Every year, close to 200 girls and women flock to Kaunas, a landlocked town in the heart of Lithuania, to participate in a one-of-a-kind hair competition that’s been running since 1992. Plaukai, which means “hair” in Lithuanian, is the title of photographer Francesca Allen’s new book. It’s a documentary project centered on this event—an honest and intimate portrayal of femininity, identity, and celebration.
We met outside the Hackney Central McDonald’s in 2015, introduced by someone I was seeing at the time. I’d followed her work for a while and was a little starstruck. Back when I was 16, I’d come across her photographs while browsing through Tumblr and Flickr. They felt authentic and raw, yet seamless—something I later realized is deceptively hard to achieve. There’s one image of her sister, Alida, that’s stayed with me for years: standing in the middle of a field with luminous pink hair. It was part of Allen’s final university project, an exhibition entitled “Girls! Girls! Girls!”
That weekend, I found myself in her studio in Fountayne Road, loading rolls of film into her Mamiya.
I ended up assisting Allen for the better part of three years—traveling, meeting celebrities, and once accidentally shooting half a job in JPEG (basically a cardinal sin for photographers, where image quality is everything). We’ve remained good friends since. Below, we talk about her latest project, favorite Lithuanian comfort food, and the role Flickr played in her creative beginnings.
Jackson Bowley: What’s your name + what do you do?
Francesca Allen: I’m Francesca Allen. I’m a photographer and director.
What drew you into this project + how did you end up in Lithuania shooting this?
I was initially drawn to the visual side of this contest—something about this sea of hair. I’m always looking to document different experiences of girlhood, in all the ways it can look. There are so many different ways to be a woman. I’ve become really interested in the people who take part in the contest. I’m planning to go back and photograph everyone again.
One of my best friends, Karolina Pazereckaite, is Lithuanian. She organized the whole thing for me and was the creative producer on the project. I don’t think I would have done the project without her support and guidance. I’ve become such a fan of Lithuania and ended up going back to shoot an editorial project there in January. I’m hoping to return this summer. I love the people and the food!
What’s your favorite Lithuanian dish?
I’m a big fan of Lithuanian food. I love all of the potato dishes. Cepelinai is probably my favorite. Pickle soup!!! And juoda duona su sūriu, which is fried bread with cheese. You kind of have it in the same way you’d have crisps or a bar snack.
We’ve talked recently about our dissatisfaction with certain photo trends… What would you like to see more of?
I want to see images full of color and personality again. I like when you can look at a photo and immediately know who took it—I want more of that. I feel like photography right now often plays it safe. There’s a trend toward flatness and normalcy. I always want there to be a purpose or story behind an image. Sometimes that purpose is just that it’s beautiful. I want to feel something!
Who’s one photographer that’s inspired you?
It’s hard to name just one. Rineke Dijkstra is always my go-to.
Your images have such an air of vulnerability, yet your subjects always seem at ease. What’s your secret?
I can be quite shy. I find it a bit awkward to take photos. I think that actually helps people to relax.
When I photograph someone, we usually spend a lot of time talking and hanging out. Taking the photo is often a small part of the experience. I think that gives people space to be themselves, and that vulnerability shows up in the image.
Photography can be really intrusive—especially the way I do it. My cameras are enormous; there’s a bit of a song and dance to using them. When you take a photo, you’re stealing something in away, and it becomes about that. Sometimes it’s better to just sit back and be quiet. There are a lot of photos I don’t take for that reason. Maybe that makes me a bad photographer.
You’ve created such strong visual language across your work. From your university project “Girls! Girls! Girls!” to your first book Aya, and everything in between, it all fits within a consistent world that continues to evolve. How has your work developed over the years?
Thank you. That’s something I’ve worked hard on, but sometimes I feel like I’m a bit of a one trick pony. Like, oh, more photos of girls. I’ve become so focused on having a niche that it can keep me from trying new things.
I’m trying to push back against that and open up new ways of working. Even with this project—I’m always chasing great natural light, and I was in a totally different environment. I used to think perfect light was essential to making the photo feel like mine, but that’s not true. I feel freer after this project. It’s different from what I’ve done before, but it still follows the same themes and purpose.
You come from the Flickr era of photographers. What was it like to be part of that, how did it shape your approach?
Honestly, it was amazing. So many of my best friends came from Flickr and Tumblr. I still talk to people from all over the world, and we’ve watched each other grow up. Some are still photographers; others have moved on to totally different lives.
It really was a specific moment in time. People were incredibly honest back then. I posted some deeply personal stuff on my Tumblr and Blogspot—it was like a public diary. I still remember the drama when my mum found it.
Now, people (myself included) use the internet so differently. Everything is curated, built around self-promotion instead of vulnerability. We’re all trying to look successful online. It’s funny how authenticity has become a currency for brands, when 15 years ago, we were just pouring our hearts out for free.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to take pictures?
That’s hard. I’d say: find your niche and stick to it. What do you want to photograph, and what do you already know? Try to make images that only you could make. Everybody has unique ways of seeing the world. Use your visual language to express that.
photography FRANCESCA ALLEN
book design ADAM RIDGEWAY
Plaukai will be launching at Allotment in London on 18 June.