Midsummer morris dancers and their mysterious goat Caprihorn: Hollie Fernando’s finest portrait | Photography

Morris was once a really male-dominated sport, however in 1975 the Morris Federation was created particularly to permit ladies to affix sides. An older organisation, the Morris Ring, didn’t permit groups with ladies to be members till 2018, but as we speak ladies account for greater than half of Britain’s Morris dancers. As quickly as I heard about Boss Morris, the all-female facet on this image, I needed to shoot a portrait of them. I used to be eager to have a good time the evolution of this conventional type of dance by specializing in younger ladies who’re each honouring and reinventing it.

When they appeared on stage at the Brits with the band Wet Leg, who I used to be working with on the time, I believed, “It’s meant to be! If I don’t do it now, someone else will.” It was actually arduous to pin the group down, as there are such a lot of of them, however as we mentioned concepts all of them bought excited by the concept of doing a summer season solstice shoot on Rodborough Common throughout one in every of their follow evenings. It’s an amazing location – a tremendous hilly inexperienced area proper on their doorstep in Stroud.

Boss Morris are artists and make their very own costumes, which they’re at all times adapting, however I needed to create our personal distinctive search for this shoot. I’ve a good friend who walks round Brighton in Victorian nightgowns and bloomers and I borrowed some items from her, and a stylist good friend of Boss got here and put the outfits collectively on the day. It was a giant, lovely collaboration.

They often paint their faces earlier than a efficiency. Because Emma, the dark-haired member second from proper within the image, is a florist, I prompt floral decorations as a substitute. She introduced the flowers and I simply let her do her factor. That’s Boss founder Alex Merry beneath the moss face, which was caught on with eyelash glue. Another member, Rhia, later wrote a fable impressed by it known as The Mossy Babber, which feels prefer it may have originated centuries in the past. It was an amazing instance of how folklore occurs – I prefer to think about Moss-Face changing into a recurring character and a part of native custom.

While they had been preparing, I had a fast run round to see the place we may shoot. There’s a flat bit alongside the highest of the frequent the place they often dance, so I documented them rehearsing, dressed like this. Afterwards I took some portraits on the hill beneath, the place I may pose them in a extra staggered formation, which is how this one was taken. The goat within the background is Caprihorn, one in every of Boss’s beast characters – the costume relies on a medieval manuscript exhibiting a gaggle of mummers in animal masks.

I’m happiest utilizing that extra curated method, once I get to create ideas and make tales. One of the issues that led to me growing a storytelling images model was my dad taking me to Tate Britain once I was younger. He liked the pre-Raphaelites, and that model of portray has been a giant affect on my work. I nonetheless shoot on medium-format movie and hand print wherever doable – there’s a specific inexperienced tone that’s so arduous to emulate on a digital file.

At the top of the shoot we drove down the hill to a pub the place Boss Morris hang around on a regular basis. They gave me a snack the place you set a pickled egg in a packet of crisps and mash all of it up. It was the primary time I’d had that – it felt like I’d entered some magic world.

While searching for a reputation for the challenge, I discovered the outdated phrase “hoydenish”, used to explain boisterous, untameable and free-spirited ladies. I like to advertise power and highly effective themes in my work round ladies, so it fitted superbly. I actually liked spending time with the group and am now eager to begin a brand new feminine facet in Brighton. I’ve many associates who can be up for it – I simply want to ensure I can discover the time to do it justice.

Hollie Fernando’s CV

Born: London, 1991
High level: Winning the Taylor Wessing Commission. Shooting Rami Malek for the Guardian. And travelling to Mexico to shoot the Levi’s summer season marketing campaign, which was a dream of mine since I used to be 16!
Top tip: Shoot first, purpose later. Don’t overthink or overplan a challenge as it may possibly come collectively later, so simply get on the market and begin taking the photographs