![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Photography Has No Gender
Women photographers are fortunate. Unlike other titles, photographer has no gender. Women photographers don't have to force stilted language like "flight attendant" instead of "stewardess," or "letter carrier" instead of "mailman." "Photographer" doesn't have the historical male/female titles such as "author" and "authoress," or "actor" vs. "actress." Women photographers may not even have to battle the associated gender that "doctors" or "nurses" do. Did you know that bank tellers always were men up until WWII because it was thought that women couldn't handle money? So when you visualize a photographer, is it a man or woman? It probably depends on your most recent contact with one. But when you look at a photograph, can you tell whether it was taken by a man or a woman? Probably not. So, at least on one side of the lens, it doesn't make a difference that the photographer is a woman. So why is it important to talk about women and photography? Because, according to a recent study conducted at the University of California at Irvine, women's brains are different than men's. The study found that women have more "white matter" than men. White matter handles the connections of the brain's processing centers. Men, on the other hand, have more "gray matter" than women. Gray matter controls the information processing centers in the brain. According to Rex Jung, a neuropsychologist and co-author of the study, "this may help to explain why men tend to excel in tasks requiring more local processing (like mathematics), while women tend to excel at integrating and assimilating information from distributed gray-matter regions in the brain, such as required for language facility." Although different, the study found that both types of brain designs are "capable of producing equivalent intellectual performance." http://today.uci.edu/news/release_detail.asp?key=1261 It therefore makes sense that when women think and learn about photography, and even when they take photos, their approach is different than men's. What should women photographers do, then, with this information? First, women should acknowledge and celebrate their differences. There is no right way to approach photography, as long as it works for you. Don't try to imitate male photographers, and certainly don't be uncomfortable with how you shoot. Second, study the work of women photographers who were pioneers, such as Imogen Cunningham and Dorothea Lange, as well as current women photographers such as Linde Waidhofer, Lisl Dennis and Joyce Tenneson. They may have created easier paths for you to follow. Most important, you should look for support as a woman photographer. There are organizations that specifically serve the needs of women photographers. A primary example is "Women in Photography International." Its mission is to promote the visibility of women photographers and their work through a variety of programs, exhibitions, juried competitions and publications. Seek programs like that provided by the Professional Photographers of America ("P.P.A."). It held its 2nd annual "Women in Photography Retreat" this past August. The purpose of the event was to "embark on an exciting journey of self-discovery . . . to forge new friendships, cultivate your strengths, and shape strategies for your personal, professional and creative development in a relaxing, stress free resort." You also should evaluate your situation. Does your local camera club involve you as a woman photographer? Do you get the support you need from your friends and family? You may have to make some careful choices about your associates if they don't encourage your art. Likewise, you should examine whether you are getting the photography instruction that you need. It doesn't have to come from a woman for it to help you. Choose photography workshops that offer the opportunity to share the passion and inspiration with all photographic artists in a welcoming environment. Finally, you should use your female advantage in photography. There are the obvious areas. You can be in the bride's dressing room and you can make a connection with the crying baby. There are the less obvious items, too. You can "communicate" with the person who speaks a different language, connect with the wild animal or see the unique lines of the landscapes. Let your vision expand to its fullest, female state. This is not to suggest that you become a ranting feminist photographer. The art of photography is to be cherished and appreciated, regardless of whether it is done by a woman or a man. The point is that photography has no gender. As a photographer, you should create superb images of enduring quality. The viewer won't care who it came from. Don't let any artificial designations get in your way. But you also should acknowledge, celebrate, explore and nourish your difference. You may be pleased with what you discover. Copyright 2005 Carolyn E. Wright --- ABOUT THE AUTHOR --- Carolyn Wright is a professional photographer with an active portrait, event and nature photography business. Shooting for 25 years, her award-winning images have been used in books and corporate marketing materials. Her wildlife photos will be included in the upcoming book, "Captivating Wildlife - Images from the Top Ten Emerging Wildlife Photographers" by Scott Bourne and David Middleton. She also is working with Scott Bourne on "Wolfscapes," a photo book documenting the beauty and strength of wolves. Her wildlife images can be viewed at http://www.vividwildlife.com.. On the faculty of Olympic Mountain School of Photography, Carolyn's passion is enhanced when teaching photography. She enjoys writing and speaking on the subject, as well, and is a regular columnist for PhotoFocus, an online magazine for serious photographers.
MORE RESOURCES: The roots of American photography are firmly in Cincinnati, new documentary declares The Cincinnati Enquirer Skate like a lass: Juliet Klottrup’s take on skating, survival and self-expression up north It's Nice That Gen Z embracing physical photographs, printing twice as many snaps as other generations New York Post Asheville photographer named 2024 Photographer of the Year, work displayed in Times Square Citizen Times Beyond the lens: S&T’s student photographer looks to the future Missouri S&T News and Research Photography Exhibit Chronicles Pandemic Time on the Island The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News Minimalist Winter Photography Fstoppers Local Photographer Wins Major Award For Photos In East Palestine Wheeling Intelligencer CMU Photographer Explores Campus Imagery Through Coursework Carnegie Mellon University ‘Borderlands Photography Show’ bows at TAMIU this Wednesday Laredo Morning Times Hannibal Arts Council exhibits opening Feb. 28 feature photography, graphite drawings, oil and acrylic paintings Muddy River News Every ‘Saturday Night,’ the Stars Smile for Her The New York Times Month of Photography Denver - Samantha Johnston Interview Analog Forever Magazine Hahnemühle makes The Photography and Video Show even better! Amateur Photographer Imagn Images and Eluvio Partner To Build AI Workflow for Professional Sports and Editorial Photography Sports Video Group Puppetry Exhibition Showcases Photographic Work of UConn Alum, 60 Years of Puppet Arts University of Connecticut Photos That Capture the Soul of San Francisco The New York Times How early photographs of snowflakes shaped modern ideas about ‘what it means to be unique’ - Semafor Hess Art House – Meet the Artist – Garry Miller The Eye of Photography Trains Photo Contest 2025: The last mile TRAINS Magazine After 15 Years, I Finally Got My Vision Back. Here’s How It’s Affecting My Photography The Phoblographer What makes Bloomington unique? These European photographers plan to capture it on film. The Herald-Times Mechanicsburg's Katie McKenney 'capturing the beautiful moments' through mingling photography, swimming The Sentinel ‘I want my photos’: Local bride in battle with photographer to get wedding pictures - Boston 25 News Photographer Stan Johnson uplifts the Black experience in dual exhibits Tallahassee Democrat Hot Shots 2/25 Firehouse Want to build a photo community? Aftershoot offers $1M in funding to photographers worldwide DIY Photography The Truth about Photography YouTubers: Are They Actually Good? DIY Photography Photography shines with new Artist Spotlight at Warehouse Arts Center Vilas County News-Review Local Photographer Wins Major Award For Photos In East Palestine Philanthropy News Digest Photographer presents 'Snow Fighting on Donner Pass' at railroad heritage meeting Gold Country Media Woman has both hands bitten off by shark during close up photography opportunity Digital Camera World The American Dream, Through Foreign Eyes The New York Times Neighbor: Morris helps capture moments through Ava Photography The Daily Advance Petaluma workshop to focus on preserving local historical photographs Petaluma Argus Courier Lorenzo Catena’s Photography Project Capturing the Islands of Samoa Collater.al Magazine ENG From foster care to fashion photography: Naomi’s path to success Youth Villages Hmong Photographer Tells the Story of Her People Shepherd Express Images of Water Photography Competition & Exhibition Call for Entries Now Available Redheaded Blackbelt I got my work stolen by another photographer and realized I needed to whack on my big-girl pants and be the loudmouth Digital Camera World Louisville Family Photographer Louisville Family Fun Lev Mazaraki: How Photography on the Space Coast Promotes Ecotourism SpaceCoastDaily.com Zeiss hints at a new product coming soon Australian Photography Annie Leibovitz captures the official portrait photographs for the new series of TV drama 'The Chosen' Digital Camera World Canadian Tourist Charged with Illegal Drone Photography at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station DroneXL.co Five must-see talks at the Photography & Video Show 2025 Digital Camera World Interim: Intervening photography The Mancunion What our photographers saw on Monday, February 17 The Philadelphia Inquirer I ditched my Fujifilm for the artsy Lomo'Instant Automat, and I've never received this many compliments Tom's Guide Picture perfect: Athena Delene's lens on life and vision for community and creativity The Register-Guard Image editing in Lightroom just got a LOT easier Amateur Photographer |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
RELATED ARTICLES
How To Avoid Or Reduce Red-Eye Photography with the aid of a digital camera is beyond doubt very fascinating. However, it also has many a nooks that the users of the digital camera must be aware of and also must be well educated to deal with in order to produce good photographs worth the most prized digital camera. Proper Handling and Storage of Paper Photos Youv'e taken that perfect photo in the perfect light at the perfect angle and it has turned out beautifully.How you handle and store the photo from now on will determine how long it will last. Is Digital Photography Expensive? Being such a fascinating device as the digital camera, this technological masterpiece is of course a precious and priced possession. And acquiring it also means that one time achievement feeling. Seven Ways for Saving Your Digital Images Forever! So, you have taken lots of pictures with your new digital camera, the memory card is full, and you are wondering how to store and archive your images.1 Buy another memory cardThe method of storing your images with least effort is to buy a new memory card and keep your images on the first card. The Beauty of Nature Photography Nature is all around us, and its beauties are unlimited. In this fast-paced world of mocha-lattes and traffic jams at rush hour, too many of us take the beauty of nature for granted. Digital Image Files - Megapixels, Megabytes, or DPI? When I promised readers that I was going to do an article on this topic I was scared. For two reasons - firstly, it's a HUGE subject. Photography Courses Online There are also some excellent online courses available and some of them are free, just type "Photography free online courses" into your search engine. Morguefile is an example they offer sound technical advice on a variety of subjects, as well as aspects of types of photography, it is a good point to start with, showing the resources Jodie Coston, a freelance photographer, has made available online, after a series of classes she gave. Exposure Compensation The digital camera is in reality a great possession with many facets of its utilities and not only that knowing these utilities makes the understanding the digital camera complete. The utilities are also so very diverse that they too offer further introspection of details in their varying applications. 10 MORE Ways to Make Money with Your Digital Cameras 1. Pet photos - advertise a Pet Photography business where you photograph pets with their owners. Digital Camera Metering Looking at the most intricate details of the digital camera as a technologically advanced device a lot of functions come into play. Such s a point is that of the digital camera metering. Color Management, the Digital Darkroom, and Adobe Photoshop PrefaceIn order to understand color management, it is important to get your hands around some of the workflow. It is also important to understand a little bit about the ICC itself. Digicam File Formats Looking at the digital camera, a person can visualize it as a combination of a camera along with a miniature computer system that stores the images as files or sets of bits, rather than a chemically treated film. Thus it comes to be a fact that there are certain file formats in which these images of the photographs captured by the camera are stored. Panasonic Digital Cameras - The History Behind Their Cameras Panasonic is a world-renowned consumer electronics company today. Its digital cameras have recently entered the market. Using a Camcorder to Record Family Events Quickly and Easily Let's start there (but not spend too much time on it because you are probably already checked out on their use):On/Off - On some brands you actually have to find two or three switches to accomplish this. You may be required to choose between camera and VCR or VTR, you may have to open shutters over the lens or remove a lens cap, and you may have choices about snapshots, locked, standby, or video. Using Film Speed Effectively So you have this great new camera. Now you're standing in front of a display of more film that you've ever seen. Imperfect Photos And How You Can Fix Them So your picture came out less then perfect. Blemishes or wrinkles, red eyes and wrong color balance - you can fix it all without having to learn or pay for Adobe Photoshop. How to Buy a Digital Camera Are you buying your first digital camera? Well, you must be confused by the bewildering range of models out there. How do you know which model will suit your needs? To make things worse, digital cameras do not come cheap. Choosing The Right Digital Camera Let's get something straight right out of the box. If you're looking to buy a new digital camera, you don't really have to be an expert in pixels and mega pixels and all that kind of stuff. Move Up to the World of the Digital SLR Camera A digital SLR camera or a single lens reflex (SLR) camera is one of the most popular cameras amongst photographers today. These cameras not only provide high quality images but the photographer can also largely control how he wants the final product to look like. Things You Should Know Before Buying A Digital Camera In a traditional camera, the lens was king. If the lens delivered a decent image, exactly that image would be recorded on the film. ![]() |
home | site map |
© 2006 KeralaClick.com |