15 Female Photographers Killing The Game
Greetings and salutations! (shoutout to the homie Randy aka “The Milkshake Scholar” for that trademark intro ✊🏿) It’s been a while … honestly, I’m surprised Squarespace hasn’t hit me with a “You Good?” e-mail since my last blog post back in September, but here we are. Fast forward a couple of months and we’re right smack in the middle of Women’s History Month although the #CoronaVirus has done everything in its power to steal the shine. As you all (should) know Women’s History Month highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. While it’s great to show love to all the historical figures and moments that have given us the ground we stand on today, I’ve always felt that it’s important to remember that history and HERstory are being written and created around us every day.
Sexism—from paternalism to discrimination to outright harassment—is a problem in just about every work setting, and the photo industry is no exception. (1) From equipment ‘designed by men for men’ to clients assuming they’re the makeup artist or stylist, female photographers are constantly fighting against the tide of sexism. It is for neither lack of interest nor talent that the photography industry is so imbalanced. According to Female in Focus, while just 15% of professional photographers are women, 80% of photography graduates are female. This directly affects what we see on our front pages and billboards. In the US, as revealed in a TEDx talk by the celebrated photographer Jill Greenberg, 92% of advertisements are shot by men, as are 85% of magazine covers. Despite the fact that 85% of consumer purchases are made by women. (2) Needless to say, sexism, and all other forms of bigotry as a corollary, are issues the photography industry and society at large need to actively work to address and mitigate.
But what does that look like? Personally, that’s meant passing up on certain opportunities offered to me and referring them to female photographers in my network who are better suited for the job. As much as I’d love to photograph a women’s retreat or a wellness space geared towards women it would be hard for me to take that type of gig in good conscious knowing how often my sister photographers are overlooked. If a sometimes struggling artist like myself, who could certainly use the check, can recognize my own privilege then there’s nothing stopping more established photographers higher up on the ladder from doing the same.
Listed below, in no particular order, are 15 female photographers who I either know personally or whose work has continued to be a source of inspiration for me. I am inspired not only by the caliber of their photography but by the fact that the majority of their subjects are either fellow women, minorities, or members of often underrepresented and maligned segments of society. Each photographer's name is a direct link to their Instagram page, clicking on the picture will take you to the original Instagram post. See a photographer you like? Dive deeper into their work and process by reading their accompanying article. 📰
Who should be on my radar that I might have missed? I always love being introduced to new and talented creatives so if there’s a female photographer I should know about put me on to game in the comment section below! 👇🏿
1. Dana Scruggs (@danascruggs)
"How Dana Scruggs Went From Test Shoots To Milestone Covers" - Models.com
2. Petra Collins (@petrafcollins)
"Petra Collins on how Tumblr feminism became corporate capitalism" - Dazed
3. Arielle Bobb-Willis (@ariellebobbwillis)
"The loud and strange photography of Arielle Bobb-Willis" - i-D
4. Peggy Sirota (@peggysirota)
5. Makeda Sandford (@ohmakeda)
“Makeda Sanford" - The Photographic Journal
6. Noémie Marguerite (@noemiemarguerite)
“Reigning Women Photographers: Noémie Marguerite” - Reign XY
7. Yagazie Emezi (@yagazieemezi)
"Yagazie Emezi: The Nigerian Photographer Documenting African Life" - Paper
8. Peyton Fulford (@peytonfulford)
"Peyton Fulford's Intimate and Vulnerable Photos of Queer Southern Youth" - Vice
9. Flo Ngala (@flongala)
"That Harlem Hustle: Meet Flo Ngala, the Young Photographer Behind Some of Cardi B’s Most Iconic Moments" - The Root
10. Deun Ivory (@deunivory)
"Deun Ivory's Photos of Black Sexual Assault Survivors Celebrate Their Healing" - Refinery29
11. Nadine Ijewere (@nadineijewere)
"26-Year-Old Photographer Nadine Ijewere On Her Historic Vogue Cover" - British Vogue
12. Laylah Amatullah Barrayn (@laylahb)
"How a Book about Black Women Photographers was Created, Funded and Published" - Photo District News
13. Adrienne Raquel (@adrienneraquel)
"Adrienne Raquel Is Making Photography More Inclusive" - Hypebeast
14. Sabrina Santiago (@_sabrinasantiago)
“A Lesson in Photographing People With Sabrina Santiago" - Indie
15. Stacy-Ann Ellis (@stassi_x)
* #ShamelessPlug to the homie Stacy who is just as equally talented with the pen as she is behind the lens. You might even see me floating around somewhere on her page 👀 *
References
"Sexism in the Photo Industry: Can't We Do Better?" - PDN Online
"Women battling sexism in photography – a picture essay" - The Guardian
"#DiversifyTheLens: The Importance of Hiring Women Photographers" - PetaPixel
"Female in Focus: An award for women photographers" - British Journal of Photography
"The Female Lens" - Alreadymade