Strength of a Woman: A Photojournalistic View

Jannah Esa
History of Photojournalism

Strength of a Woman 

             It’s a man’s world, and its shown in many ways around the world. Women face discrimination fighting for rights just to vote, to being payed less than men. Many men all over the world have little to no respect for women. Director of the women rights project Lenora Lapidus states in her article 30 Years of Fighting Discrimination against Women, all over the world women suffer gender-based violence. On average, in the U.S 630 women are raped a day and at least three murdered by a man. Women are constantly sexually assaulted and sexually harassed, even in a professional environment. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, more than eight in ten women will or has experienced sexual harassment and assault at work in their lifetime, in which takes a huge toll on women's lives leading to physical and mental health problems. Along with sexual assault women face domestic violence. For example, photojournalist Farzana Wahidy was beaten in the street by men for not wearing a burqa, which is very constricting, it is hard to see and breathe out of. Even though women have experienced such discrimination and adversity, they have fought, and won many battles. No matter what women never give up and keep fighting. Women are strong, powerful and are leaders. Where would the world be without women? It may be a man’s world, but women make the world go around.
             Today, women make up the majority of students in undergraduate and graduate photojournalism programs, but this didn’t come easy. Women whom are photojournalist have experienced gender-based discrimination for many years. From 1957, when Life Magazine was promoted with the words “Men of stature” when a woman, Margret Bourke-White, captured the photo that was on the cover, to photojournalist Marian Post Wolcott having spit balls thrown at her and her photography chemicals being urinated on, to being accused of being too weak to be photograph war zones. But, women in photojournalism continue to fight oppression, and fight battles around the world.

          Women are faced with many adversities that are painful to overcome but try being an African American woman. Not only would you have to deal with gender-based violence and discrimination daily, but you would deal with racism as well. Many Black women face sexual assault in the workplace and, also face being told that their natural hair is not professional. According to the center of American Press “Black women face unfair expectations, unique challenges, and biased assumptions about where they fit in the workplace that differ from the perceptions held about women from other racial and ethnic groups as well as men.” Black women also face a wage gap that is greater than just the gender-based wage gap.  Personally, as a Black woman, I have faced discrimination, I was told by a White patient that my Dread locs at the time were not professional, and because of my unprofessionalism she question my ability to take care of her, and did not want me as her caregiver. 

    

Laylah Amatullah Barrayn

Photo By: 

Aidah Z. Muhammad

Image Source:https://fence.photoville.com/jury/laylah-amatullah-barrayn/

 Laylah Amatullah Barrayn is a New York based photojournalist. However, she has been around the world to help capture the stories of Black photojournalist that are outside of the united states. Growing up in Brooklyn she was heavily influenced by Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe’s book “Viewfinders: Black Women Photographers.” She was seven years old when she got her first camera as a gift from her father and her passion for photography took off from there. She states that she feels that “Blacks women are underrepresented in the field of photojournalism and fine art photography.” This is very similar to how Black photojournalist Sophia Nahli Allison feels when she posted a Facebook status that says, “Please incorporate some women of color as well.” She also states that the industry lacks in diversity and the support of woman of color who stories should be shared. Laylah soley focuses on celebrating Black women. She even wrote a book dedicated to African women called MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora. Even though her book was rejected, she still fought to tell the stories of African women whom are photographers and eventually won a grant and published her book. On top of writing a book, she also has done many exhibitions celebrating the power of a Black woman. 

Photo By: Laylah Amatullah Barrayn
Year: 2017
Image Source:https://www.magnumfoundation.org/events/2017/11/16/celebrating-mfon-with-laylah-amatullah-barrayn-and-adama-delphine-fawundu
Principal 1: Does the image remind you of any work of art or photograph you have seen?: This image reminds me of the photo Farzana Wahidy captured of looking out through a burqa, where a burqa completely covers a woman's face.

Principal 2: Obvious main subject, about ¼ to 2/3 of image area: It seems that the two girls in the photo are the main subjects. However, the actual main subject is the gold scarf covering their faces, the scarf is what is telling the story. Even though main subject is small, it has a huge impact on the meaning of the photo.

Principal 3: KEEP IT SIMPLE: Even though the photo is busy with a variety of colors, the photo is still very still. The stillness of this photo directs and  keeps the attention on the main subject. 

I choose this photo because their faces are covered which tells viewers that they should not be heard, seen and should not speak or be spoken to. In many parts of the world women cannot even go outside and if they do they cannot speak to men, and they have to be covered from head to toe.  

Photo By: Laylah Barrayn
Year: 2016
Image Source: https://roadsandkingdoms.com/2017/black-women-photographers-matter-a-qa-with-laylah-amatullah-barrayn/
Principal 1: Black and White: This photo taken in Black and white keeps the attention of the subject and her mood at the time.
Principal 2: Contrast: Viewers can see that there are very bright sections and dark sections in the room. The main subject is exposed to both light and dark, which  can highlight the bittersweet feeling she may be having as she is to get married.
Principal 3: Rule of Thirds: The main subject is slightly offset from being in the middle. This makes it easy for the wedding dress that she is not wearing to make an impact on the viewer.
I choose this photo because this picture shows the reality of a woman. The photograph is titled "Great Expectations" This portrays the expectations that forced upon women especially in marriage, and she stands in the mirror looking at her authentic self before she becomes one with somebody else.

Photo By: Reuters

Year: 2018

Image Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45476500

Principal 1: Subject's Expression: The subject ( Serena Williams) is angry and the photographer is able to show that this is important by making her expression and gesture the main point

Principal 2: Background compliments or detracts from composition: Nothing in the Background competes for attention, the background emphasizes the subjects expression. 

Principal 3: What feelings does the image create? : Because the subject is so angry it sparks curiosity and anger within the viewers.

Why I choose this photo? I choose this photo because she is portrayed as an angry Black woman when standing up for something she believes in. It is not fair because when a man does so he is a leader, he is not angry. There is also an emphasis on her being an angry BLACK woman. Over the years Black women have dealt with being aggressive and angry, and this photo is another gesture that discredits Black women. 

PP