EVERYBODY'S IN LA: JAMES CULLEN, PHOTOGRAPHER, CHEF, STORYTELLER
Interview by Paul Oswell
James, thanks for talking to us, how long have you been in New Orleans and which neighborhood do you currently live in?
Hi Paul. I’ve been in New Orleans since 2012, and I live in the Upper 9th Ward. I’ve lived all over the city but have been in this neighborhood since 2017.
You’re a multi-hyphenate: chef, photographer, writer, runner…how do you prefer to describe yourself?
That’s a difficult question. I tend not to describe myself, honestly. I think how people know me depends upon the time in my life they met me or know me from. If you met me in high school or college you would know me as a writer and a musician. In fact I still think of myself as a writer or storyteller at the end of the day. I think if I had to choose a word – and it seems trite – but storyteller.
Everything I do is part of my story or my family’s story. I have been writing since middle school am still writing today. My dream was to be a college professor and a novelist but I never got there. I started playing the guitar in high school. My mother played guitar and was pretty good. I’ve now been playing 36 years although I haven’t played in front of anyone in a decade. I’m also a licensed electrician with a union book out of IBEW Local 102, Patterson, NJ. My father was an electrician and when I didn’t get into graduate school I decided to go to work.
After 9/11, where I lost a couple of colleagues, I decided I wanted to change my life. I was depressed and started watching the Japanese version of Iron Chef late at night because I couldn’t sleep. So I went to culinary school at the French Culinary Institute and graduated first in my class and spent the last 20 or so years in the kitchen. That’s when I picked up photography as a hobby for my days off. But I fell in love with it and found a mentor in former Times-Picayune photographer Ted Jackson who helped me tremendously.
These days I consider myself primarily a journalist/photojournalist, but I do restaurant consulting from time to time as well as lead culinary experiences with a company called Culinary Backstreets. Running is my meditation and my peace. Years as a chef living a chef’s lifestyle had me overweight. I got diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and had to make significant lifestyle changes. I was able to put it into remission without medication and am very health conscious these days. So I started working out and eventually running and now I run about 20 miles a week and I do the occasional race.
What's the story behind your Twitter handle, @accidentalcajun? What's the accidental part?
So there was a film call The Accidental Tourist and I never saw the film but I liked the title. The accidental part describes how I ended up here. When I was working as a cook in NYC I met a beautiful Louisiana woman whose family was Cajun. We were together for quite a number of years and I became part of their family, quite by accident. So, it was part true story and part wordplay.
I know you photograph many aspects of local life, but I mainly associate you with great candid photos of parades and second lines - what draws you to them in particular?
I think the communal nature of them. I’m somewhat of an introvert but I do have a strong love for the New Orleans community. I feel like this city is one of the last communal places left in this country. There is a rhythm and season to the way we move here. Second line Sundays, red beans on Mondays, crawfish season, Mardi Gras, Festival season, Saints season. But I think parades, from a photographer’s standpoint, will always be interesting because they are visually charged environments. And honestly, I love shooting the B-Roll around the parades as much as the actual parades. Over the years I’ve also gotten to know a lot of the Black Masking Indians, Social Aid and Pleasure Club members, as well brass band members, walking krewes, Mardi Gras parade Krewes, etc., so it’s nice seeing everyone.
How did you get into photography, what were your first forays into the discipline like?
My father was an avid amateur photographer. I still have two of his film cameras. And when I was younger I attempted to shoot film, poorly, and put the camera down for a number of years. I probably started taking photos again when cell phone cameras got pretty good. I used to go to almost every second line and would photograph them with my phone. People started seeing my photos on social media and told me I was good at it, which led me to get my first digital camera in 2015.
A real camera was more challenging, and most of my early work was not good. But some was. I kept with it though and eventually I started getting hired. I spent a lot of time trying to emulate photographers whose work I liked, like Chris Granger and David Grunfeld and Ted Jackson. After a while I felt my work had plateaued and I needed a mentor, which is when I turned to Ted. He took me on as a student and changed my whole mindset about how to make photos. It was like a Rosetta Stone to me, and unlocked the camera for me. Since that time I’ve had so many cool professional opportunities, and I am really grateful.
How about your cooking? How did that interest develop into a career?
I grew up around great Sicilian/Italian cooks on my mother’s side of the family. My grandmother in particular was a spectacular cook. I miss her cooking to this day. But I didn’t start cooking until much later in life. I was about 30 when I started cooking seriously. I used to love the Food Network and I watched Mario Batali and Tyler Florence and Rachael Ray and Emeril, all of them, and started throwing elaborate dinner parties. Then, like I mentioned above, after 9/11 I wanted to do something different with my life. I thought being a chef would be glamorous. And how wrong I was. But I liked the lifestyle and the people and I went to the French Culinary Institute, graduated first in my class, and spent the next 20 years driving myself crazy. These days I only cook for myself and it is so peaceful.
Could you sum up your cooking philosophy? And your photographic one for that matter! Are there any parallels or similarities in your approach to each?
My cooking philosophy and my photography philosophy are intertwined with my life philosophy. I favor clean flavors and clean lines, and simplicity and authenticity. Whether I’m cooking a dish or making a photo I try to get to the heart of the matter, to draw out whatever truth there is. Anyone who has ever met me knows I am terrible at small talk. I love deep dives into everything. So I try to learn as much as I can so I can forget what I learned and work intuitively. I don’t know if that makes sense but I am very much of a feel guy. I have a high emotional IQ and I pick up on the vibes. This doesn’t mean I don’t have an intellectual side as well but in the moment I am definitely trying to be evocative.
What are the most cherished and most frustrating aspects of New Orleans in your estimation?
I think there is a high degree of overlap here. Like I love the fact that nothing changes or gets done but I also hate the fact that nothing changes or gets done. But what I cherish about the city the most is the pace and the people. It’s slower here. We have time to gather. Time for friends and meals and drinks. Time to celebrate and commiserate. And the people. The people animate this place, and breathe life into it. New Orleans isn’t a city of sights, like NYC, it’s a city of people. I love the community we share. I love the food. I love arguing about the food. Of course, frustrating to me is the fact that we underserve our communities, and especially the kids. The talent in this city is immense, but too many young people never get to realize their potential. That makes me sad. And of course the infrastructure – lack of I should say – will drive you nuts. Tire repair alone is a full time job.
Tell us about some of your favorite haunts - where are you going for a fancy celebration meal / casual lunch / guilty pleasure?
My favorite restaurant is Gabrielle. If I want a nice dinner that’s usually my spot. If I want a raucous dinner probably Galatoire’s. If I want a quiet cocktail or glass of wine Manolito. Casual lunch would be Vaucresson’s, Li’l Dizzy’s, R&Os in Bucktown, Domilise’s or Zimmer’s. Sammy’s on Elysian Fields too. I don’t indulge in too many guilty pleasures these days but a pleasure I never feel guilty about is Angelo Brocato’s. The gelato is incredible.
What does a chef make for themselves at home? Do you experiment and create elaborate dishes in your own kitchen?
Chefs make the least elaborate meals at home. Half the time all we have in our fridges is iced coffee, condiments and maybe a beer. But when I got serious about my health my diet changed dramatically. Breakfast is usually and avocado, some greek yogurt, a hard cooked egg, smoked salmon and some fresh fruit. Maybe an omelette. Lunch is usually a salad of some sort. And dinner is chicken, beef or fish with sauteed vegetables. I try to eat nutrient dense foods. But I always keep dark chocolate around for a little treat. And I indulge when I go out to eat. But home I keep it very simple.
What would be your dream event to photograph? Anything you’re dying to take photos of that you haven’t had a chance to yet?
Maybe Jazz Fest, officially instead of from the crowd. I think I would love to be a tour photographer for a musician. I love the intimacy of portrait photography but the candid nature of street photography. I think honestly I would love to travel and shoot more Americana. I like the quotidian. It’s where I find my inspiration.
Where can people find your photography or yourself online?
I’m AccidentalCajun on Instagram, Threads and Twitter, and I sell prints at my website, TheAccidentalCajun.com. You can also contact me through the website, and book me for sessions, events, corporate, weddings, etc. I do it all.
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