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The males, together with the females, have been creating human society’s material fortune and spiritual civilization.I love my elegant identity of being a female. At the same time, I’ve been paying attention to those female photographers, my fellow colleagues.As a kind of vision art, photography boasts a history of over 160 years. Many names illustrate before us, Mary Ellen Mark, Dorothea Lange, Julia Margaret Cameron, Imogen Cunningham, Margaret Bourke White, etc. They are most famous characters in photo history. They have created indelible achievements. Their charm lasts till now.Sparkling“Her”names has been coming one after another, following the steps of photographic development. What are the female photographers trying to tell us with their cameras? What kind of right are they longing for?A woman will experience the whole process or partial process of being a daughter, a wife, a mother during her life. Her feeling or experience may not be understood by men. By the meantime, females, from east or west, have to shoulder some pressure from family or community that men could not feel. We have to admit that society has put too much responsibility on women’s shoulders, while given them fewer rights.Many people wander, why can’t we see a great female photographer? When we check the history of photo, we could only find a few camerawomen. Especially in the early times, a female photographer must be known thanks to her husband or lover. Tina Modotti an Mexican camerawoman, was remembered because of the lover relationship with Edward ? Weston,Bridgman’s fame came from Alfredstleglltz’s appreciation. Similar examples include Laszlo Moholy Nagy’s first wife, Lucia Moholy, ManRay’s lover, Miller, a war correspondent, Henri Cartier-Bresson’s wife, Martine Franck, etc. Women have been facing prejudice and unfair treatments in photo history. That is the sadness.We must notice that camerawomen have more advantages than their male counterparts. Art can not go without females, neither will it be a complete one without women’s participation.I firmly believe that the vision art created by camerawomen possesses different GREATNESS from males. That is a unique style with female characteristics. Gentleness, sensitiveness, carefulness, kindness…all these factors of women’s nature, provide fine creative power for females. Thus they get creation and focus of their own. Sex will surely influence, or even decide the author’s level and performance.The world may be more colorful and complex in women’s eye, different from men’s.During the time researching camerawomen, I’ve been trying to read their inner hearts through their works. Sarah Moon once said, works are always one’s self-portrait. I’m often touched by the pictures.I focus my research on camerawomen, on the one hand to show my respect to the predecessors, and on the other hand because of my own female identity. In the days to come, I’ll still put the emphasis on females in my photo study, because I think the advantage of sex will help me to read them more clearly. Also, I’d like to take this opportunity to tell my male counterparts how we, these beautiful and elegant camerawomen, look at this world through lens…
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