LARMER LIKENESS
I have documented the Larmer Tree Music Festival since its inception 1989 and witnessed its gradual evolution from a small gathering of friends to its present established position on the festival calendar.
I have always been fascinated by the diversity of people the festival attracts and how they take on a very different persona whilst at the event.
So with this in mind, I decided to build an open air, natural light studio - a neutral space in the middle of the festival where I could completely isolate people from their surroundings. Working in the shade with a variety of reflectors I could create the neutral even light I needed - similar to those that would have been working the Victorian era. The result resembled a kind of stage where anyone and everyone was welcome. The aim was to record a broad cross-section of not only the festival goers but also the artists and crew who make the festival happen.
I photographed in excess of 300 people over four days of incessant rain! The studio began to take on its own swamp-like character as the mud levels rose, oddly creating a visual narrative all of its own.
The results are a small selection of portraits reflecting the individual spirit of some who were there.