The UAE News report: Three phenomenal women – who have been on the frontlines of professional photojournalism, chronicling pivotal stories in some of the most troubled areas of the world and have been instrumental in drawing global attention to urgent humanitarian and social issues of our times – have spoken out on the need to elevate female voices in the industry at a discussion held at the fifth edition of Xposure International Photography Festival in Sharjah yesterday (Thursday).
Speaking at a session titled ‘Elevating the voices of women in photography’, at Xposure 2021, currently on at Expo Centre Sharjah, Paula Bronstein, Emma Francis, and Claire Thomas, discussed how a growing number of women are today among the industry’s chief storytellers and are responsible for capturing some of the most captivating images.
American photojournalist Paula Bronstein, who has been on the field for 35 years, said of her work: “I have a female signature; it is the way I approach my subject.”
The author of the internationally acclaimed photo book, Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear, which documents Afghans living against the backdrop of a 16-year war, added: “We have some fantastic female photographers today. It is the way we work in different cultures and countries, adapting to and respecting the cultural and social values of the people we meet, that is more critical in our line of work.”
“Just being female, there is a different societal standard that is expected of us – you have to always stand up and push yourself to do more,” said British-American Emma Francis who has documented the 2018 presidential elections and stories of Ethiopian refugees in Kenya.
Currently based in Paris, Emma – who has also photographed Boko Haram survivors’ stories in Nigeria and documented protests in Baghdad, Iraq, amongst others, said: “One of the oft-repeated advice I receive is to stay away from so-called ‘dangerous’ places. My response is that their awareness of events in another part of the world is precisely because of the work of people like us. This is my job; it is what I do; I tell them.”
Claire Thomas, a freelance photojournalist and photographer from Wales, UK, whose work focuses on conflict, humanitarian, and social issues, described her experience of meeting and working with many women photojournalists. “I felt I was surrounded by powerful women; we provided each other the emotional support to carry on, especially in conflict and war zones.”
Claire, who photographed the work of volunteer medical professionals during the final liberation of Mosul in Iraq, said: “Photojournalism is a hard industry to step into – irrespective of your gender. I try to focus on my work in this industry, not my work as a woman.”
Being witness to untold human suffering can be unsettling, she agreed. “I try to remember that it is my choice to be there, and how lucky I am to know that I have a safe place to go to at the end of the day.”
The three photojournalists also commended the ongoing work of Women Photograph, a non-profit set up in 2017 that is working to shift the makeup of the photojournalism community and enable women photographers access more professional development opportunities. – abdulbasit@theuaenews.com
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