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Dani C's avatar

I agree with a lot of what you have shared, especially about the data bias that skews representation and inclusion of women. I had been featured in some videos for Paulie’s YouTube, not his Walkie Talkie series, but I don’t think I will ever be asked to be interviewed because I’ve called out content creators and have critiqued about how he has asked women certain questions and not men. His mutual spoke up for him and said that they assume to know the answer which confirmed (to me) that the content he creates is with men in mind.

I run into other women quite often but I don’t stop to talk unless I know them or they are not busy taking photos. Being in New York City there’s more opportunity to meet people but women have not been welcomed into the photography spaces unless they are friends with someone there or because their work is viewed as exceptional. I’ve come to the realization that I can create work and socialize without investing my time and resources into organizations that don’t offer opportunities for women who aren’t their friends, as well. By the way, I have a post on all the active street photography collectives and I listed out most of them with their members, linked to their websites. That’s a good source to discover more female photographers if you’d like to connect with more.

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Ben Ripley's avatar

REALLY interesting (yes the caps were intended) Giulia, thank you. I’ve tried street but I just can’t get on with it, albeit I appreciate good street photography made by others.

I’m a white CIS male in my early 50s (I never felt the need to qualify which half of a decade before I got this old 😉) and I’ve always felt like ‘that guy’ when photographing on the street. My baggage rather than anything substantive? Probably, but I have to be honest; I struggle with the notion of doing street, in that I can’t quite balance the perceived intrusion on others vs any merit of the work. This is not some throwaway comment intended to deride a whole genre, more my own internal conflict. As said I appreciate good street work but I then ponder what’s the true significance and why do it if I can’t see the true value of it?

There undoubtedly is significance, but my thought is that that truly comes in future years (to wit Winogrand, Helen Levitt et al). Social media distorts: consumption now leads us to try and create things that grab attention, which I believe heavily leads into the ‘street bro’ mentality of entitlement. Oft-heard from those quarters is the ‘it’s legal so I’m doing it’ kind of rejoinder. To that I’d say it’s legal to marry your cousin but that doesn’t make it a good idea. The ethics of good work is so often drowned in the dude cult that can surround areas of street.

Street that does no harm and that is valued on social media now is rare. In fact the two things are - arguably - diametrically opposed. Why do we see so much harsh shadows and blocks of colour kind of work? This, IMHO.

To me this means that I instinctively appreciate the work of women street photographers more. There seems a very different approach (less combative for a start and no, all you sensitive males, I’m not saying you’re all combative) and it typically shows in the work. I can’t remember seeing a street photo by a woman that makes a spectacle of someone else, put it that way. I’m sure someone offended will be along with examples in just a moment… As such the imbalance in street between men and women is real and is utterly unjustified, but I think this is simply reflective of a medium and practice (ie photography) evolved almost entirely as a male domain. As ever, it’ll be hard work to turn that supertanker, but worth it in the long run.

As for a system stacked against women, and not just limited to street photography? Absolutely. Nail on head.

I intend to write an article about all this in due course. But until then, thank you again and I’m subscribed.

Ben

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