8 Influential Women Photographers

8 Female photographers you need to know…

Happy world Women’s day people. Here are 8 photographers who’ve had a significant impact on my photographic journey and they all happen to be women. I’ve included links to some of my favourite book either by or about the artists. Enjoy!

1. Nan Goldin

Nan Goldin

One of the most influential photographers that I studied during my Photography degree.  Her work from the series ‘I’ll be Your Mirror’ felt extraordinary and revolutionary to me.

Suggested reading: I’ll be your mirror

2. Susan Derges

Susan Derges

Derges captures imagery of mother nature like nothing else I’ve ever seen. Her works, particularly around water become almost hypnotic.

Suggested reading: Liquid Form

3. Gerda Taro

Gerda Taro

To my shame, I only discovered Taro’s photography after listening to the stunning Alt-J song about Gerda and her companion Robert Cappa, titled Taro. She was reportedly the first female war photographer to die on the front line at just 26 years old.

Suggested reading: Gerda Taro, Inventing Robert Cappa

4. Annie Leibovitz

Arguably the most famous living female photographer. From John Lennon to Queen Elizabeth II, she’s photographed the biggest names and created a legacy of some truly iconic photos.

Suggested reading: Women, Annie Leibovitz and Susan Sontag

5. Dorothea Lange

Dorothea Lange

A text-book classic and must see for any budding photographer. Lange was one of the first photographers I studied when I started to specialise in photography. Her work of the American Depression remains highly influential today.

Suggested Reading: Daring to Look

6. Deirdre O Callaghan

Deirdre O Callaghan

To me, O Callaghan has all the qualities of a truly great photographer. I can get totally absorbed in her photos. I have always admired how she approaches her subjects with sensitivity and dignity, something not overly common in contemporary photography.

Suggested reading: “Hide that can”

7. Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus

Another photographytext-book classic, but a photographer impossible to overlook. Arbus was a true pioneer of the different, creating iconic photographs unlike anything seen before or since.

Suggested reading: Diane Arbus: An Aperture Monograph

8. Kim Boske

Kim Boske

I discovered Boske’s photography relatively recently, after seeing her work in an edition of FOAM photography magazine. Her photography is refreshingly different from current photography trends and well worth exploring.

Suggested reading: Mapping