Women in Focus: Success!

Two days ago at Studio 7 Gallery in Fort Tilden, Queens, I hosted the panel discussion Women in Focus: A Discussion about Women in Photography,' featuring photographers Jennifer Pottheiser, Tara DiGiovani, Armelis D'Orville and Angelica Briones. Between the distance and weather, I was not very helpful about the turnout. T o my delight, we had a solid turnout, a rich panel discussion, and engaged audience questions. We talked about our work, our career highlights, and the unique issues we've faced as women in the industry, including a lack of representation, pay inequality, and safety and harassment in our work. We all agreed that a photograph has no gender and that our work must always speak for itself, but that it is important to recognize these challenges. Finding or creating community, mentors, and allies in the field was something we agreed helped alleviate the isolation many of us feel at times in photography. I'm thankful to the Rockaway Artist Alliance for hhaving us, and to have been included in the 'Of Women' exhibit.