Women in photography: A look at female creators and the challenges overcome by women in the industry

March is Women’s History Month and what better way to celebrate than looking at B&H’s new video series, “Women of Influence.” The series is “an inspirational look at the talent, drive, and perseverance that forged some remarkable photographic and filmmaking careers.” The series focuses on ten women as they explain their personal stories, careers and the challenges they faced and overcame. The first two videos were released on March 8, which was International Women’s Day 2017, and center around Cristina Mittermeier and Barbara Davidson. The videos can be seen below.

While much progress has been made regarding women’s rights, there is still a lot more ground to cover. In their March visual trend update, Adobe points out that “it’s no secret that a lot of stock images of women lack diversity, and reinforce stereotypes and gender norms — women are pictured slender, delicate, domestic, unthreatening, and models are often Caucasian.” They continue, with optimism, “But we’re seeing more and more photographers stepping up to the challenge to change that. Female artists are bringing different and new perspectives to the table, and they’re building a much fuller representation of the human experience.”

Speaking to Adobe, Adobe Stock contributor Helen Fields stated, “People are keen to bridge the gender gap. They want women in unconventional roles…If you don’t include women in your content, you’re restricting your own portfolio.”

It is not just the lack of diversity of women in stock photography that has proven concerning, it’s the lack of women behind the camera in the industry that is notable. Generally, the industry has been dominated by men, but numerous women are continuing to fight through and bring balance to photography. One of these women is Casey Meshbesher, whose Her Side of the Street collection shares street photography by women photographers. There are many other women photographic pioneers Adobe brings attention to, so read the full article here. To see a curated collection of Adobe Stock content created by women, see here.

Back to “Women of Influence,” if you enjoyed the two videos above, stay tuned to B&H’s YouTube channel where a new entry to the series will be released each week through May 10.

(Via The Digital Picture and Adobe)