I recently photographed KOAL at PhysFestNYC 2025, and it is an experience that has stayed with me long after the final bow. Watching Jacinta Yelland on stage, I was struck by her ability to shift seamlessly between three completely distinct characters: a playful baby koala, a gruff coal miner, and a young Indigenous girl. Each of them felt so fully realized, and through them, the show explored the idea of home in a world that’s rapidly changing.
The contrasts in her performance were striking—one moment, the audience was laughing at her clever physical comedy, and the next, you could hear a pin drop as she brought something deeply emotional to the surface. As I framed each shot, I couldn’t help but notice how much emotion was carried in the tiniest details: the way her body moved, her facial expressions, the shifts in tone and energy.
What stood out most to me was how the show captured the tension between humor and heartbreak. It wasn’t just about making people laugh or cry—it was about using both to tell a story that felt honest and urgent. Photographing KOAL wasn’t just documenting a performance; it felt like capturing a dialogue about loss, resilience, and our shared humanity in the face of environmental change.
Directed by Trey Lyford.
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