Focusing in on Liam Weir

His #gassongram pics are on point, his creative angles and crops are unique, and all-together Liam Weir’s collection of photos, as featured on the Boston College Instagram and his personal account, are unmatched.

The Tab BC sat down with Liam to hear more about who he is, how he got into photography, and his vision behind the lens of his camera.

The 19-year-old sophomore is originally from Sligo, Ireland, deeming him the nickname “Irish Liam.” His family moved to New York from Sligo, where they currently reside.

Liam was introduced to photography at an early age. Weir’s photography passion began by accompanying his photographer father on excursions in Sligo and learning how to use a camera. He credits his creativity not only to his father, but his mother and extensive family who have all been employed in the film, tv, and other creative industries.

Weir’s friends back in high school were using this app called “Instagram,” where they would post random pictures of food, their friends, and what they were doing. Liam said: “I saw Instagram as a place where art could be shared.”

As he walked to school in Ireland, Liam took a picture every day and posted it to his Insta account. For 120 days, he continued to post shots of the “beautifully bleek” landscapes and views.

“I wanted to show people that you could take a quality photo from your iPhone. You didn’t need a fancy camera to take a great shot,” he said. But Liam was frustrated with the square dimensions of Instagram, which “took away so much dynamism to the photo.”

Nevertheless he continued to post, gradually gaining more and more followers, and leading to his breakthrough at Boston College.

Boston College is a beautiful place, but for some reason, Liam Weir’s photos make it look even better. When asked where his favorite place on campus is to shoot, Liam replies, “I just like to show a different perspective, whether it be a reflection in a puddle, a ground shot or really really high up… like a top window in Devlin or on top of a building. I like heights.”

This year, along with some fantastic scenery shots of campus and the surrounding area, Liam has photographed the home football games, capturing the faces in the crowd, and a performance of the band Juice.

Over the summer, Liam and his friend junior Teddy Chapman ventured into the city of Boston to explore with their cameras in hand. Liam’s favorite excursion was to an abandoned U.S. naval shipyard in Quincy that was full of old World War II warships.

He said: “This is one of those spaces no one really knows about. The area was used for films like ‘The Departed,’ and it’s incredible. The sunset on the dust through the space was amazing, and there was so much random stuff laying around that we could work with.”

Liam and Teddy also share a love of climbing heights, which made their outings all that more challenging and fun.

“I love shooting with Ted. He’s the perfect person to work with because you’ll throw out an idea and he’s like, ‘Yeah! Let’s do it!’ I feed off of his creative energy,” Liam added.

Breaking out of the BC bubble, Liam and Teddy have connected with local photographers through “Instameets,” an outlet through Instagram that arranges for nearby photographers to get together and share their perspectives on how they see space. Liam has been to two sessions and was able to meet one of his favorite Boston photographers he follows on social media.

Looking ahead, Liam wants to create a more substantial portfolio of portraits, capturing the faces of BC. He wants to study abroad as far away as possible because growing up in Europe, he feels he really needs to extend himself to see the world.

When he’s not in class, taking photos, or posted up in Walsh, Liam is involved with his new Shea Entrepreneurship Program. He has also been a member of the Chorale for two years.

As of now, he is studying photography, philosophy, and computer science, but he is always open to change. He is looking to be involved in some sort of tech entrepreneurship moving forward, but he does not want his creativity leashed.

He said: “I do not see myself working for anyone.”

Weir is seeking to find the imaginative, artistic people on campus and around Boston. Liam added: “If you’re a creative person, I would love to meet you. I feel if we combined the talents that we have right here, we could make some beautiful, interesting content, even art.”

How Liam Weir sees the world is displayed in his art, his photography. It is his preferred method of communication. How he sees BC is for everyone to enjoy on his Instagram and VSCO page. 

60 seconds with Liam

What are you focusing on this year at BC?

I need a project. I am looking to do more candid portraits of the student body. I also want to get more off-campus. The “BC Bubble” is a real thing, and there is so much more to Boston I want to explore.

True or False? You run the BC Instagram account.

False. No, I am not running the account. I am a member of the BC Social Fellows group that all contribute to the BC social media accounts.

What is your favorite thing to photograph?

I do love landscapes and city spaces because that’s what people respond most to.