Eimhin live at the bearded lady

Live music has a particular enchantment that lasts for a brief instant before vanishing from memory. Earlier this month I got the opportunity to take pictures of Brisbane based artist Eimhin (playing with another local artist Amela), at The Bearded Lady, one of the most well-liked grassroots locations in the city. It was a special shoot for many reasons, but also a bittersweet one—The Bearded Lady is set to close its doors soon.

I set out to capture the mood and personality of the venue as well as Eimhin's performance as part of a continuing series of illustrative photographs. The gritty textures, graffiti-covered walls, and blazing string lights covering the interior made it the ideal setting for a narrative about place, performance, and presence.

To create contrast and maintain the intimacy of the setting, I used flash to cut light through shadows inside the venue. In order to capture the mood and excitement of the evening, I experimented with slow shutter speeds and rear-curtain flash throughout the live set.

Every shot is a combination of produced and genuine, intended to feel unfiltered, expressive, and deeply ingrained in the ethos that places like The Bearded Lady have long fostered. This series turned into a sort of farewell letter—to the room, the music, and the memories created there.

Thanks to Eimhin for being such a generous subject, Reverie Australia for putting on this event, and The Bearded Lady for hosting an incredible night.