All posts filed under: Storytelling

“I am alive, these are my days.” Wika Wójcikiewicz is rebranding aging

Frustrated by the way aging in women is seen in Polish society, Wika Wójcikiewicz has set out to debunk the myth that life ends after 50. “What is the difference between my body and a woman who’s 70 years old? It’s literally just wrinkles,” asserts the soon-to-be photography graduate Wika Wójcikiewicz. Having spent a good part of the past six months on the road, Wika has travelled across her home country Poland to capture the inner lives of four women in their 70s who are not satisfied with being contained to an outdated view of what it means to get older. Her finishing project for her bachelor’s in photography at London College of Communication “Life is not boring, you are”, goes beyond what is normally seen of “women of a certain age” and documents their colorful lives. “Many young people consider age as something that we should be scared of, as something lonely, boring and full of limitations. We are told that our minds and bodies are the most beautiful in our 20s, hence …

Women portraying women: three female photographers to zoom in on

Since the invention of photography, countless images have been taken with women as the subject. Most of these have historically been taken by men. As more women are carving out a space for themselves in the industry, the way women on both sides of the camera are represented is changing. We asked three female photographers about the depiction of women in their work and their thoughts on what the future looks like for women in photography. Note: This article was originally published in March 2022. Eva Sitko Through her colorful style of photography, German photographer and former graphic designer Eva Sitko works to bring out emotions in her subjects to show the interpersonal dynamics of our feelings. Sitko takes a keen interest in her subjects’ emotional display, in particular when shooting women. “A self-confident, strong woman who deals openly with her emotions is the incarnation of beauty for me.” Her interest in the emotional life of her subjects has led her to notice differences in how men and women are represented. “Women are often portrayed …

Artist Matilde Digmann sitting on a chair showing her middle finger. Shot by Marie Hald

Behind the photo with Marie Hald

Marie Hald is not one to shy away from a difficult topic. The Danish photojournalist has spent her career capturing intimate glimpses into the lives of people who are often overlooked, forgotten, or that many have decided they would rather not see. With her camera, she gives the audience an honest, unglamorous, yet deeply sympathetic view of fatness, sex work, old age, girlhood, and much more. Her new photo book “Feminin” celebrates feminine beings, as she puts it, and the different ways 100 people between the ages of 0 and 102 inhabit this identity in a world of unattainable beauty standards. Join Marie behind the scenes as she tells us about the process behind getting one photo from her book. Who is the woman in the picture? The woman is Matilde Digmann. She is an artist who works with ceramics and graphic design and also a friend of mine. Why did you take her picture? I love to play around with and photograph some of my friends who are also artists, and Matilde and I …

Images by Shravya Kag, Diana King and Tana Gandhi

3 photographers on how they found their creative voice

When everyone has a camera in their pocket, it is on you as a professional photographer to make your work stand out above the rest. As both a craft and a form of expression, developing a strong voice through your photography is key. We spoke to three young photographers from Authority Collective – a group of womxn, non-binary and gender expansive people of color working towards more inclusivity in the photography, film and VR/AR industries – about how they found their own artistic expression and their best tips for making your work unique in both workflow and look. Shravya Kag Photo and video documentarian Shravya Kag treats the camera as an extension of herself. As a queer person of color, she navigates the terrain of human relationships by sharing mutual curiosity with her subjects. Born and raised in India, but having lived in New York since 2015, Shravya draws on her own experiences to bring a unique outlook through her photos, which often revolve around questions of identity, home, and personal space. “I deeply cherish …