It’s International Women’s Day, and we’re celebrating women photographers everywhere for their tenacity, creativity, compassion, and moxy. We get why you chose this path. We’re on it with you.
#FocusOnWhatMattersMost
– ShootProof
“The camera is just a tool for connection.” – CARLA TEN EYCK
Carla’s dark eyes focused intently on her webcam as she spoke, as if she could see us watching her from the future, from our ergonomic desk chairs, from the corner conference room bathed in smoggy sunlight.
Photo by: CARLA TEN EYCK
As women photographers have outnumbered men in most photography genres, they’ve also faced derision and outright blame for shifts in the industry itself.
Photo by: LESLIE KERSHAW
“Mom-tographers are ruining the market,” we hear. “The barrier to entry is just so low now,” some say. “Owning a camera doesn’t make you a professional,” others point out.
Photo by: KALEEN ENKE
And it’s true: competition is stiff, and many emerging photographers don’t yet know how to run a business, let alone operate their newly-acquired DSLRs.
But here at ShootProof, we see the bigger picture. We see women photographers embraced by a world hungry for their perspectives, eager for their voices, and inspired by their stories.
Photo by: HEATHER DAVIDSON-MEYN
As International Women’s Day drew close on our calendars, we knew we wanted to celebrate the women photographers who motivate us, day in and day out.
The women pursuing photography on weekends, and working in cubicles on weekdays. The women watching how-to videos and reading tutorials. The women asking questions. The women trying, and failing, and trying again. The women who aren’t satisfied to sit on their sofas and watch other people’s stories unfold. The women who want to create their own stories.
“I think it’s important, as women, that we stand with each other…” – TOMAYIA COLVIN
So here we are, the women of ShootProof, standing with you, and women photographers everywhere. You are the makers and the marketers, the storytellers and the sellers, the creatives and the curators, the doers and the dreamers.
You Are Them. And You Rock.
Maybe you aren’t feeling especially amazing or inspiring or even particularly fulfilled by what you’re doing right now. Maybe you’re in Ira Glass’ Gap right now, trying so hard to make what you see in your head, yet repeatedly falling short.
It’s okay. What matters is that you’re making.
If you still don’t believe us, read Jen Sincero’s book, You Are A Badass. And eat some Skittles.
Homework: Get Photographed. Feel the Love.
If all you ever do is make your own photographs, you’ll become disconnected from the sheer joy of photography. Before that happens, hire a photographer. Pull your favorite people in close. And get photographed. Be reminded of why you chose photography. Be reminded of what you’re working so hard to give the world.
Photo by: HEATHER DAVIDSON-MEYN
Way Up North: Like You Need An Excuse To Go To Europe…
If you already live in Europe, YAY YOU!
The rest of us are looking at Instagram photos of London and Paris and Venice, sighing and checking our bank accounts one last time just in case some extra money magically appeared while we were Netflix-bingeing.
Website: WAY UP NORTH
If you do happen to have a budget for education, Way Up North is a brilliant excuse to travel to Europe. ShootProof has sent someone to WUN for the past several years, and we all pretend it’s no big deal, but honestly it’s a phenomenal experience.
True Story: at WUN Stockholm, 2018, their speaker lineup was all women photographers. How cool is that?
Photos by: TOMAYIA COLVIN
Homework: Go Looking For Magic
What does magic mean to you? Maybe you think of Harry Potter or David Blaine’s card tricks on street curbs.
If you’re like me, you think of hazy summer nights on a porch swing, or the smell of coffee brewing on a rainy weekend morning.
Photo by: TOMAYIA COLVIN
Whatever the word magic conjures for you, set aside time to find it and photograph it.
Whether it’s a place, a person, or a feeling, you’ll know it when you find it.
Sophia Barrett: The Power of Print
Photos by: SOPHIA BARRETT
Real Life Photography Conference: For Women
We just had the wise and lovely Courtney Z. from Homeroom here in the ShootProof studio teaching one of her Study Hours courses – and she’ll be speaking at Real Life this year, too!
That’s the caliber of Real Life’s education: they’re offering real info you really need to really succeed in the real world. You should go. (Really.)
Website: REAL LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY CONFERENCE
Photo by: ALICE PARK
Brené Brown: Find Your Tribe
Is tribe an overused word? Probably. But it’s the best way we know to describe Brené Brown’s book Braving the Wilderness – a guide to finding yourself and finding your tribe.
Any form of “solo-preneurship” can feel isolating and lonely, but women photographers in particular experience an intense longing for community and connection as they navigate the rough waters of small business ownership. Read Braving the Wilderness, and you’ll find your way to a new “family” of likeminded creatives who will support and inspire you.
Photos by: JENNY PERRY
ONA: Tracy Foster’s Beautiful Bag Line
If you want to see women photographers and women entrepreneurs thriving, give them your business.
Bag maker Tracy Foster is the beautiful mind behind ONA‘s stunning line of camera bags and accessories.
The entire ShootProof squad are suckers for all things handmade, so ONA speaks directly to our souls… (Personally, that doughnut speaks to my soul.)
Homework: Make Every Moment Count
This darling little girl’s “Aunt D” passed away from a rare genetic disorder only weeks after Jane Ammon made these photos.
“This is why I do what I do.” – JANE AMMON
Photos by: JANE AMMON
At your next session, don’t put the camera down so quickly in-between shots. Linger after each frame. Wait for the unexpected to happen. Give the moment a chance to arrive, and be ready for it when it comes.
Photo by: JANE AMMON
Meet Jennifer Loeber: She Tells the Stories No One Else Is Telling
***Fair warning: some of Jennifer Loeber‘s photographs contain nudity, so don’t click through to her work unless you’re comfortable with the human form au naturale.
In Left Behind, Jennifer shares the story of her mom’s death, and the objects that remained, reminding Jennifer of her.
Website: JENNIFER LOEBER
In her project Gyrle***, Jennifer shares teenage images of herself alongside photographs of a trans woman going about her daily routines.
Photos by: JENNIFER LOEBER
We were mesmerized by the way Jennifer so intimately captures the everyday and makes it… well… magical.
Homework: Start A Project That Scares You
You don’t need to spend years photographing a single subject like Jennifer Loeber did, or tackle the emotionally-heavy task of documenting a deceased loved one’s belongings.
Simply choose one concept that is new to you, and get to work.
Photo by: ELIZABETH BLANK
Try underwater photography like Elizabeth Blank, or pursue a self-portrait project like Jane Ammon‘s. Whatever you choose, don’t take the easy way out. Push yourself to connect; push yourself to grow; and push yourself to say yes.
YES. (For When “No” Is A No-Go.)
When Shonda Rhimes isn’t producing, showrunning, and screenwriting, she writes books. We imagine her with a waterproof pad of paper, writing in the shower, because when else would she have time to write a book?
Read Year of Yes, and maybe you’ll be writing a book, too! Or at least saying “yes” to coffee with your next new photographer-friend.
Photo by: KALEEN ENKE
{un}convention: If You’re More Rebel Than Routine…
The folks behind the beautifully inclusive Catalyst Wedding Co. bring diversity training (and so much more) to wedding photographers and other wedding industry pros. They haven’t scheduled their 2018 conference yet, but previous events have sold out!
Website: {un}convention
If you’re looking to expand your client base and broaden your portfolio, {un}convention is your home-away-from-home.
Photo by: LESLIE KERSHAW
Meet Sara Macel: She’s A Time-Traveler
Sara lends new meaning to the word “legacy” as she gives story to the photographs and artifacts owned during WWII by her now-deceased grandmother.
Website: SARA MACEL
What artifacts are in your possession? What stories can you tell?
Are you ready to explore them?
Alice Park: Leaving A Legacy
National Association of Professional Child Photographers
Alice Park does more than photograph families. She also cultivates a community of primarily women photographers who specialize in child and family photography. Their thriving online gatherings are fueled by regular image competitions and educational opportunities for their members.
Website: NAPCP
I’ve been honored to participate in a handful of NAPCP events, and I have to say: their community is unlike any other I’ve seen. If you’re looking for unwavering support from a circle of dedicated professionals, NAPCP could be your tribe.
Photo by: ALICE PARK
For Women, By Women
This is us, your tiny ShootProof team of women photographers who created the videos and graphics, and curated the contributors and collaborators.
Written & Produced by: ANNE SIMONE | Filmed & Edited by: CASSIA REYNOLDS | Produced by: RACHEL LACOUR NIESEN
And here are all the other women of ShootProof: the programmers and designers, the managers and developers, the support specialists and the product planners.
We’re all in this together, committed and cooperating. Together we’re thriving.
Together we’re changing the world.
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