A shoot recently took me to the North of Namibia to film with the nomadic Himba tribe.

Conditions were as hot and dusty as you might expect from the harsh desert environment and dust devils plagued our equipment daily. And then into this dry, arid, almost monochromatic landscape the Himba people emerged, bringing a sense of colour and costumed majesty that I found mesmerising, and a joy to photograph.

The women use a red paste on their skin and hair, made from ground down red rocks. Their hair is almost architectural, with braids, extensions, crowns and the red baked paste. This indicates age, rank and status in their community. Their jewellery was equally beautiful with bangles, necklaces and ornamental ties shimmering in the light… this as metal work is woven into its fabric. Beads, shells and rings are worn alongside keys and safety pins. The overall effect was striking and regal. These women looked and felt like the queens of the Namibian desert.