Women in nature photography: A brief history

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’.

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

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.

Some notable female photographers founded organizations in the industry, where Cristina Mittermeier, with the help of GWC partner photographers Cathy Hart, Amy Gulick, Michele Westmorland, and Karen Kasmauski, founded International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) in 2005 and solidified conservation visual storytelling as a discipline. In 2017, Suzi Eszterhas founded Girls Who Click, where we guide the next generation of powerful female photographers to one day make history of their own.

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!

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!