IBIS MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHY
Ibis Music Photography
What is our 21st century music? Has climate change affected street arts... are our arts proactive in caring for our planet?
My photography's a small part of the story of South East Queensland street music starting 2006 & leading up to 2032 Brisbane Olympics, some gigs seen as news-worthy: most more low key. I've photographed a wide range of musicians and genres, incl. that broad area, jazz, whose history began on the street - 19th century cotton fields, streets of New Orleans, marching bands, street bars, paddle steamers - protesting share cropping & slavery, civil rights. 21st century's theme is survival - the environment, financial pressures on music venues, AI, Spotify, copyright. The 'big' music stages, online 'influencing' and chart success are seen as the goal, however, as you can see from photos on this site, that isn't entirely true. National libraries tell our histories using street photos given the context they provide.
As a young musician, I played my first Brisbane street gig (school parade) 1977, my first Brisbane Festival 1980 ('Warana' street parade), toured Oz & NZ in orchestras & bands altho struggling with health 1998 gave up playing. 2006 like many engaged by the new social media age I went to gigs again, looking to contribute, bought a camera. I started listening again to live music, learnt music photography on the street.. at festivals & workshops from others who'd photographed Slim Dusty, The Stones, Hendrix... and with the kindness of a few Griffith University music lecturers 2024 was encouraged to pick up a trumpet again and play, even just at my local church or in my studio. Over these decades I've photographed at all levels from Grammy winning acts to community events & volunteers, with special interest in working with musicians with disabilities, as I've dealt with my own chronic health.
Street arts & ibis birds have coexisted in Australian coastal towns since the 1970s as native ibis migrate from inland Australia searching for water & food, a climate change story. Ibis are beautiful as well as scavengers. 'Bin turkeys' .. memes .. There's that. Bibrant local street arts and harder side: surviving. As this photo portfolio shows, this is a transient scene. Some here for decades, others passing through. If you see a photo on my pages with you in it and want a copy ot it removed, email ibismusicphotography@gmail.com.
thanks, Tim.
Main Photo: Tones And I, Queen Street Mall QLD 6 October 2018
Background: Regurgitator, Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 7 April 2018