Capturing Communities in Words and Images:

9 thoughts on “The Wild Geese”

  2. I think your interviews and pictures go really indepth to this community. Having never know of this community I find it poetic how people make communities of themselves to fit their circumstances. Your pictures have a surreal aspect to them that fits the title and the community well.

  3. These pictures came out sharp in spite of the initial obstacles! I have the feeling you told two separate stories through your photo essay, paralel aspects of the Irish bartender’s life. I think that pictures 1 and 6 convey the sort of atmosphere you tried to describe in your essay–which is exactly what they are supposed to do.

  4. I’m glad that you picked this subject and that you had that special access.
    This is definitely something that has many of us, non-Irish, wondering – the Irish bar industry.
    I loved the back stories, especially the note that the first bar served beer even during the prohibition. It’s great that you captured the essence of the establishment and the differences that set Irish pubs apart from American bars.
    And I especially love the images of the bartenders at the bar. I remember you being worried about the lighting. But I think that the yellow dim light of the pictures is perfect, it compliments the idea you pass along in your essay.
    Since “sessions” and those karaoke nights seem to be great examples of how the community comes together, I’d love to see more of those and to read more about them.

  5. I enjoyed reading your essay, it really delved into the Irish bar culture in New York. This untrational community seems to be made up of people who really care about each other. After the challenges you faced taking pictures in the dark, your images look very nice. Timmy’s rugged and worn face look like they have been through a lot. Your really captured it.

  6. I enjoyed watching the evolution of your photos take shape over the course of this project. What’s also great about them is their consistency with the emotional backdrop. They have a wonderfully worn texture to them that induce the same feelings, smells and sounds that one comes to expect when going to a pub. Like with many of these projects, I feel there is so much more to unlayer within this community. Each of the side stories you discussed in your essay could be explored further in another completely different project.

  7. A very fine job here. Your photos and essay really provide us with an understanding of this community: who they are, how they got where they are and, most importantly, why. You do an especially good job at explaining the context. Photos are lively and compelling.

  8. I like how you are able to capture how this community sees itself, how they function in relation to each other and how that influences their expectations for the present and the future. The McSorley’s photos are a treasure; the other bar photos are intriguing. Thanks for giving us the flavor of this community and effectively making the point that they are a real community. – Yaphet

  9. What distinguishes your photos is the strong sense of place (the spirit of the place) that in fact helps to create this community. The ambience of the bar comes through so well in all the photos and the people begin to emerge as real characters. You did a good job of showing them interacting with one another.

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