THE GUILDED

Conch


PHOTOGRAPHS OF KEY WEST
by
LIAM McCARTHY

I live in Brooklyn, NY but my heart is in Key West - I love the charm, the character of the old buildings - from extravagant mansions to humble bungalows. Every porch has a life of it’s own, and every house is surrounded by beautiful plants from around the world.

All in a hard-drinking, tourist-swamped, end-of-the-road island which has hosted writers, poets, musicians, artists, fisherman, cigar-makers, ‘wreckers’and sailors for the US Navy, and home to Cuban, Bahamian and American migrants and immigrants for 200 years.


ABOUT THE WORK

Where are all the people?

Since I mostly use wide-angle lenses and visit in the off-season (and since I’m not trying to take photos of people), my photos have as few people and cars as possible.

My photos were taken with a variety of Panasonic Lumix cameras, and in 2025, almost entirely with a Leica 8-18 lens.

Favorites

Waterfront

Modest Houses

Grand Houses

Non-Residential

Flowers and Foliage

Streets

Sunrises and Sunsets


SERVICES

Want me to take photos for your project? Please feel free to reach out!


NYC PHOTOS

View liammccarthyphotos.com for images from NYC - Manhattan street photography after Covid, Rockaway/Ft. Tilden/Jamaica Bay, and my real estate photography.

Key West and ICE

Key West has been significantly affected by ICE raids, which have resulted in longstanding residents and newcomers alike living in fear of being disappeared, sent to detention camps without notification to families, or deported. Residents told me stories about business owners whose workers were too scared to work, businesses facing tough times because international tourists stopped coming, so it can affect everyone. I don’t know the best way to help but here’s a link to a local blog documenting the issues they face, and of course you can help by visiting the island and helping small businesses any way you can.