Since the beginning of time, we’ve been telling stories. Whether through art, tales, songs or photography, stories are what connect us all on this journey we call life. In today’s world, authentic, real imagery stands apart from the endless reels of composed photography that flood our screens. Lifestyle photography, the authentic kind, allows us to escape from the digital perfection of the 21st century, and find emotion and human stories within an image.
In this edition of The Female Gaze Q&A, we explored the art of storytelling through photography and how female photographers navigate in a male dominant industry with Samantha Henderson and Sol Vazquez.
Hi Samantha, hi Sol. Can you tell us a little bit about yourselves and how you got into photography?
SH: I’m a 34-year-old Brit living in the French Alps. Originally from Cornwall, I moved here with my partner four years ago after working several winter seasons here. Before moving here permanently, I spent a lot of years travelling and working in different countries, and always had my little point and shoot camera attached to my hand (I was that friend who brought the camera to every single night out or occasion).
I was obsessed with documenting everything. So I thought it would be a good idea to try out a DSLR, just a cheap second hand one, and to see if it was something I could make use of on my travels and in the mountains seeing as I had such beautiful scenery to capture.
A year later, our first son was born and my obsession just grew and grew. I wanted to capture everything about him. As I fell in love with documenting people, I took photos of him with his Daddy, with family members, and often attempting some wobbly self-portraits of the two of us.
I realised soon after he was born that I wanted to make this more than just a hobby. Now I have two sons and spend a lot of my time (when I’m not shooting for work) just documenting them and their interactions.
SV: I’ve always been interested in photography. But I think I became more interested when I was about 15-years-old. I wanted to keep all my moments with me, to keep my memories in an honest way that resembles reality. Now I create my reality with photography. Now I understand this art as a creator and less as a ‘hunter’.
What is it about lifestyle photography that appeals to you?
SV: I think there’s something powerful in showing what lifestyle is to different people. How everyone smiles, cries, hugs and loves. How we move. How we breathe. How we live. When you and your family are the models of your photography, I think because you know them deeply and have deep relationships with them, this can show in the photos.
SH: I really love the emotion that you can capture with lifestyle photography. I like that it tells a story. I love that I can look back on my own images of my family and feel that same emotion as if it was happening again.
In such a fast-paced world, how do you keep your finger on the pulse?
SH: Social media has played a huge part in that for me. There are some great photography groups out there online with incredible artists from around the world sharing their work and talent. That really helps me to feel inspired and up-to-date with what is happening right now.
SV: My world isn’t fast at all. I live in a little village with a few people in the middle of the countryside. Life here is slow: it’s sweet, it’s patient, it’s serene. I have a lot of silence, and a lot of time to create and enjoy my passion. I stay with people I love and talk with tranquillity with all the people who live around me. I’ve chosen this life because I can’t live with hurries.
Who are your photography influences?
SV: This is a hard question because I think I have so many influences. When I was younger, I started to follow a lot of artistic photographers around the world, but as I grew up, I started to follow more and more different kinds of photographers. Food, landscapes, designers, lifestyle, macro photography…I just prefer to follow their work more than their names.
SH: Barney Walters is a fantastic documentary wedding photographer from back home in Cornwall. I’ve followed his work for a while now and have always found everything he and his team do to be a huge inspiration.
I’m also a huge fan of Stormy Solis Photography. Her images are full of gorgeous emotion, love and vibrance.
What has been your favourite project or shoot to work on?
SH: I recently shot my first wedding, and absolutely loved being able to capture so much love and emotion naturally. It was wonderful to be able to shoot candidly amongst the guests and document people’s genuine interactions on such a happy occasion.
SV: When I started to work on stock photography, I started to live with my boyfriend too. Since we moved together into our new life, we had to learn to know each other and work together in my work and in our life. My favourite project was learning to work together in my lifestyle photography; to become a team.
Recent studies have shown that 69% of female photographers have faced discrimination in the workplace? Have you experienced or witnessed any inequality or limitations in the industry?
SV: In stock photography, I don’t have any problems with this issue, but when I worked in artistic photography…it was really different. Sometimes, some people wanted to work with me or do an exposition but just in a paternalistic way. They treat me like I’m a baby girl and talk to me disrespectfully. And when I tried to ask for respect, they just pulled me out of the projects. But now I’m happy in my new job.
SH: Definitely. I’ve noticed on a few occasions that people presume that because I’m a woman and a mum that my photography business is just a side hustle; that it’s not my real job. I’m not just a mum. This isn’t just pocket money. This is my business, my profitable business.
No one would presume that my partner is just working for pocket money in his career just because he is a Dad. That would be absurd. Yet it happens again and again to women. I’ve seen it countless times that women are accused of being money grabbing or greedy by wanting to excel in their photography career and to be paid their worth, yet no one would ever even think this way about a man and his chosen profession.
Only 18% of The Association of Photographers’ accredited members are women. What more could the industry do to ensure aspiring female photographers get the same opportunities as male photographers?
SH: We need to recognise that women – and in particular, mothers – are not just doing this as a side hustle; that we are business owners and talented photographers. This can start with how we see ourselves; we need to believe that we are valuable, that our work matters, and those around us need to support us and see the value in what we do too.
SV: Respect. Respect their work and their lifestyle. Create safe teams where women can feel comfortable. It’s hard when in your workplace people just treat you as if you’re too young, or too amateur, or too soft. It’s time to understand equality as a natural way of relating with others.
You have to forget that your work partner is a man or a woman and just do the best to create, listen and support each other. Maybe women have another way of working, or another rhythm. Maybe this way or this rhythm is better than what we’re used to do so we should try to open our minds to other experiences without judging if it their comes from a woman or not.
Samantha Henderson
Explore Samantha’s collection on Alamy.
Sol Vazquez