I believe that, as a woman photographer, it is my responsibility to tell women’s stories as they really are, not just as they seem to be. Together with other black women photographers, we are uniquely placed to document this situation with fairness and feeling.
Ever since its invention in the 19th century, photography has documented life. At the same time, it focuses on inviting audiences to a rather subjective world, while trying to be taken seriously as an art form. Photography has always been considered a male-dominated profession, but luckily things are changing. Scholars, writers, bloggers, photography students, and enthusiasts have been giving due to the female pioneers of the field. Most were always standing and/or hiding in the shadows, oblivious to how much they could acclaim and accomplish. Arguably, the techniques, concepts, and thematic female photographers use differ from those of male photographers. At a time when most women were convinced that their place was in the kitchen and certainly not in the dark room, some were struggling to surpass their male counterparts and work towards gaining respect and recognition for their work.

Neo Ntsoma (South African photographer, 1972-) was born in Vryburg and raised in the rural areas of Mafikeng in the North West Province. Her fascination with films was triggered at an early age. Growing up in the apartheid era and seeing the negative portrayal images of black South Africans and the lack of participation of black women in a media industry dominated by white males, reinvigorated her to want to make a change. Ntsoma attended St Mary's High School where she was introduced to music, dance, and drama. That's when she knew her career path was different from her peers. Despite several setbacks throughout her life she kept on pursuing her dream of being a photographer and succeeded.
Photography is a profession she fell into by accident, a profession not known to black women at that time. She began her studies at Peninsula Technikon in 1992. She later moved to Pretoria Technikon between 1994 and 1995 to further her studies specialising in Fashion and Advertising although she was denied the opportunity to graduate. Despite challenges and setbacks on her journey, in 1998 Ntsoma became the first black woman photographer to work for one of the biggest newspapers in South Africa, The Star. Although she never felt discriminated by her colleagues who were mainly white and male, she felt the need to constantly prove herself to gain recognition.
Between 2002 and 2003, Ntsoma's involvement with Majority World began when she was a tutor at Pathshala South Institute of Photography in Bangladesh, which was led by Shahidul Alam. Alam assisted with publicizing the work of artists from majority world countries, which included Africa. Majority World publicized her work and gave her opportunities to showcase them in exhibitions and publications globally. In 2004, Neo became the first woman recipient of the Mohamed Amin Award, the CNN African Journalist of the Year Photography Prize for her photo essay entitled, Their World in Flames. Over the years her career has also spanned to fine arts and celebrity photography. Ntsoma co-authored Women by Women: 50 Years of Women's Photography in South Africa with Robin Comley, George Hallett, and Penny Siopis. It was commissioned by the South African Ministry of Arts and Culture as a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1956 women's march on the Union Buildings.
In 2007, she founded Neo Ntsoma Productions, a visual communications and production company owned and managed entirely by black women. Her team consists of photographers, video technologists, editors, visual communication strategists, writers, and consultants who work in industrial and corporate sectors alike. The company also provides entrepreneurial workshops and private mentorship programs for aspiring photographers. In 2018 photojournalist, Neo Ntsoma was part of a discussion, along with fellow panelists, on development on the African continent - at the Yale University Art Gallery.
The award winning photographer, educator, and creative consultant is dedicated to amplifying the voices of marginalized communities through her powerful images. With a focus on identity, culture, and social justice, her work has been showcased in prominent international publications, exhibitions, and awards. A contemporary cultural leader, Neo Ntsoma was named one of the 100 Most Influential Women by Africa's largest media group, Media24, and in both 2004 and 2006 Cosmopolitan magazine included her in their top thirty "Awesome Women".

I draw my inspiration directly from my life experiences growing up female in South Africa.

We will continue talking about female names that left their mark on photography and about contemporary female photographers who are still to emerge. There are a lot of female photographers out there deserving of praise and we can only hope to cover as many of them as we can. Please follow this space to find out more.
