I love how photography has brought me into new situations, to meet people and experience things I wouldn’t normally have thought of. Voices in the Attic is just such a thing. It’s a cross genre open mic, held regularly at CBD bar Ferdydurke. It’s filled with performance artists, poets, storytellers and whatnot, inviting you in and taking you on a tour of their world.

The night in question I got to capture started slowly: I was there way too early. Earlier than anyone else. Soon though, people started arriving, filling the little space bit by bit. By end of the night the place was overflowing, half the floor filled with people sitting and you had to squeeze to get through anywhere. I get it though, it was absolutely worth squeezing in to see the performers of the night.

It was a challenge shooting this night, more so than having to squeeze back and forth (and feeling guilty for temporarily blocking someones view). As to not disturb the soul of the event, I couldn’t use flash, and as the sun set there simply wasn’t enough lighting to get it going. I pushed through though, pushing that iso to places I’ve never gone before, and waiting for those moments when the performers faced the little light in place. In the end, I’m happy with the result. It might be gritty and grainy and dark, but so is the event, and that’s what I’m there for: to capture the essence of the event.