Joseph-Philippe Bevillard is a French-American photographer based in Ireland, best known for his striking documentary-style portraits. With a background in fine art and photography, his work focuses on people living on the fringes of society, captured through an honest, intimate lens.
In 2010, Bevillard began a project that would come to define much of his career—documenting the lives of Irish Travelers, also known as Mincéirs. These vibrant and deeply human portraits have received international praise and earned him awards from All About Photo, Budapest International, Fotonostrum, and beyond. In this article, we’ve collected some of his most powerful photographs from the Irish Travellers series, the Horse Fair series, and more.
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For over ten years, Joseph-Philippe Bevillard has dedicated his project to documenting the lives of Irish Travelers. Throughout this time, he has forged deep connections with the community by first earning their trust and showing genuine respect. Historically marginalized and often misunderstood, Irish Travellers have faced discrimination and negative portrayals in the media for decades. Recognizing the value they place on photographs—especially since many old images are lost or damaged due to their nomadic lifestyle—Bevillard offered them photos in exchange for their time, honoring their cultural significance.
Bevillard’s work also highlights the significant challenges within Traveler communities. These include higher rates of poverty, health problems, and tragically, suicide, all contributing to a life expectancy shorter than that of the settled population.
Intrigued by their rich cultural heritage, once deeply nomadic, he explores their concerns about the erosion of their identity as pressures mount for assimilation into modern Irish society. While a minority have opted to settle in government housing, most prefer to maintain their traditional traveling way of life.
