Photographer: Emily Quirk

Anyone else feeling intense clarity after that full supermoon on Monday? It’s been a while since I’ve shown up for myself on here, and I’ve been wanting to get back to making the blog a more consistent component of my life, so here’s a little reintroduction and some updates on life. 🌕

In a recent eye-opening chatgpt roast, with some tough love, it said my Instagram feed shows a strong visual narrative and can tell bold, eclectic stories, but I’m a bit inconsistent — and you know what, it’s not wrong! This *year* has been inconsistent for me — I’ve had job changes, I’ve traveled (quite a bit and more to come), and I continue exploring new avenues of photography.

For the past couple years, I was in a position where I couldn’t showcase my daily work, and my page became super personal — a lot of me, the boy, and @hernameiscowboy on our road trips. 

Now, I’m back to shooting what I find beautiful, thrilling, and captivating and deciding how to showcase it all. I shoot film and I shoot digital, and I love them equally. I’m no longer documenting a gritty rock scene like I once was — I’ll certainly document a show, but I’m looking to shift my focus to portraits, lifestyle, travel, documentary. I will always cover music and festivals. 

I’ve also been continuing to deep dive on my practice and exploration of architectural photography, and I’m kind of obsessed. I get giddy every time I have the opportunity to shoot it — I’m excited to start sharing more of that with you.

I’m also excited to get back to wedding photography—maybe you didn’t even know I do this! I’ve photographed a handful over the years and I’d love to be there to document yours. It always felt a bit off to juxtapose an intimate wedding with a rockstar jumping off the rafters, but I get to make my own rules and my range spreads far and wide because life is expansive, and honestly, shooting a wedding sometimes feels exactly like shooting a music festival.

I’m eager to explore everything that fascinates me. I’m here to capture the big moments, I’m here to photograph and document people, and I’m here to experience life LOUD.

While the subjects of my work may feel “inconsistent,” I am consistent in that I’ve had a camera in my hands for over 15 years. That’s something worth showing. So here I am, consistently myself 📸

and yes, you bet I’m still going to throw in moments of sipping wine on a camping trip, somewhere on a beach in our camper van with the dogs, too.✌🏻

📸 : Photos by my dear Katie Lee Sullivan, near the beachfront of Lake Michigan

Delorean 1982: In Honor of Dee

In honor of my grandmother, Dee Quirk

Thanks to my dad, Jaan, and Robbie

a dream vision becomes reality

shot on 35mm film

nashville, tennessee

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it's

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me

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

Down at Mardi Gras this year, I had myself a ball & a biscuit of a time, soaking up sunshine, snappin’ away left and right, sippin’ on lemonade shandies, and stuffing myself with seafood (and po-boys) at every opportunity. A beautiful, blissful week of costumes, libations, friendship, and parading through my favorite streets and old haunts. I spent all of Mardi Gras day dressed head to toe as a rose garden, an homage to my time spent living in New Orleans, the city where I fully blossomed into my true self.

I drove home with not one, but two, full size king cakes in my passenger seat to prolong the sweet celebrations as long as reasonably possible, as well as a couple bags of fresh coffee beans from the French Truck. Now I’m able to wake up with a little taste of New Orleans from the comfort of my own home, at least for a little while.

Upon my return home after three weeks of traveling, I came to discover upon developing my film that my once-trusty point and shoot camera had been a little shaken up, maybe took one too many rough and tumbles, as mysterious black borders and lines unknowingly appeared across multiple rolls of film. At first glance of the negatives, I felt the onset of heartbreak as I realized some photos would be completely lost to time. I paused, took a moment and some deep breaths, and allowed myself to embrace the abstract framing and the creative decisions it allowed me to make with my final photos, lending a hand to the creativity and freedom that bleeds out of the soul of the city of New Orleans.

I’m learning from this as it’s a beautiful little reminder to always be present in the moment and to remember that life ain’t always perfect. It’s not always gonna be what you expect. It’s a little rough around the edges, and you’ve gotta embrace the beauty inside of what you do have and are able to experience.

Laissez les bon temps rouler, they say!

until next year ~

xo

"The Eternal Character of Emily Quirk's Music Photography"

I'm TRULY HONORED to have been interviewed by Amadeus Magazine in October. They interviewed me about my life as a photographer, paired with kinder words from Alex than I was ever prepared to handle. I hope my word vomit responses are anywhere near as inspiring as my photos maybe can be. 

Please read the full piece HERE!

Thank you, from my whole heart. ❤️