This week I sit down with Niamh Barry a Cork-born, Dublin-based photographer and documentary filmmaker and we roulette her phone notes app. Niamh's debut documentary Something in the Air, officially selected for Galway Film Fleadh 2026 and GazeFest, follows Raychel Sanner, a storm chaser and trans woman living between Oklahoma and New Mexico. Just last month it won Best Short Documentary at the BAFTA-qualifying Manchester Film Festival.

• https://www.filmsomethingintheair.com/donate
• https://www.niamh-barry.com/189a7061fd-content

We get into Tornado Alley, anti-trans legislation, what surprised Niamh about the LGBT community in Oklahoma, and what it took to finally photograph boygenius, including a last-minute visa scramble and a flight to Philadelphia.

Amongst other things, we kick off with Barry's (me, host) (not Niamh) awkward opener involving a dermatology appointment and the SH:24 free STI testing service (get checked, folks). Chapter list is below. as well as other links!

Chapter list:

00:00 – Welcome & introducing photographer and filmmaker Niamh Barry

03:40 - FIRST HOST NOTE (RANDOM)

04:20 – An awkward first phone note: skin checks, STI tests & Irish healthcare

09:40 - FIRST GUEST NOTE (RANDOM)

10:20 – The notes behind working with Irish band Sprints

15:45 – Flying to Philadelphia to photograph Boygenius

20:45 – Queer representation in music photography

24:45 – SECOND GUEST NOTE (RANDOM)

26:20 – Making Something in the Air

30:10 – Storm chasing, Oklahoma & meeting Raychel

33:45 – What Hollywood gets wrong about tornadoes

36:50 – Will & Harper, empathy & travelling across America

44:00 - THIRD GUEST NOTE (RANDOM)

44:50 – The Irish Photography Prize & photographing community

50:30 – Barry's accidental photography exhibition

55:20 – Wrap-up

Social links:

• https://www.instagram.com/narryphotographyvids/
• https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/

Thanks!