Hollie Fernando photographed the all-female Morris dancing group Boss Morris on Rodborough Common in Stroud for a summer solstice portrait. The shoot involved custom costumes, floral face decorations by member Emma, and the group's goat character Caprihorn, inspired by a medieval manuscript. Fernando documented their rehearsal and posed them on a hill, creating a staged, storytelling image that celebrates the evolution of Morris dancing from a male-dominated tradition to one where women now account for more than half of Britain's dancers.
This portrait matters because it captures a cultural shift in a centuries-old English folk tradition, highlighting how young women are both honoring and reinventing Morris dancing. Fernando's work, influenced by pre-Raphaelite painting and her father's trips to Tate Britain, uses a curated, narrative-driven style to promote themes of female strength and empowerment. The image also reflects broader trends in contemporary photography that blend folklore, collaboration, and social commentary.