his family's shotgun house in the city's Ninth Ward. Accompanied by fascinating narrative captions, the striking images captured in this compilation guide the viewer on an insider's tour of New Orleans. Through his viewfinder we see both the spectacular and the mundane. We see stately Mardi Gras Indians in their fabulously ornate garb, as well as an exhausted bass drummer taking a break from a parade. From personal moments of his childhood, family, and friends to professional shoots and casual snapshots of the hidden life and everyday events in the city, Richardson presents an intriguing and visceral record of life in New Orleans. Professional photographer Armand “Sheik” Richardson was born and raised in New Orleans. After a brief stint in the military Richardson earned degrees and certifications from Loyola and Tulane Universities, Delgado College, and the University of New Orleans. He held many jobs before returning to his passion and opening Penumbra Photos in 1975 focusing on forensic and commercial photography. Richardson is also the founder of the Arabi Wrecking Krewe who provided disaster relief services for culture bearers.