Don’t Miss this Bold Conversation about Women in Conservation Photography!
GWC Founder & Executive Director Suzi Eszterhas, GWC Board Vice President Susan McElhinney, and GWC partner photographers Jaymi Heimbuch and Morgan Heim sat down with Cal Academy’s Breakfast Club for an honest conversation about women in wildlife photography.
In this courageous discussion, Suzi, Susan, Morgan, and Jaymi shared the personal challenges they have faced in the field as a female photographer.
The conversation drove to the heart of discrimination in the industry, and included important and controversial topics:
Gendered language in photography articles
Photography gear advertisements and sizing
Types of imagery receiving preference in photography contests
Harassment and violence in the field
Pay inequality
Lack of transparency in hiring and pay scales in the industry
Advantages of being a woman in the field
Exponential importance of finding your own voice as a woman
The conversation was brutally honest and at times painful as the talk turned in particular towards sexual harassment and incidents of physical violence while in the field. But there is hope for future generations thanks to the work of women like Suzi, Suan, Morgan, and Jaymi, as well as organizations like Cal Academy that put the spotlight on these issues.
One of the most important steps in getting more women into the professional industry is removing obstacles to getting them hired. Morgan and Jaymi are founders of Her Wild Vision Initiative. Through an online, international directory, the project makes it easier for notoriously busy photo editors to find female and female-identified conservation photographers and videographers. As the project boldly states: “No more excuses for not being able to find us.”
Next up – stay tuned for a future Breakfast Club show about the lack of diversity in nature photography.
Thank you all for supporting female and female-identified professionals!
It seems like everyone has been getting into bird-watching and bird photography lately.
“Wow! I recently decided to become a bird nerd, and I am so happy I did!” says a comment on an Audubon article.
“I think I’ve caught the birding bug?” says a Facebook post with a slew with bird photos.
So what’s the deal with birds? Why do humans find so much joy in watching and photographing these little dinosaurs? To find the answer, we have to travel back to the beginning.
How did it all begin?
Back in the Victorian era, birding used to be about hunting and obtaining skins, feathers, and eggs, identifying and photographing the bird after it’s been shot. It was mostly a hobby reserved for wealthy collectors, a way for them to gather and document as many species as possible and understand more about taxonomy and natural history.
But things started changing in the late 19th century to early 20th century.
First, the advancement of optics and field guides made watching live birds more popular and accessible. The earliest field guide in the US was “Birds through an Opera Glass”, published in 1889 by Florence Bailey. But the boom in birding was largely credited to the development of binoculars in World War II, as well as Roger Tory Peterson’s field guide in 1934, which used colored plates and grouped similar species together.
Second, faster photography emulsions and quicker shutters developed in the late 1800s, allowing bird photographers to work in the field. In fact, bird photography was the first form of wildlife photography, where the oldest surviving photograph of a wild animal is of a white stork on its nest in Strasbourg in 1870, photographed by Charles A Hewins.
Birding in the early 1800’s was mostly about collecting and cataloguing as many skins, feathers, and eggs of exotic birds as possible. Illustration by Henry Seebohm Illustration from Eggs of British Birds 1896
Third, organizations like Audubon (US) and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (UK) started rallying for the protection of birds in the late 19th century, pushing people to observe and photograph live birds. This was a big turning point for ornithologists and bird enthusiasts, as it introduced the element of science-based conservation.
As a result of these three changes, birding was no longer just a numbers game, no longer an elite group of wealthy people comparing how many birds they have in their collection. It now included millions of people who are passionate about natural history, photography, and conservation, united into a national network.
And the birding community keeps growing and diversifying, even to today. The development of superzoom cameras and smaller binoculars resulted in the rise of the casual backyard birder and the bird-loving family. The birth of platforms like eBird and iNaturalist created the passionate citizen scientist. The proliferation of social media has generated a hub for young teenage birders. Even more recently, black birders have been rising up, leading initiatives like #BlackBirdersWeek in response to recent events with Christian Cooper in Central Park and the #BlackLivesMatter movement (although there are still many barriers that minorities face in birding and photography, but that’s another blog).
American Oystercatcher and chick. Photo by Denise Ippolito
Present day
One reason, especially today, that resonates with a lot of people is the ever-growing conversation of birding’s mental and physical health benefits. And this has led to the most recent explosion of new birders and photographers during this pandemic.
For example, there’s a concept in the birding world called a “bird sit”, which is like an outdoor meditation but with a focus on birds. This Audubon article details how to do a bird sit, but essentially, it requires you to sit, breath, immerse yourself into the birds you hear and see around you, and ask questions about why birds are doing what they do.
Doing something like a bird sit can help those starting out with photography.Melissa Groo, renowned wildlife photographer and contributor to Audubon Magazine, comments: “I will spend time in sit spots because, as a wildlife photographer, it’s a wonderful way to figure out whether a location is a good spot for me to return to with my camera. For instance, are there particular species of birds there that I’m interested in, that seem to be on territory? How does the light fall on the scene as the position of the sun changes? It’s fun to visit your sit spot during different seasons so you can track the changes in the habits, species composition, and appearance of the wild animals there, as well as the changes in the vegetation.”
Denise Ippolito, award-winning bird photographer and GWC partner, also speaks to the importance of understanding behaviour when photographing birds. “You don’t want to intimidate or frighten the birds. You will need to approach slowly and quietly. Every bird, animal and even human will have their own buffer zone—a space around them that is their own safe space that no other can invade.”
Snowy Egret. Photo by Melissa Groo
However, a bird sit also goes beyond that, “Spending time in a thoughtfully-chosen sit spot is a great strategy for anyone who wants to really become enmeshed in a natural scene. It’s terrific for bird lovers, wildlife watchers, photographers. And, really, for anyone seeking the serenity and purity of nature.” says Melissa.
Birding is for anyone seeking serenity and purity of nature.
That is the key message. Birds reconnect us back to nature, reconnects us to the living breathing lives that surround us, reconnects us to the world beyond our cluttered brains. That is, deep down, why birding has been such a popular and long-standing activity. And why it’s something that everyone and anyone can be a part of.
Great Horned Owl mother and chick. Photo by Melissa Groo
Want to start birding?
If you want to jump on the birding bandwagon, here are a couple ways to do so.
Second, practice your birding, photography, and mindfulness. Practice everyday. Get to know the birds, camera, and your surroundings.
And finally, do a bird sit. Learn about bird behaviour, and most importantly, build empathy for the subjects around you, and welcome them as friends.
So try it out! And who knows, maybe you’ll turn into a birder.
Southern Rockhopper Penguin. Photo by Denise Ippolito.
Written by Alice Sun
Growing up, Alice’s dream was to become a National Geographic photographer. This passion led her to spend much of her high school years photographing and sharing stories of wildlife in her own backyard, which earned her a spot in the 2016 NANPA High School Scholarship Program. She then went on to pursue a degree in environmental biology and a graduate certificate in environmental visual communication, sharpening her skills and building a foundation for a career in visual storytelling. Today, she is a freelance science communicator and conservation storyteller based in Vancouver, Canada. Inspiring young people to pursue the same dream she had is something that Alice is passionate about, and why she’s extremely be on the Girls Who Click team! Visit Alice’s website (alicesun.ca) to see the stories she has told over the years.
Do you feel empowered to know that images can foster conservation and societal change?
So do we.
That’s why we’re so excited for you to meet with Krista Schlyer, a conservation writer and photographer, as well as a GWC photographer!
For over a decade, Krista has been working on the Borderlands Project, a visual storytelling campaign that is fighting against the border wall. In doing so, she has brought poignant narratives from the US-Mexico borderlands to millions of people, protected a very rare borderlands habitat preserve called the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, and instilled in all a greater understanding of the impact of walls on wildlife, ecosystems, and people.
Read on to learn more about Krista’s inspiring work with the Borderlands Project, and the true power of imagery in creating change.
GWC: Why did you decide to start the Borderlands Project?
Krista Schlyer: The Borderlands Project started in 2008. I started it because I had been working on this conservation story about a transboundary herd of bison. They lived on the border of US and Mexico, and was, at the time, one of only 5 free-ranging herds of wild bison left in North America.
While I was there, I was up in an airplane with a scientist, and we were taking pictures of the bison. And we happened to see them right as they were crossing the US-Mexico border.
After the flight, we started talking to the landowners on both sides of the border. They said that the bison on the north side came over for a special type of grass that was in a pasture on the north side. On the south side, they were mostly coming to a pond that was one of the only year-round water resources from anywhere for many many miles.
So their food and water resources were split by the border, and this was about two years after the US Congress passed a bill called the Secure Fence Act, and that bill mandated that the Department of Homeland Security build 700 miles of border wall.
At that time, it became clear to me that not only were the bison going to be harmed if this wall was built through their habitat, but all of the thousands of species that were along the border were going to be harmed. And I didn’t hear a lot of people talking about that.
So I decided that it would be a good thing to work on. At the time, I didn’t think that I was going to spend more than a decade working on it. I thought it would maybe be 6 months to a year.
But the more I worked on it, the more important it seemed, and the more I got engaged to the different stories of different wild species, people, and just all different facets that were going to be impacted by this huge 2000 mile long construction project.
The US-Mexico border wall at the Pacific Coast, separating Tijuana from San Diego. California, USA. February 2011. Photo by Krista Schlyer
GWC: What was the first project that you did for this campaign?
Krista Schlyer: I went to the International League of Conservation Photographers, which I had just joined that organization not long before. And I asked them if they would let me organize an expedition of their member photographers to go to the border for a month, travel the whole border, take photographs, and then create outcomes from those photographs.
I got 12 photographers and myself who agreed to go travel the border with me. And we were out there for a month in 2009.
When we finished with the expedition, I gathered photographs from all the photographers, and I put together an exhibit. The result was a 30 piece fine-art exhibit that I worked with members of Congress to bring that exhibit to the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as some briefings on Capitol Hill to get experts to talk about the impacts of the border wall on wildlife and the land.
Continental Divide exhibit on display. Photo by Krista Schlyer
GWC: So what happened next?
Krista Schlyer: The exhibit was before the election where Barack Obama was elected. The hope was after he was elected that they would stop building the border wall.
Unfortunately, that’s not what happened. The border wall construction continued.
So the project continued, and it’s sort of been this ongoing search to find ways to get to news outlets. I wrote a book about the ecology of the US-Mexico Borderlands, I started doing lectures across the country. I made a short film with a crew about the border and some of the issues that related to wildlife and ecosystems.
Desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii) at the border wall during construction in southern Arizona. USA July 2008. Photo by Krista Schlyer
By 2015, there was no more wall that was being built at that point. There had not been any wall approved by Congress the Secure Fence Act. It seemed that we weren’t going to be building any more wall.
But then the presidential election rolled around, and Donald Trump made it a real centrepiece for his campaign. When he was elected, I tried to figure out what more I could do to try and get the word out about it.
So the first project that I did was to create a StoryMap on the US-Mexico border, with ESRI’s StoryMap’s team, the Audubon Society, the University of Arizona, Sierra Club, Centre of Biological Diversity, and a bunch of other groups. The goal was to make it a tool for educators who were trying to talk about the impact of walls and other barriers on wildlife, and journalists who were trying to get some background on what had already happened in terms of border wall construction as they were covering this new attempt by the Trump administration.
Shortly after that came out, I did some talks about that StoryMap and about the border and I started having some conversations with some filmmakers that are friends of mine. We decided that we were going to make a feature film about the border and border wall.
From 2017 to 2019, I worked on a film called Ay Mariposa, in collaboration with Morgan Heim (a GWC partner photographer!) and filmmaker Jenny Nichols. Ay Mariposa means “Oh butterfly”, and the film follows three characters, an immigrant woman, the head of the National Butterfly Society, and the butterfly, and looks at what it means to be building a wall in this place. We’ve been doing screenings across the country, and that now is the latest outcome of the Borderlands Project.
GWC: That’s amazing! How important is it to have collaborations with other photographers and non-profits in a campaign like this?
Krista Schlyer: I think to me, collaboration is essential to everything that I do.
I mean, there’s no way I could do what I do without collaborating with nonprofits and NGOs and government and other organizations. Because I don’t have that kind of reach.
There are all these people that have been focusing their lives around how to make change, or the environment, to conserve what we have and try to rebuild what we’ve lost. To not cooperate and collaborate with those folks and those organizations would just mean that the reach of the project would be minuscule in comparison to what it could be when you cooperate. So I’ve always really believed so strongly that collaboration with organizations is just foundation to any kind of a project like this.
And collaborating with photographers comes with its own value. I think because you get to hear the ideas and see the visual viewpoint of different people that you really respect and find ways to communicate that you just wouldn’t think of on your own. So that I think was an important decision to make at the outset, to reach out to other photographers and nonprofits and see what we could do together.
Sometimes one of the things that’s hard for people when they’re starting out doing this kind of work is that you don’t always get a responsive person at an organization. But when you do find that person who sees the value of this kind of collaboration, then it doesn’t just open one door, it opens as many doors as that person knows people, and their connections.
So you know, making those connections can really be one the hardest parts of this work, but once you kind of get that ball rolling, it really does take on a life of its own.
Great kiskadee with a granjeno berry. Photo by Krista Schlyer
GWC: What motivates you to keep going and to keep doing more projects?
Krista Schlyer: Sometimes I wonder about that myself. But I have times when I feel despair, and I feel very sad, and I just can’t do it anymore. But then I just give myself a little time to rest and then I start again and keep trying.
I think for me what it all goes back to, is that when I spend time taking photographs of wild creatures in particular, I feel a sense of responsibility towards them. And you know, whatever else happens, however else I might feel about my ability to be successful at this work, I can’t stop, because no matter what, that responsibility is always there.
I just try to find new ways and, you know, just don’t give up. I just can’t give up.
Javelina at the border wall in the San Pedro River Valley. Photo by Krista Schlyer
GWC: So do you find that your passion for this, the passion that you put into your projects, is maybe why you think this narrative touched so many people?
Krista Schlyer: That’s the key to any project like this. People can see when you love something, and if you show them that you care so much about this place or this animal or this cause, and you’re willing to kind of put that out there. In my experience, people really respond to that. They learn to care about a place or an issue or an animal through you.
And some of them, maybe they feel that through you, and then it becomes their own thing. They do, whether it’s about the same issue or a different issue, they find a path of their own to care and to take responsibility. It’s really powerful, that’s what I’ve found over the years, that it’s a powerful thing to show that you care about something, and that you’re willing to take responsibility.
GWC: So if someone wanted to follow your footsteps and make their own visually powered action campaign, what kind of advice would you give to them?
Krista Schlyer: Gosh there’s a lot. I think one thing is to find something you really love. Find something that speaks to you, and not only speaks to you, but you think maybe that other people don’t – haven’t thought about it in the way that you’re thinking about it.
And then, think about who is the audience you think you need to affect most of all. For the Borderlands project, it’s really changed throughout the project because there’s so many audiences that play a role in what’s happening. Sometimes I’ll focus more on decision-makers, like members of Congress. Sometimes I’ll focus more on the press. Sometimes more on the general public. And in some instances, some issues, you might find that only one of those audiences or a different audience altogether is what matters, but some issues might be all of them.
And then think about: what is the best way to convey a message? Is it a magazine story? Is it an exhibit that you put in a particular place? Is it doing a talk? You know, one of the audiences for the Borderlands Project that I never even imagined I would need to speak to was the national non-profits agency. Because I thought to myself, well the conservation organizations are surely all going to be on-board, they don’t need to hear from me. But didn’t turn out to really be true for some complex reasons. So sometimes one of the things I do is do my presentations to conservation organizations, and try to get people on board within these organizations so that they would then get the organization more invested in the issue.
Mammals like this kit fox have started feeling the impacts of climate change in the borderlands. They may soon need to start moving north to find hospitable habitat. Photo by Krista Schlyer
I could literally go on forever about it. But really, just taking the first step I think is the most important thing. You know, you take a step, and then you take the next, and then you have a life, like the project has a life. And it just starts to become, you know, if you’re invested in it and you care about it, it starts to become what it needs to become.
Growing up, Alice’s dream was to become a National Geographic photographer. This passion led her to spend much of her high school years photographing and sharing stories of wildlife in her own backyard, which earned her a spot in the 2016 NANPA High School Scholarship Program. She then went on to pursue a degree in environmental biology and a graduate certificate in environmental visual communication, sharpening her skills and building a foundation for a career in visual storytelling. Today, she is a freelance science communicator and conservation storyteller based in Vancouver, Canada. Inspiring young people to pursue the same dream she had is something that Alice is passionate about, and why she’s extremely be on the Girls Who Click team! Visit Alice’s website (alicesun.ca) to see the stories she has told over the years.
Are you feeling uninspired? Is your daily itinerary filled with nothing but lying on the couch all day? Terrified by the doom of the world looming on the horizon, but also feeling powerless because this is just a sign of the greater problem of climate change and ecosystem collapse? Well, this article is for you.
This is a scary time. A lot of us are in tough spots right now and it’s hard to focus on photography. But regardless, we do hope that this blog will bring a bit of light, reignite that creative spark if you will, and remind you of why you started photography and why it’s so important to all of us.
So without further ado, here are 5 creative project ideas that you can do right in your own backyard.
1. Meet Your Neighbours
In 2009, Clay Bolt and Niall Benvie founded the Meet Your Neighbours (MYN) project, a photographic initiative that reveals the vital but under-appreciated wildlife that live amongst us. Bolt, a longtime supporter of women in nature photography and Advisory Board Member of Girls Who Click, says the main goal of the project “is to help people connect with the wildlife in their own communities.”
Unlike a lot of wildlife photography, MYN is centred around using an inexpensive field studio, letting the beauty and uniqueness of local species stand out on a pure white background. “One of my personal goals for MYN is to dispel the myth that rarity equates to more important, more amazing, or more beautiful.” says Bolt.
There are conservation photographers all over the world involved with this project, raising awareness for wildlife we often overlook (including GWC’s Karine Aigner). But any passionate photographer is welcomed to join. All you need is a white background, some lights/flashes, and curiosity and empathy for the biodiversity that live around us. Check out this video or the MYN Youtube or this interview from B&H for more information on the project and how to get started with your very own field studio!
Photographing wildlife against a white background highlights the beauty of local species like this red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber), and gives the MYN project its characteristic look. Photo by Clay Bolt.
2. Create a nature photography sanctuary
Not finding enough diversity in your backyard? You can take matters into your own hands and bring wildlife to you (ethically), and that means creating wildlife habitat.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to set up a bird feeder. Once birds discover a feeder, it can become a site full of diversity and activity, providing perfect photo opportunities.
Before you start, Lynda Richardson advises that it’s important to consider the location of your feeder, both from a photographic and ethics point of view. For example, what’s the light like? Is the background clean? Is there somewhere you can conceal yourself (i.e. being indoors or using a blind) so that you can get amazing behavioral shots without disturbing the subjects? Are there shrubs nearby that birds can shelter in so that they don’t get attacked by sneaky raptors or the neighborhood cat?
Once everything is set up, experiment! Set up a branch so that the birds land on it before going to the feeder. Capture birds in flight. Push the limits of your creativity.
If you have a little more time and resources, you can also make your backyard into a full-blown nature sanctuary, like Mary Ann and Joe McDonald.
Named Hoot Hollow, the McDonald backyard is filled with vernal pools, bird feeders, and a variety of pollinator-friendly plants. “It’s our little piece of heaven here. We can walk right out the back door and photograph.” Mary Ann says, “It’s really cool to be able to get out there and say, ‘Wow, we helped bring them here, because we developed this for them.’ It’s fun to be able to give back so much by creating this habitat.”
To help you get started, Mary Ann has been working hard to create a series of backyard photography tutorials for GWC. At this time, the videos are still being produced, but they will be shared soon.
3. Go outside your comfort zone
“This is not your ordinary macro lens. It’s a speciality lens that will photograph from 1:1 life size to 5-times life size.” says Kathy Adams Clark in her latest blog post.
She’s talking about the Canon MP-E 65mm lens she rented. This heavy duty lens even has an extremely shallow depth of field at f/16 and requires a focusing rail. Long story short, it’s not an easy piece of equipment to maneuver.
But with the extra time at home, Kathy was able to test out this lens as well as a few other setups to capture a monarch butterfly egg on a milkweed plant. In doing so, she was able to truly understand the pros and cons between different super-macro photography equipment, and write an awesomely informative blog post about it.
After three different camera setups, Kathy Adams Clark finally got this super-macro photo of a monarch butterfly egg. Photo by Kathy Adams Clark
So, if you have a technique you’ve been dying to try out, but have been scared to do so, now is the perfect chance. Whether that’s super macro, studio portrait photography, light painting, etc, go and experiment! If you don’t own the right gear, you can rent some from Borrow Lenses (a company that is a generous sponsor of GWC workshops).
In the episode, Jaymi suggests looking at a familiar place or activity from a new perspective by giving yourself a “photo assignment”. That means looking at your “boring” routine, finding a story, and then shooting it like you would as an assignment for a magazine.
For Jaymi, that “boring” routine was taking her dog to the beach every morning. She figured out what her story was by creating a shot list for her photo essay. And she looked at other photographers for inspiration and ways that she can push her own photography out of her comfort zone.
With a plan in mind, Jaymi went out every morning, same as always, but with a new purpose. Take a look at her results on here, and also give her entire podcast a listen! One of her recent episodes focuses on conservation photography projects you can start today. Another source of inspiration.
To break through a creative block, Jaymi Heimbuch gave herself an assignment, to photograph her dog at the beach. Photo by Jaymi Heimbuch
5. The little joys
Last but not least, photograph what makes you happy. Often, our homes are one of the most special places in our hearts, and the one that we overlook the most. So why not take some time to document it through photography?
So what makes you happy? What are the little joys that are getting you through the day?
Maybe it’s your dog happily bounding in your backyard.
Maybe it’s your second cup of coffee in the morning.
Maybe it’s the warm afternoon sun slanting into your living room.
The important thing is that you now have the time to look and experience the magic all over again.
As Brenda Tharp says in her blog post about “The Value of Home”: “Sometimes after coming home I see more deeply the things in my garden, and around my neighborhood. I view it with fresh eyes – eyes that have been ‘washed’ with nature’s beauty elsewhere are now able to see a-new the beauty right around me.”
So stop, look closely and remember. Remember the things that made you feel light. Remember the small wonders that captivated your mind.
And capture it. Because ultimately, isn’t that what photography is all about?
Nature’s beauty can be right in front of you, but only if you look for it. Photo by Brenda Tharp
Written by Alice Sun
Growing up, Alice’s dream was to become a National Geographic photographer. This passion led her to spend much of her high school years photographing and sharing stories of wildlife in her own backyard, which earned her a spot in the 2016 NANPA High School Scholarship Program. She then went on to pursue a degree in environmental biology and a graduate certificate in environmental visual communication, sharpening her skills and building a foundation for a career in visual storytelling. Today, she is a freelance science communicator and conservation storyteller based in Vancouver, Canada. Inspiring young people to pursue the same dream she had is something that Alice is passionate about, and why she’s extremely be on the Girls Who Click team! Visit Alice’s website (alicesun.ca) to see the stories she has told over the years.
Easy Trail Mix Cooking Recipe for Girls Who Click from Mary Ann McDonald at Hoot Hallow Farm.
Mary Ann McDonald is a kick-butt wildlife photographer. She is also quite the chef. Mary Ann and her husband Joe created this cooking video for Girls Who Click. The trail mix recipe is easy to make and delicious!
Mary Ann and Joe run Hoot Hallow Farm. They have many recipes available from the Hoot Hallow Farm Cookbook available on their Facebook Page.
Watch out for the surprise ending!
To see what Mary Ann and Joe do when they are not stuck at home, visit their website at https://www.hoothollow.com/.
March is Women’s History Month, so what better time than to explore the history of women in nature photography? So, let’s dive in.
The rise of women in photography
Our story begins with Constance Fox Talbott (1811–1880), the wife of inventor Henry Fox Talbott. Working alongside her husband, Constance briefly experimented with the photographic process, creating a handful of hazy images. Her earliest surviving image was taken in 1839, making her what we believe to be the first woman to ever take a photograph.
The title of the first female photographer, however, would go to Anna Atkins (1799–1871), as she pursued photography more seriously. Anna was also a friend of Henry Fox Talbott, and worked especially in botany. Throughout her career, she produced a collection of haunting beautiful images of plants, which she published as a book in 1843 titled: ‘Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions’.
Constance Talbott, wife of Henry Fox Talbott, is believed to be the first woman to ever take a photo. Photo by Henry Fox Talbot, circa 1840, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Anna Atkins was the first ever female photographer, specializing in plant photography. Photo by Anna Atkins, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Note that for both of these women, their pursuits in photography was because they were close to Henry. This was the case for most women at the time, where many would-be professional photographers work in studios alongside their husbands, brothers, or friends.
But photography, unlike other arts, required little formal training, and the basic equipment only needed a moderate investment. As a result, by the mid-1800’s, many middle-class women were able to set up their own “daguerreotype studios”. Some took over their husband’s business after their deaths, like Geneviève Élisabeth Disdéri (1817–1878), whereas others like Thora Hallager (1821-1884) started their own successful businesses from scratch.
As time went on, women were also able to rise to the top of their field, as they had a knack for certain things that men did not. Notably, female photographers were especially successful with portraits of women and families. One of those photographers was Alice Hughes (1857–1939), who was a leader in her work with royalty, fashionable women and children.
By the end of the 19th century, women were well-established in studio photography. In 1897, Ladies Home Journal published an article called ‘What a Woman Can Do with a Camera’, And in 1900, British and American censuses estimated that there were more than 7000 professional female photographers, making up 20% of all photographers. This was astounding, especially for a time where the only choices for most women were either staying at home or working in the service industry.
Women in photojournalism
Dorothea Lange’s photo, “Migrant Mother”, is one of the most reproduced images in the world. Photo by Dorothea Lange/Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
In 1914, National Geographic featured its first ever images from a woman. They were taken by Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore for a story of Japan, which made magazine editor Gilbert Grosvenor comment, “Women often see things about the life and ways of people which a man would not notice …”
Due to this ability to see the world differently, women have accomplished many things in photojournalism since then.
The most well-known example is Dorothea Lange (1895–1965), who created her iconic image ‘Migrant Mother’ in 1936, later becoming one of the most reproduced photographs in the world. Gerda Taro (1910–1937), one of the first female war photographers, was especially celebrated for her intimate and emotional images of the Spanish Civil War. In 1954, Virgina Schau (1915–1989) became the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Photography for her gripping photo “Rescue on Pit River Bridge”.
Women in wildlife photography
Wildlife photography, on the other hand, wasn’t really a popular hobby with anyone prior to the 1960’s. Gear was simply too cumbersome, restricting photographers to static subjects like nesting birds. Even a safari shoot needed someone to hire an entire expedition crew for it to be possible. It wasn’t until 1963, when the 35mm film camera became more automated, that wildlife photography became much more accessible and widespread.
But women didn’t start becoming prominent in the field until many years afterwards.
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition saw its first female winner, Cherry Alexander, in 1995, followed by Angela Scott in 2002. Pioneers in conservation storytelling also started to make their mark in the 1980’s and 90’s, such as Beverly Joubert, Tui de Roy, GWC partner photographer Mary Ann McDonald, and Melissa Farlow, a GWC partner photographer whose images have transformed our understanding of the people, landscape, and environmental issues of the American West. These trailblazing women continue to create powerful images of wildlife and conservation to this day.
By the beginning of the 21st century, a small number of women were relatively well-established in wildlife and nature photography. Many female photographers, including a number of GWC partner photographers such as Ami Vitale and Jaymi Heimbuch, got their start in their careers around this time. Through their lenses, they brought poignant images full of emotion and soul to the world, changing how we saw our relationship with wildlife and important conservation issues.
Photo by Melissa Farlow. The image shows Phantom, a charismatic mustang in Shingletown, CA, and was taken for a story on wild horses and vanishing of the wild American West.
Photo by Jaymi Heimbuch.
Photo taken for the Urban Coyote Initiative, a team of photojournalists assisting scientists and cities across North America working on changing the narrative around coyotes.
Photo by Cathy Hart. After waiting ten days, Cathy managed to capture this stunning shot of a bear catching a fish in northern British Columbia.
Even more recently, women’s voices have been getting louder. Passionate young women have been flooding social media with images documenting our natural world, such as Ashleigh Scully and Erin Ranney. Not only that, we’ve also been seeing more diversity, as minorities like Celina Chien and Rathika Ramasamy have been able to gain international reputations in wildlife photography and visual storytelling. However, we still do not see many women of color among the mostly white female photographers. This year, GWC looks forward to interviewing trailblazing photographer Karen Kasmauski on this very important topic!
More and more young women from diverse backgrounds have been entering the field of wildlife photography in recent years, such as environmental activist Celina Chien. Photo by Sebastian Kennerknecht.
GWC spokeswoman and award-winning nature photographer, Ashleigh Scully is a teen that’s leading and inspiring other girls her age to enter the male-dominated of nature and conservation photography.
But this is just the beginning, and we still have a long way to go.
Today, only 20% of all photojournalists are female, and unlike the early 1900’s, now is a time where women can choose their professions. The number for wildlife photography is likely even lower, as many say that nature photography still remains an “old male” world. The landscape is also predominantly white, a place where few minorities have broken into.
But if this timeline reveals anything, it’s that change is possible.
Just look at how far we’ve come since that first click of a shutter by Constance Talbott in 1839. We’ve had women who started their own businesses in a time where it wasn’t possible for many. We’ve had women that created powerful images that changed our perspectives. We’ve had women that revolutionized the entire industry.
So here’s to all the pioneers, women that are brave enough to push the boundaries, and the ones that will continue to do so in the future. Let’s take the time to celebrate them, because without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Happy Women’s History Month!
GWC founder Suzi Eszterhas (Suzi Eszterhas Wildlife Photography) wrote “[The article is] about women in wildlife photography and why I founded Girls Who Click. With the current situation across the globe, it is doubtful that anyone will be in their hotels to read it. But I am still so pleased that this kind of magazine would be interested in the issue enough to ask me to write about it. That means that our awareness campaigns are making a difference, and though we have had to cancel recent workshops, I remain so hopeful and proud of this little organization and what we will continue to accomplish.”
We are very proud of Annabel and encourage all of our participants and followers to enter photographs into local and national contests: you never know what the results might be!
Annabel was a participant in our August workshop in New Jersey. The workshop was taught by Ashleigh Scully and Denise Ippolito. It took place at The Raptor Trust, a wild bird rehabilitation center in Morris County, New Jersey. Workshop participants were allowed to learn about these amazing creatures and photograph them outside of their enclosures. This was a rare treat for our participants: it is not often that we get to see these birds at a close distance. These birds can be dangerous and we were lucky to have Raptor Trust staff present to work with the wild birds. The Raptor Trust captured some great photos from all participants.
Annabel is a sophomore in high school. She’s loved photography since 8th grade because she’s “able to find unique things and capture them.” Her mother encouraged her to develop her skills and Annabel eventually invested in a nicer digital camera.
The GWC New Jersey workshop! Photo courtesy of Denise Ippolito and The Raptor Trust.
Annabel uses a digital SLR and zoom lens. Her winning photograph was taken when Raptor Trust handlers took out the Kestrel falcon from its enclosure. The striking aspect of Annabel’s photo is she was able to remove the background through zooming in on the subject while also capturing the falcon’s direct gaze. Capturing an animal’s direct gaze helps the viewer relate to the animal and creates a personal connection — one that can develop into a deep appreciation of nature, even at a young age! Conservation photographers depend on building these relationships between subject and viewer in order to create awareness about conservation.
We got the chance to ask Annabel a few questions after she won big!
What was your favorite moment during the workshop? My favorite moment in the GWC workshop was taking photos of the barred owl. When I used my zoom lens and looked at it, I got really excited because I knew the pictures would come out good. One of them was actually used in a Raptor Trust Facebook post!
Did Denise and Ashleigh teach you anything in particular that helped you improve your photography? Denise and Ashleigh were great teachers; they were nice and they let us work independently yet they were there for us when we needed some advice. Advice they gave me that made my photography more appealing was using the “rule of thirds” guideline in making our compositions.
What did you learn about raptors and conservation at the Raptor Trust? The Raptor Trust is a great place for injured birds of prey. They try to cure them so they can be released back into the wild.
GWC was featured in Sierra Magazine. In an interview with GWC founder Suzi Eszterhas, Sierra Magazine dove deep into why GWC was founded, what we do, and why the work is important for the next generation of female photographers.
As Suzi mentions, the workshops are not just about teaching photography, there are about learning to see and learning to be. She says in the interview “Confidence is huge, particularly with teen girls. We don’t just teach photography. We try to be good role models and strong women. Strong is the new sexy. We’re trying to impart that strength on our girls.”
You can read the full Sierra Magazine interview at SierraClub.org!
SierraMagazine is the storytelling branch of the Sierra Club. It is a “national print and digital magazine publishing award-winning journalism and cutting-edge photography, art, and video dedicated to protecting the natural world.” We are proud to be a part of the magazine!
*Above image of Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) mother carrying pup on belly, Elkhorn Slough, Monterey Bay, California
Sebastian Kennerknecht’s Sea Otter Photography Workshop in Monterey, CA
Date: December 11th, 2019 Time: 6:45am – 5:00pm Location: Moss Landing, California
THE DEADLINE HAS PASSED. Enter by November 5th! We will announce winners on November 9th! This contest is open to girls 13-18. You will need an email address. **Travel to Monterey, CA, accommodations, and meals are not included.
Details: You can win two spaces in photographer Sebastian Kennerknecht’s Sea Otter Photography Workshop in Monterey, California on December 11th, 2019. One spot will be for you and one is for your adult chaperone to accompany you on this special day. This day-long workshop will include photographing sea otters from land in the morning, a break for lunch, and going out on the Elkhorn Slough in a pontoon boat in the afternoon to take more pictures. You will have a great time improving your skills with Sebastian while learning more about California’s sea otters.
Sebastian Kennerknecht (@pumapix) is one of Girls Who Click’s biggest supporters. He has generously donated these two spaces in his workshop to support Girls Who Click and the next generation of female photographers.
Sebastian Kennerknecht is a wildlife and conservation photographer. He has over fourteen years of experience covering wildlife and environmental issues internationally. He has a particular interest in photographing wildcats. His work has been featured in BBC Wildlife, Smithsonian, The Economist, Science, and Conservation International, among others. He has a degree in Ecology and Evolution from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
