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A child dressed as a vampire looks directly at the camera. They wear white face makeup with red smears around the mouth and a high-collared red and black cape.
A child dressed as a vampire looks directly at the camera. They wear white face makeup with red smears around the mouth and a high-collared red and black cape.

Hollie Fernando photographs the trick or treaters knocking on her front door

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Date
31 October 2017

London-based photographer Hollie Fernando is the go-to gal for a personality-revealing portrait. With Tricky, Laura Marling and Mac Demarco in her portfolio, as well as covers for Rough Trade Magazine and The Telegraph Magazine under her belt, a notable clientele list is ever growing for the photographer.

It’s a new, aptly-timed personal project of Hollie’s that caught our eye, showing how the photographer can take a brilliant snap of just about anyone, young or old, famous or your next door neighbour. This is the idea behind her latest festively themed series, explaining: “last year I took a portrait of every kid that knocked on my door for Halloween”.

The series proves once again that kids do Halloween costumes best, due to their unashamed enthusiasm combined with pulling serious facial expressions making them look even cuter. Each of Hollie’s portraits strike a balance between personal and professional and shot against a dark backdrop, it’s difficult to believe they were just taken at her home.

Each portrait has a familiar neighbourhood vibe, due to the classic costumes donned by each of the kids featured. Whether it’s the teenage girls still looking cool dressed in black with cat illustrated features, a ghost wearing skewed bed sheet so the eyes are just peaking out, zombies in school uniforms, or very adorable little vampires whose wide eyes are scarily believable, the range Hollie has captured is great.

Shot this time last year, the series has reminded us to get the treats in for the trick or treaters tonight!

A person with long, wavy brown hair looks directly at the camera. They wear dark lipstick, purple eyeshadow, and a necklace with a large octagonal pendant.
Above

Hollie Fernando

A person with red hair in a long braid smiles at the camera. They wear a school tie and a white shirt stained with red, layered under a fleece-lined jacket. Dark makeup circles their eyes to create a bruised effect.
Above

Hollie Fernando

Five children pose together in Halloween costumes against a dark grey background. They are dressed as a skeleton, a cat, a ghost and other characters.
Above

Hollie Fernando

A person wears a black Puma hoodie with the hood up, looking directly at the camera. Their face is painted with a skeletal design, featuring dark sockets around the eyes and a white, toothy grin.
Above

Hollie Fernando

A person with long, dark curly hair looks directly at the camera. They wear a black headband with lace cat ears and hold two small, glowing pumpkin lanterns.
Above

Hollie Fernando

Two people wear cat-ear headbands and cat-style makeup, including whiskers and dark noses. The person on the left wears a black Puma T-shirt.
Above

Hollie Fernando

A child looks directly at the camera through a translucent hockey mask. They wear a white collared shirt stained with red splatters.
Above

Hollie Fernando

A person in clown makeup and a colourful costume looks at the camera with a wide, toothy grin. They wear a brain-shaped headpiece with bright green pigtails and a multi-coloured top.
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Hollie Fernando

A child looks at the camera wearing a skeleton costume and a black veil. Their face is decorated with makeup to look like a skull, including a stitched scar on their forehead.
Above

Hollie Fernando

A person with long strawberry-blonde hair closes their eyes against a dark background. Their face is marked with smudged black makeup and red lipstick, and their white T-shirt is stained with red splatters.
Above

Hollie Fernando

A person wears skeletal makeup and a white, web-like shroud around their shoulders. They smile at the camera, with dark circles around their eyes and a smudge of red on their lip.
Above

Hollie Fernando

A child dressed as a vampire looks directly at the camera. They wear white face makeup, small drawn-on fangs, and a costume with a red cravat and a jewelled brooch.
Above

Hollie Fernando

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About the Author

Lucy Bourton

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Lucy (she/her) was part of the It’s Nice That team from 2016–2025, first joining as a staff writer after graduating from Chelsea College of Art with a degree in Graphic Design Communication, eventually becoming a senior editor on our editorial team, and most recently at Insights, a research-driven department with It’s Nice That.

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