A competitive rider herself, Constance Jaeggi was fascinated by the Mexican tradition of escaramuza in the United States, an all-female rodeo sport where participants ride side-saddle while performing complicated maneuvers at incredible speeds. “I’ve heard escaramuza described as ballet on horseback, but I think there’s something also very warriorlike about it. Fierce,” she says. “That’s probably what initially drew me in.”

Her series “Escaramuza, the Poetics of Home” was a collaborative project: She made photographs of the athletes and recorded interviews with them, while poets Ire’ne Lara Silva and Angelina Sáenz composed poetry inspired by those interviews. The project has been exhibited at multiple venues, including the El Paso Museum of History and the Chicago Poetry Foundation. 

The equipment: Jaeggi usually works in black and white but wanted to document these athletes in color. She photographed them using film—to slow down her process—with her Contax 645 camera. She selected Fujicolor 400H PRO film and used an 85mm lens.

The biggest challenge: Honoring each athlete’s story, Jaeggi explains. “I was hoping to show, in addition to the beauty of the tradition, some of the complex underlying themes as well as bring the women’s voices back into the work.” Incorporating audio and poetry expanded the story she wanted to tell. 

Amanda Arnold is a senior editor.