Photography has been around for over 200 years and traditionally having women placed in front of the lens, it's a largely male-orientated industry, whether we like to admit it or not. Many of these images show the male gaze. Women in the photography workforce are making strides. However, there is still a long way to go.
Women are still underrepresented in many areas of photography, including sports and photojournalism. It's important to continue to support and encourage women in the industry, and to celebrate their achievements. We need more women role models and mentors to help pave the way for the next generation of photographers. By working together and supporting one another, we can create a more inclusive and diverse photography industry.
A project that focuses on women behind the camera is Artpil. They focus on modern and contemporary arts, providing stories, events, and news, interviews featuring profiles of artists of all disciplines museums and galleries, agencies, and organisations, both curated and from the public domain.
For Artpil's 14th edition of 30 under 30 Women Photographers, they show many inspiring women photographers. It was founded in 2010 and has helped many emerging women photographers to gain more exposure. Photography genres included are documentary, portraiture, street, and fashion.
One photographer who was selected was Isabel Spantzel (@isabel_spantzel). Isabel is a fine art and fashion photographer based in Berlin. She has a bachelor's degree in fine arts with sustainable design, focusing on photography. Her work is a poetic practice, exploring everything that continues to be a mystery.
© Isabel Spantzel
Another photographer that was selected to show their amazing work was Clarissa Sofia. She is a contemporary photographer and poet. She has roots in Spain and England. She focuses on examining femininity and mental health in her work, hoping to destigmatize the topic.
Clarissa's debut book Fault Line was published in 2020 and explores the relationships between people and places, love, death, and mental health, specifically depression and anxiety.
© clarissa sofia
Lucy Franzen is another photographer selected for the 30 under 30 Women Photographers to share their work. Lucy is a portrait photographer based in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is not a photographer by training and has a degree in biochemical engineering from the University of Rochester, and the University of Glasgow. She uses photography as a creative expression, she currently focuses on environmental portraiture, and to capture others experiences of home.
© lucy franzen
30 under 30 Women Photographers is important for society to have, it shows how women can be celebrated and shown for their work behind the camera. Women photographers are equally as important and deserve their work to be shown.
