Across Cultures: What We See

Wednesday, 14 June 2023

What We See

What We See, curated by Daniella Zalcman & Sara Ickow, is a tome that offers women & nonbinary perspectives through the lens. This seems to imply that women & nonbinary photographers see the world differently. Ophtalmologists would very probably disagree. On the other hand, our vision of the world is informed by our upbringing, our education, the mood we're in, and so on. And also, of course, by our gender. This is my starting point. And then I realise that I'm wrong for this tome is about something different, it is about giving a voice to the ones who are still underrepresented in photojournalism despite having the potential to expand our world view.

Daniella Zalcman "launched Women Photograph in 2017, a hiring database of women and nonbinary photographers (...) Our longterm objective for the organization is simple: to become obsolete. If Women Photograph is successful in helping industry achieve true intersectional parity, then the advocacy work at the heart of our organization will no longer be necessary."

In only see what I know. Had I not been told that these photos were taken by women and nonbinary photographers, I would have not known it. Well, I had been told, so what do I see? Is it different from what men tend do see? No idea, really. Moreover, I'm not into questions of identity or gender or the like, neither am I really much concerned with the question who took a certain picture. Differently put: I'm almost exclusively interested in what photos do to me.

Let me start with one of my favourites in this tome; it is by Camille Seaman and I do find it simply breathtaking, both as a natural phenomenon and as a composition. She writes:"My aim as a photographer is to help introduce our planet to the viewer. To create greater empathy and compassion where perhaps there was no relationship before. To show something they may never have seen, or if they have to show it in a way that helps to trigger that spark of curiosity." Wonderful!

Photojournalism is what this tome is about. Pictures with words, that is. A picture should speak for itself, one often hears. To me, that is wishful thinking. Look at the two pics below and try to figure out what they show. I can assure you that reading the words (you will find them in the book!) that accompany these two photos will alter the way you see them.

Quite some of the pics that I feel drawn to I cannot show for they do not figure among the ones that the publisher chose for press releases. An extraordinary shot by Adriana Zehbrauskas from Brazil shows two young women in 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. "There was somethings about Aya, left, and Ashley, right, who came all the way from California to support Donald Trump, that drew my attention. Was it their defiant and fashionable pose as they held their guns? Aya's cigar and high heels? Ashley's leopard-print combar boots? I am not sure, but as that now historic day was ending and the light was turning blue, I knew that nothing would be the same." Looking at this photograph with Adriana's words in mind, I do sense exactly what she is telling me – that indeed something has changed.

What We See is excellent photojournalism. Here's another example that impressed me; it is by Gabriella N. Báez from Puerto Rico and depicts one of the summer 2019 protests against "government corruption, misuse of emergency funds and the disappearance of resources like bottled water, canned food and electic generators" after Hurricane María hit Puerto Rico in September 2017. Gabriella had a personal reason to be there: "Jorge G. Báez, my father, died by suicide in the aftermath of Hurricane María. Photographing and documenting this historic moment feltr like my way of contributing to the struggle of the justice on the island."

There are pics in What We See that radiate a magnetic aura – Natalie Naccache's photograph of attendees, who pose before a fashion show, for instance, or Kali Spitzer's portrait of Val Napoleon, an Indigenous woman from Saulteau First Nation –, others that made me wonder whether they were staged – an Eritrean wedding in Israel by Malin Fezehai –, and still others that made me smile such as the penguins jumping from an iceberg by Sarah Pabst or the birdwatchers by Clara Mokri.

Highly recommended for the ones willing to be curious.

Women Photograph

What We See

Women & nonbinary perspectives through the lens

Curated by Daniella Zalcman & Sara Ickow

White Lion Publishing, London UK 2023