For half a century, photographer Philip Gould has chronicled the rhythm and resilience of south Louisiana — from packed dance halls to quiet backroads — capturing the soul of the state one frame at a time. Now, he’s shifting his view upward.

On December 9, 2025, UL Press will release Louisiana from the Sky, a collaboration between Gould and writer Ben Sandmel that reimagines the Pelican State from above. Using a drone and a high-winged aircraft, Gould captures Louisiana’s waterways, wetlands, and communities from new angles — revealing both its beauty and its fragility.

“We seldom get a full sense of Louisiana’s landscape from the ground,” Gould notes. “From above, the horizon opens up, and you can finally see the full sweep of the land.”

While Gould’s lens brings the aerial perspective, Sandmel — journalist, folklorist, and longtime OffBeat contributor — provides the cultural context. His essays explore the deep ties between Louisiana’s geography and its music, showing how rivers, bayous, and bridges shape the state’s creative pulse.

Together, the pair invite readers to look closer — and higher — at a place defined by motion and memory. Louisiana from the Sky celebrates what endures even as tides shift and coastlines erode.

For Gould, this marks his 20th book, a continuation of a career that has documented everything from Cajun dance halls to historic architecture. For Sandmel, whose work at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and in books like Zydeco! and Ernie K-Doe: The R&B Emperor of New Orleans has helped preserve Louisiana’s musical story, the project adds another chapter to his lifelong documentation of the state’s sound and spirit.

Louisiana from the Sky offers more than stunning visuals — it’s a love letter to Louisiana’s landscape, culture, and music, seen from a fresh perspective that only time, experience, and deep affection can provide.

Louisiana from the Sky will be available December 9, 2025, from UL Press. Preorders are open now.