Capturing New Orleans: Edward Buckles Jr. on ESSENCE Covers, Essence Fest and Film ‘Katrina Babies’

Edward Buckles Jr. is a multi-faceted creative in the realm of visual storytelling. For the 30th anniversary of Essence Fest, the New Orleans native shot 4 different covers that focused on the culture and beauty of New Orleans people and culture for ESSENCE magazine.

“Essence Fest is 30 years old and I’m 32,” Buckles said during our interview. “I literally grew up with it. From my mom taking me… to eventually growing up and working at the Fest and doing talent movement and BTS photos and now shooting the cover.”

Buckles called it “a full circle moment,” adding that there’s “no better way to celebrate the city of New Orleans, Black New Orleans, and also celebrate Essence’s birthday than to do it in this way, as a love letter to New Orleans.”

Making “Black people in New Orleans look like the stars they are” was Buckles’ goal for the multiple covers, which he’s been doing throughout his career.

‘…Putting a light on Black people and showing how I saw them larger than life and like just beautiful… to actually be able to put them on the cover of a magazine, Essence magazine, I can’t even tell you how that feels,” Buckles said.

Buckles said the reception to his covers was “incredible,” citing the special honor of receiving love on the covers from the people of New Orleans that celebrate the people of New Orleans from the eyes of a native. 

The covers sold out throughout the city and in response, Buckles said he was handing out magazines while walking around. 

“The city is happy and the world is happy that we finally get to see New Orleans on the cover of a magazine and on that main stage,” Buckles said.

During the festival, we also got the chance to discuss his film “Katrina Babies,” which takes a deep look into the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on the youth. Buckles said the film took eight years to make and came about upon recognizing various traumas and connections between them.

“I noticed there was this unprocessed trauma and unrecognized trauma that young people in New Orleans was dealing with. We were seeing the results, right? We were seeing trauma surface in ways like mental health, violence, great depression. And one day it just clicked. I was like, what if Katrina has something to do with that? So I wanted to make a story, just trying to investigate how much Hurricane Katrina played a role on young people in New Orleans.”