i am a photographer based in dorset. i take morris photos that are sometimes arty! hence dorset morri'arty! I am an action photographer of dance, music, theatre and performance
when did it all start?
It was way back in 2012 that I took my very first Morris photo. That was at a very rainy Wimborne Folk Festival. It was shear luck that I just happened to have the magnificent Mythago performing right in front of me. I was hooked!
Why does photographing Morris dancing continue to inspire me so much?
It is so many different things. I love the dancing of course, the tradition and especially how it continues to evolve. It is also capturing the moments of joy and the thrill of trying to capture or ‘chase the moment’. Ultimately it is the characters of the dancers and the musicians that are what fascinate me.
So has my photography changed over the years?
Originally I was known mainly for my photos in black and white where I would pick out the dancers and musicians in colour. I still think this is an effective way of highlighting the dance action. However, years of experience means I can better anticipate the dance action. My experiments in ‘arty’ processing continue in my photos allowing me to give them a distinct look.
dorset morri'arty with jess and emma from the knights of king ina at the 2022 morris federation day of dance in darlington