St. Louis photographer, Lou Bopp shot an image of blues musician Jimmy “Duck” Holmes that will be featured on a US Postal Service Forever stamp to be revealed on March 31. The stamp honors Mississippi’s designation as the birthplace of the blues. The image is of the musician’s hands as he plays a six-string acoustic guitar. Bopp is traveling to Gulfport Mississippi for a ceremony to be held on March 31 celebrating the stamp.

The official USPS statement “This stamp celebrates the 200th anniversary of Mississippi statehood. Mississippi became the 20th state on Dec. 10, 1817. The stamp features a 2009 photograph showing a close-up of a guitar player’s hands. Mississippi is the birthplace of many legendary blues artists who created a uniquely American genre of music. Among states, the Magnolia State is 32nd in size, and with nearly three million people, it ranks 31st in population. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with an existing photo taken by Lou Bopp – see more here.

Lou Bopp is a still photographer and motion director based in St. Louis and New York City. Bopp’s focus is lifestyle, industrial and portrait imagery and his aesthetic is driven by authentic, textural, emotive moments. His portfolio includes clients such as Mississippi Tourism, Boy Scouts of America and Wells Fargo.