I just got back to my hometown from living in the NYC area and Maine where I found photographers much more responsive.  I just got back home and finding work is prooving painstaking and less financially valuable.  Has anyone experienced the same thing?  Any advice on how I might change my portfolio (I have a seperate website for editorial-fashion) to draw in more local South Louisiana photographers?

I think the problem is not you or your portfolio... it's population density, average income stats, etc.  South Louisiana is far different than NYC or even Maine. I could be wrong...

And throw in the cost of cleaning up after Katrina... not a lot of easy money in the big easy...

True, actually nola has almost completely recovered, at least visually and the economy is better here than most places because its very insulated and european tourist based, but I feel maybe people are intimidated.  Aren't only non-modeling employers suppose to say, "overqualified"