Photo Sexism; We’re Women Still Playing in a Men’s World
November 5, 2009 by becthomas
Filed under Photography
Margaret Bourke-White walked into an Otis Steel Company mill in 1927 to take pictures and shocked the world; that was not the end of her shock waves. Margaret Bourke-White became the first female photojournalist, the first photographer hired by Fortune magazine, one of her photos was the first to grace the cover of Life magazine, was a war correspondent and the first western photographer allowed into the Soviet Union. These are but a few of the great things she did over her long and well known photography career. She was a woman of many firsts and a great role model to many future female photographers. One would think that by now sexism wouldn’t be an equation in the photography industry. I mean we have many women that are well known throughout the photo industry that are influential and extremely talented. So why is it women photog’s are still being looked down upon?
By now you’re asking what bug crawled up my back? Why on earth am I going down this road? Simple answer is that lately I’ve run into photo industry sexism one too many times. Now I’m not angry at any one person but an attitude toward women that I’ve come to find disturbing. First attitude that really annoyed me was women being termed as “soccer mom photogs”. Granted I’m a woman and I’m also a mom but my kids don’t play soccer and humans are rarely my subject matter. I’m a professional photographer, I focus on nature photography and I sell commercial and fine art; I also know just as many men that like to photograph kids as women do… I know that camera equipment has become really affordable but it’s not just women that is buying the gear and hanging out a shingle. So why do women get cutesy sites like “The Mommarazzi”? This is ProPhoto’s female dedicated site… I have had many women photog’s tell me how insulting that one is and it had me steamed! Today Strobist published a blog titled “Shedding Light on the Gender Gap”, it talks about how a lot less women are interested in their group than men. Now the article could have been better, this paragraph kind of had me going WHAT?
“And I don’t buy that line of thought anyway. But the fact remains that many guys tend to be more technically oriented photographers. And (in my experience) women tend to care more about the actual photo as compared to the camera model, lens, lighting ratio, etc.”
I mean do some guys really believe women aren’t technical because we are less likely to discuss gear ad nosium? What really had me ticked off was some of the comments left in response to that article; I mean WOW some really had me cringing, do some men truly believe in what this commenter had to say?
There are countless women wedding shooters out there that label themselves as a “natural light photographer” when it should read “I-don’t-want-to-put-in-the-time-to-learn-my-gear photographer.”
Hello there are tons of women that have put blood sweat and tears into learning to be good photographers and there are just as many men that suck at it as women… Hmmm maybe the attitude has something to do with why we aren’t hanging out there…
I really liked photographer Anne Raker’s response to the above comment on Twitter:
“Since when does “off-camera flash” = lighting? Apparently, Ansel Adams had no clue about lighting, because he wasn’t using strobes. I use & love strobes, but skilled use of nat. light is lighting!”
Now before you jump on me and say not all men are like that, yes I know. I’ve recently been involved in discussions with a couple of men that are shocked by these attitudes, photographer Frank DelValle and hobbyist Brandon Blaine both stood up for the skills and technical abilities of women photogs in recent Twitter discussions, huge props to them for it! I also know many male photogs that don’t think any differently about women behind the camera. It’s just that recently aside of website and blog posts I’ve actually had such comments thrown in my face. I’ve had men complain to be about women photographers as “upstart soccer moms that now think they can be photographers”… It’s sexist and it’s wrong!
The point of this ranting rambling post is that women are just as professional as men, we are just as technical as men, even if we express it differently, and we are able to get the good shots just like men. There are some absolutely fabulous and horrible male photogs in the world and there are some amazing and awful women photogs in the world; gender seems to have little to do with it. Our abilities as professional photographers shouldn’t be looked down upon because we give birth. Really I dare you walk up to Annie Leibovitz and call her a Mommarazzi I’d love to see how that turns out…
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Patty Hankins on Thu, 5th Nov 2009 3:12 AM
The one I’ll never forget was hearing a speaker at a PPA conference teaching their introductory business module making multiple references to “PMS photographers” – his version of soccer mom photographers. He said it stood for “Photo Mom Shooters”. Yeah – right.
The most common sexist remarks I get from male photographers at art shows is being called girl,babe, doll, sweetie, honey, etc. Somehow these guys seem to learn each other’s names – and can actually use them when greeting each other and in conversation. But when it comes to talking with me – it’s “Now girl, you need to do this . . . ” and “Hey babe, how’s it going?”
There are also some fantastic male photographers at the shows I do, who have really helped me grow as a photographer and become good friends. So I just hang out with them at the shows – and do my best to avoid the sexists.
I figure the sexists are putting down women and our photography – because they’re afraid of the competition.
Dan Williams on Thu, 5th Nov 2009 3:57 AM
Enjoyed your discussion of this issue. For the record, my best student is a young female college student, who is well on her way to becoming one of America’s finest wildlife photographers. Her images are stunning and her work ethic will match any man out there. She is going to be successful because she has a dream and has the courage to follow that dream. She was gifted with a terrific eye, and a passion for art. Those things are found in both men and women, and I applaud anyone who understands and appreciates the talent they pocess. Those who can….DO….and the rest just seem to sit around and complain.
Stephen Nesbitt on Thu, 5th Nov 2009 6:45 AM
Well, I agree with most of your comments. I too was unhappy with the original post. However, to stand up for the boys, I am absolutely sick of the off hand comment “boys and their toys”. It has such a negative tone. What, do we all just care about the gadgets or something? Is that it? We don’t care about whats in the frame? It absolutely shits me when I hear comments like this. Sure, I may have the means to buy some good equipment, but I am out there to capture shots. NOT COMPARE GADGETS WITH THE BOYS!
Shawn on Thu, 5th Nov 2009 1:14 PM
Funny I’m a guy and always feel like I’m in the vast minority in the photography world. I would have guessed that 75% of portrait photographers are women. At least that’s what I see on most of the photography forums.
The only thing that I do agree with is that more natural light photographers seem to be women, and more men tend to use lighting / strobes outdoors (I do).
becthomas on Thu, 5th Nov 2009 2:43 PM
Stephen I can see where you would certainly be sick of that remark but I have to tell ya it’s usually guys I here using it, and from what I’ve been able to tell alot of them seem to like that ideal applied to them, I kinda don’t get it but….
becthomas on Thu, 5th Nov 2009 2:47 PM
The photography world is alot bigger then portrait photographers and in some areas there probably are different ratio’s but as a whole there are less women pro’s then men. I actually know fewer women that are natural light photographers than men and there seems to be plently of women storbists in the world, I know plenty.
Laurie Wheeler on Thu, 5th Nov 2009 2:56 PM
Beyond photography, which of course is the theme of this blog,enculturated mysogyny is still quite rife in the USA regardless of media, expression, or occupation.
Perhaps it is the human need to categorize to find that which is homogeneous safe and hetergenous unsafe. Who knows. But as a woman any kind of comment such as, “Women are less technical” makes my blood boil.
Frankly in photography (and I am not a pro, but am very educated on the subject of photography) the tools are not the technical details one is most want to worry about. Composition, light, contrast, focus. The tools and toys are ways to acheive those ends, but if you are a good photographer you can use a pinhole camera to make great photos.
As an artist in another medium, I can tell you, where as I have my fair share of my own “toys”, I can work with the most rudimentary of implements to achieve the same results.
Our toys just make it easier.
We have got to start seeing humans as humans and leave the reproductive organs out of the professional arena. My uterus does not do my work for me.
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Photography Links – November 6, 2009 « Beautiful Flower Pictures Blog: Floral Photography by Patty Hankins on Fri, 6th Nov 2009 1:09 AM
[...] The issue of sexism in photography arose on a couple of blogs – beginning with Shedding Light on the Gender Gap from the Strobist blog with a response from Visual Perspective Photo Sexism We’re Women Still Playing in a Men’s World [...]
jason on Sat, 7th Nov 2009 2:39 PM
funny, I did not see the strobist article as misogynistic… to me he seemed to be asking for help to expand to more female readership, and to be baffled by why his readers were predominantly male. Are discussions of this sort not allowed now? We can’t be that pc… I find it strange that so many took offense to some of the musings as to the reasons why, rather than adding their own opinions for discussion. (and by this I am not referring to the author of this blog) There might be a few out there who are ignorant and their comments go too far, but most men I meet have no illusions about being superior to women. When discussing technical things it is true that there seem to be more men who are interested. I do not see this a a difference of ability, but of a difference in interests.
becthomas on Sat, 7th Nov 2009 3:25 PM
I’ve notice that the word technical isn’t being used correctly by alot of people. Not being into gadgets or wanting to discuss gadgets is not the same thing as not being technical, to be a professional photographer you pretty much have to be technical:
tech?ni?cal??/?t?kn?k?l/ Pronunciation [tek-ni-kuhl]
adjective 1. belonging or pertaining to an art, science, or the like: technical skill.
2. peculiar to or characteristic of a particular art, science, profession, trade, etc.: technical details.
3. using terminology or treating subject matter in a manner peculiar to a particular field, as a writer or a book: a technical report.
4. skilled in or familiar in a practical way with a particular art, trade, etc., as a person.
5. of, pertaining to, or showing technique.
6. technically demanding or difficult: a technical violin sonata; a technical ski run.
7. designed or used for technically demanding sports or other activities: technical apparel.
8. pertaining to or connected with the mechanical or industrial arts and the applied sciences: a technical school.
9. so considered from a point of view in accordance with a stringent interpretation of the rules: a military engagement ending in a technical defeat.
10. concerned with or dwelling on technicalities: You’re getting too technical for me.
11. noting a market in which prices are determined largely by supply and demand and other such internal factors rather than by general business, economic, or psychological factors that influence market activity: technical weakness or strength.
becthomas on Sat, 7th Nov 2009 3:37 PM
Jason when he wrote this “But the fact remains that many guys tend to be more technically oriented photographers.” he pretty much jumped into being misogynistic. It wouldn’t be ok to say an African American is less technically inclined and it’s not ok to make a blanket statement that women are less technically inclined because we aren’t hanging out at his site in droves.
jason on Sat, 7th Nov 2009 7:13 PM
true, but I got the feeling that he was substituting the word technical for the term technologically driven. All of his statements were about the idea that women care less about the gadgets (in general) than the guys seem to… not that the were less proficient photographers in any way… again, just my perception of his meaning. You should ask him to clarify because I suspect that he just didn’t word his statement properly.
becthomas on Sat, 7th Nov 2009 7:25 PM
I indeed hope he does clarify but many of the commentors were rather clear on their statements about women. It isn’t just this post that provoked my post but an attitude I keep running into that crazy.
jason on Sat, 7th Nov 2009 7:33 PM
The thing that I noticed about the comments was that around half of the ones that talked about women not being able to understand the technology came from women… that is a far larger problem, to my mind. There will always be people who jump to chime in and put their ignorance on display in the semi-anonymous setting of a web blog, but you can safely ignore them… they would not have the courage to chime in if you were present…
becthomas on Sat, 7th Nov 2009 7:40 PM
You don’t even want to get me started on them! I can’t even imagine not learning something because more men do it… I’m not a storbist because for much of my work it would be impracticle, interacting with men is certainly not a reason to hold me back. Don’t be surprised if I don’t get around to a blog post on this topic at some point!