Interview By Yzabella Zari

Yzabella Zari: You produce a galore of photographs that are intertwined with other art mediums, such as animations and collages. Tell me more about your process.

Níamh Byrne: It’s definitely experimental, I think sometimes what I’m trying to express calls for more than just a photo on its own, the movement in animation or layers in collage allow for whatever I’m feeling to communicate more clearly, but not so directly. And what I like about that is not only can I express myself, but other people are able to interpret whatever they’re feeling or thinking when they look at my work. In terms of process I like to photograph random things, whether it’s candids of friends, strangers in public, myself, buildings and nature, or just other little things I’d like to remember. I think I’ve always done this, I used to take a lot of self-portraits because I had no one else to photograph, and I self-learned a lot about shooting and editing that way. Sometimes I take photos or videos and I don’t know what I’m going to do with them straight away, and one day I’ll think of an idea and they’ll work perfectly for it. Or I’ll edit something, be done with it, come back to it later to re-edit it and it’s turned into something completely different. It’s kind of random. I think the variety in subject matter, art medium, and editing styles feed into the experimental aspect too - I’m just learning as I go, trying new things and seeing what sticks.

YZ: I am aware you created a zine of your very own, not too long ago. What inspired you to organize it? And are there any new, upcoming projects you are working on?

NB: I made a zine last summer, just after my birthday. It was nothing big or anything, it was just a little photo zine. If you looked at it objectively you’d probably think, ‘what’s the deal with all these grainy and blurry photos?’, but for me, it was just another form of expressing some thoughts and feelings I was experiencing. Birthdays are always a little strange, I think I was feeling a little introspective and reflecting on myself and how much I’ve changed over the past few years. I had also been given a photo zine for my birthday and it inspired me. I'd never made one full of my own photos before so I just went for it.

I have a couple upcoming projects that I’m excited about. I’m actually working on my first photobook at the moment, of a photo series I’m doing that focuses on young Irish people and their spaces. It stemmed from me always taking photos in and of my room, and how much time I’ve spent in it, especially during Covid. It also factors in a little about how difficult it is to live independently in Ireland, especially Dublin, as a young adult due to the price of rent. But it’s more so about how their space - whether it’s just their room, or also their house or somewhere else they may spend more time - reflects their individuality and character. It’s been exciting to plan and execute. I’ve gotten to shoot some of my lovely friends so far and put each of their photos together and look at how unique they all are. I'm excited to continue it into the summer and hopefully get more people involved while working on other things.

YZ: What can you say to other young, women creatives who are just starting out in the photography scene?

NB: Document your process somewhere for yourself, as you grow and change, so will it and it’ll be something to look back on a few years down the line. I started posting everything on VSCO maybe like eight years ago or something, and every once in a while I’ll have a scroll through and see how my style and skills have evolved and changed. Not to mention, the amazing people who I found and found me through just posting literally every edit I made. Whatever you do, do it for yourself, and the right audience will find you. You’ll find what you like only by doing it. Try any ideas you have, post everywhere, follow people that inspire you, download and experiment with as many free editing apps and software as you can, try out different kinds of cameras, and you’ll find what works best.