I was interviewed by the Times-Picayune reporter on this very subject in 2012,, I will tell what reporter Kathleen DesHotel wrote, she did a wonderful job,,
also I was interviewed by the Advocate paper last saturday Feb 28th, 2015, they are publishing a story on me March 12th,, (can't wait to read) I am in remission from cancer and through all of chemo still continue to take photos..

"The bluebird of happiness has brought photography into Luana K Perez's life.
The symbol of cheerfulness, renewal, hearth and home was attracted to Perez's home after Hurricane Katrina. She explains, "I was fortunate not to have any wind or flood destruction. A few weeks later sunflowers unexpectedly popped up everywhere on my property. Some were as tall as 6 feet, with flowers 2 feet wide. Yellow and blue are my favorite colors."
One morning while she was having her morning coffee outdoors, a beautiful bluebird landed atop a sunflower and seemingly stared at her. She thought he was so pretty that she went that day to buy a camera to teach herself to capture pictures of the bird she named Billy. She recalled, “My spirit was free, and getting pictures came easy. Eventually I met his shy partner, who I named Betty. When I would walk my dog, Brownie, the bluebirds would follow me and fly to trees along our path.”

They visited her backyard frequently, looking for seeds and water that were placed in china cups and saucers she placed around, what she calls her “nature patch.” She used her 5D Mark 11 Canon or her 40 D Canon with zoom lens on a tripod to document her new friends’ activities as they moved into a birdhouse, laid three blue eggs and raised their babies.
Her fascination grew as did her awareness of the many little creatures that inhabit her property. Thus, not only birds but also squirrels, butterflies, dragonflies became subjects of her photos. As a self-proclaimed naturalist, she believes that laws of nature operate the universe. She sees beauty in everything around her and believes that any expression of an honest feeling is art.

“I photograph what I love, the things that pull feelings from the depths of my soul and bring joy. I have an artistic spirit, and digital photography programs allow me to create many moods. Looking at a butterfly through a zoom lens draws beauty and peace from the nature that represents God as the master artist,” she said.
After she became more and more secure with her camera, she broadened her horizons to landscapes, sunsets, beaches, swamp life and her grandchildren — Nico, Remy, and 2-week-old Luca Perez. She dedicates time every day to photography in her backyard and in various locations. Sometimes while focusing on the habits of egrets in the swamp, she will find that she is the subject of the focus of alligators hidden with only their eyes above water. She expresses the need to be dogged and careful. “Once in a while, I lose my direction wandering around in wooded areas. It’s easy to get confused by topography at dusk. Other times, my spirit gets so excited that I crawl over slippery rocks while balancing a heavy camera and lens in order to get the shot,” she said.

An accidental artist, she began a floral design business many years ago after she started to feel “boxed in” working at an engineering company. She describes the event that led to her new business, “I saw a floral arrangement on display in the window of Herwitz Mintz Furniture store; I went home, used a red bud tree branch and glued silk flowers on it. I brought my floral creation to the store’s buyer and he ordered a dozen. I immediately turned my garage into a floral tree business, quit my job and taught myself about floral design, which led to 20 years in the business.”

"Looking at a butterfly through a zoom lens draws beauty and peace from nature that represents God as the master artist." - Luana Kathy Perez

She believes that what she learned in that experience poured over into her photography in that flower art developed her eye for symmetry, balance and color. Today, looking through a camera lens is an extension of that creative outlet that is fulfilling, especially when a person who views her photos tells her that they are uplifted by what she captures.

She advises anyone interested in photography to know all about the camera and study computer programs available.

“Practice, practice, practice to develop skills in every kind of light and weather,” Perez advises. “Be sure to have patience waiting for just the right moment to capture. Most importantly, allow the spirit to move inside you. I feel what I shoot.”
On a recent vacation on the beach in Destin, Fla., she awoke to a rainy morning and, seeing a double rainbow, she recalls grabbing her camera, running to the beach in light rain in her pajamas, covering her lens from the moisture and taking photo after photo of the scene. She said, “If someone has the spirit inside, they know it,” and obviously act upon it.