By Jan Beesley, Alison Buchanan and Susi Petherick
Three RPS Women in Photography members give advice and share insights gained from putting on their first group exhibition last autumn.
Women In Photography
Member Spotlight
These are our stories
These are our stories. We are the discussion that drives a greater awareness of the importance of female and female-identifying photographers past, present and future.
by Ruth Toda-Nation
Through documenting her ageing father, John, as a way of navigating the challenges of being his caregiver, Ruth Toda-Nation reflects on how the photographic collaboration and process transformed their relationship, helping her to contemplate childhood experiences and, ultimately, heal her inner child.
By Xuesheng Ma
Xuesheng Ma’s photographic series, Echo, explores how the concept of space shapes the identity and cultural definition of a female immigrant, expressed through the lens of surrealist photography. In this interview with Rachel Nixon, the artist shares insights into her work and migration journey.
by Fran Monks
To coincide with the fifth anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic, a portrait photographer reflects on how she used remote photography during this time to capture global images of less visible people and tell their stories.
by Chrisina Osborne ARPS
Through a blend of documentary and abstract photography, a deeply personal exploration of an ovarian cyst diagnosis has transformed into a collaborative project that amplifies the voices of those grappling with reproductive health issues.
by Honey J. Walker ARPS
A moment of serendipity leads the photographer to an ambitious project recognising the work of charity staff, healthcare professionals and other caregivers — and raising much-needed funds along the way.
by Chloe Sastry ARPS
Working with her family’s uneven archive, the photographer confronts and reconstructs difficult stories and finally finds a sense of “home”.
By Louise Sayers ARPS
An intimate portrayal of nature, its cycles, and the delicate balance between all of its elements in Southern France – rooted in the principles of an ancient Japanese calendar.
By Liza Faktor
In the aftermath of a health crisis, the author turned to the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest as a means of healing. In this personal essay, she celebrates these complex ecosystems that frequently suffer at the hands of humans, and hopes for a return to “lifeways” — to kinship with the natural world.
By Antonia Penia
A photographer’s exploration of the infinite ideas that people see in themselves.
By Kate Carpenter
The jumble of a lifetime of memories – and of enduring life and love – in the face of dementia.
By Yota Samioti
It was in 2022 when Despina’s entrepreneurial spirit inspired me to start a photographic project about her small weaving business in a village in Greece. From the beginning, I saw how committed she was to her craft, passed down from her mother back to the mid-20th century.
By Valerie Huggins
Inspired by the pioneering photographer, the author experiments with portraiture and still life and learns lessons about reality and creativity.
Mary Thompson
A sister’s determination to lift the cloak of invisibility around the challenges of osteoporosis and show the courage and resilience it takes to keep going in the face of often unbearable pain.
by Marge Bradshaw
🥶Too cold and grey to spend time outdoors taking pictures?
Don’t be discouraged: WIP member Marge Bradshaw shares an experimental approach to staying creative and embracing winter with her ice lumen process.
With simple materials and a little patience, you can create one-of-a-kind prints influenced by frost and snow. Get outside, have a go, and share your results!
Boyhood Summers in the Outer Hebrides
Created over several years, a mother’s testament to the importance of preserving the essence of childhood, and the simple pleasures of island life off the north-west coast of Scotland.
I Am (Not) Who I Used to Be
Women in mid-life are often overlooked, yet their lives are rich with experience, creativity, capacity, and accomplishment. This portraiture project finds a group of women in Canada becoming more and more themselves with time.
The Garden of Maggie Victoria
Combining old family photos with new work to revive the story of a long-forgotten great-grandmother and her ordinary, extraordinary life. By Rachel Nixon
Love is a Life Story: Friendship in the Face of Covid
After the pandemic hit, Ruth Toda-Nation used her camera to document the enduring friendship between her father, John, and his neighbour, Mary. Ruth movingly chronicled everyday life and challenges for older people navigating often confusing lockdown regulations. The resulting work, Love is a Life Story, was a winner in the RPS Documentary Project Awards, and is part of a touring exhibition starting in May 2024.
How to do Bubble Photography
Kelly Zhang is a young photographer based in New York, USA, specialising in abstract macro photography. Inspired by the scientific phenomena behind soap bubbles, Kelly began photographing them in 2022. Kelly has received several awards for her work, including first place in the 2022 American Association of Physics Teachers High School Physics Photo Contest and Honourable Mention in the 19th Julia Margaret Cameron Award. She shares her creative process for photographing soap bubbles
Developing a second career as a photographer and socially engaged artist
Marge Bradshaw is a socially engaged documentary and portrait photographer interested in people, place, and heritage. She uses a mixture of photography and ethnographic research to share the stories of participants, often giving a platform for voices in communities who are not usually heard. She also works commercially as a cultural events photographer, brand photographer and family documentary photographer.
Photography + Women = Alchemy
Honey J Walker, ARPS is a London based abstract and aerial photographer, exploring colour, metaphor and emotional intelligence throughout her work. Her process involves in-camera multiple exposure and hand-finishing with encaustic or gold leaf.
Tokyo Hustle
Gigi Chung is a California-based fine art photographer specialising in abstract architecture. She distills complex scenes into bold sculptural forms, emphasising lines, shapes, and contrast with the conscious inclusion of aesthetically pleasing elements. She contributes to Tagree, Jaamzin, and Medium Format Magazine.
An interview with Julie Derbyshire.
I have enjoyed taking photographs since childhood, and my interest has continued for a long time alongside other career paths. About ten years ago, I decided to focus on my passion for photography, and I studied for a BA and an MA.
An interview with Frankie McAllister.
"I think the main thing (and the hardest thing) is to work out what it is you are really trying to say or do with your work, what your direction is. Once you have done that, then stand by it, be confident about it."
An interview with Jayne Odell.
"Take photographs that you want to take. Develop your style. Listen to others and take on board constructive comments but don’t let negatives influence your work."
Seoul Architecture: Right Place Right Time
Gigi Chung is a California-based fine-art photographer specialising in abstract architecture. She distills complex scenes into bold sculptural forms; emphasising lines, shapes and contrast with conscious inclusion of aesthetically pleasing elements.