Gender and Photography

This is something I have really been thinking about lately.  I read two articles this weekend that fuelled the thinkings in this issue.  Both articles were in the recent issue of Outdoor Canada Photography, the first was a profile on Leslie Degner an Alberta-based landscape and wildlife photographer, and the second was on Trophy Hunting v. Immersion photographing styles (which I will save for another post).  Degner's work is amazing, in that big landscapes, big colours, big impacts, if you are impressed by the Rockies, you'll be impressed by her work.  She captures her environments authentically and accurately and easily translates the awe of watching the mist rise off an alpine lake to the awe of viewing the image.  But what struck me was that in the interview during which she and her work were featured, the first comment was a congratulatory announcement related to her being the first female photographer featured by OPC.   Really, an accomplished, published, award-winning, workshop-running, photographer and the first thing is congratulations, from a magazine with not one regular female contributor.  Maybe I should go back to the third issue to see if the opening statement was along the same lines, congratulations for being the third man OPC has featured.  This was the 10th issue for OPC, and no women featured until now?  Why?  Was it a conscious or unconscious screening issue?  Is that male photographers are more likely to produce the Trophy images that are often featured in the overly colourful issues?  Are female photographers not as aggressive as their male counterparts when it comes to advertising and promotion?   Is it that many women are not typically interested in swimming in the typically male banter of pixels and aperture blades that so often dominates photographic get togethers?  Is that women are not yet in many leadership positions at local and national spheres?  Or is it simply a matter of access?  

I belong to a wonderful print critique group where I do not notice that I am the only woman.  At these meetings we present images, final versions, work versions, pieces of larger projects, beginnings of visions, and we all over up critiques and suggestions.  At these meetings the focus is on the image, not on the how, but more so on the why.   Degner spoke of having long ago belonged to a women-only photography group, where they met to shoot, and talk, and support.  Maybe that is what I need?  I can hear certain people scoffing, why does it matter, work is work, and good work will prevail.  Sure, it should, but does it always? And it matters to me because I am a woman and I am a photographer.