In the late 1990's I was working as a paralegal for the Judiciary Commission, and it was during those years that I met and became friends with the former Executive Director, Rachel Piercey. I attended my first Justice for All Ball (JFAB) back in those days as a fun thing to do with friends and quickly became aware that it was so much more than just an elegant, fun-filled party. The JFAB helps support a very important mission in our community and I began volunteering to help in any way I could.
As an avid photo hobbyist, I was given the task of walking around taking party pics! I can't even remember how many years I walked the floors of the Ball in Gallier Hall and at City Park and other places, selling raffle tickets and taking party pics. When my photography business went pro in 2011, it was almost a natural progression that my company, The Red M Studio, would continue on with the party pics.
My husband and business partner, Steve, and I have enjoyed being the official photographers since 2012, and have loved documenting the growth and changes of the event through the years.
While there are many, many aspects of the Ball, and I have so many images that I could pull from, I've put together a small scrapbook of entertainment through the years.
I chose these pics because they are some of my personal favorites and I love how the variation in the entertainment can influence the atmosphere of the party, as well! (We’ll have a post about just this topic in a few days!)
While no two balls are the same, the one that stands out in our mind was the one at the Saints practice facility (27th Annual JFAB 2015).
From a photographic standpoint, it was a little mind-boggling to figure out how we were going to cover that much space ... in the dark. We eventually hired a third photographer to assist us, and nearly lost our breath when our assistant decided to climb the ladders to the top of the Saints facility to take an overhead shot. She had us double checking our insurance policy, but then we figured if we needed a good lawyer, we were probably in the right place!
We'll be back to photograph the ball in 2018 and can't wait to see what fun awaits! Be sure to flag us down so we can document your support of The Pro Bono Project!
- Marianne Hawkins Sabrier, Photographer
Multiple JFABs
If you have a JFAB story to share, please send it to CC Kahr
You can find photos from The Red M Studio gallery to view or purchase from JFAB 2014, JFAB 2015, JFAB 2016 and JFAB 2017. Many of the photos in the Tales of the Ball stories are courtesy of Marianne and Steve, along with Walt Pierce, who shot many of the early JFABs, Joanna Broussard, and several others who brought their cameras and documented various JFABs.
Photo Stack, left: JFAB 2011, JFAB 2012, JFAB 2013, JFAB 2014
Photo Grid, below: Marianne’s personal favorites
