WOMEN STREET PHOTOGRAPHERS

Artist Statement:

Photography is my way of capturing and sharing how I see the world. Street photography fascinates me, because it captures real, unposed moments of everyday life. These candid images, illuminated by natural light and framed by the city’s movement, allow me to document the true essence of my community. I love that street photography is spontaneous and honest—often, my subjects are unaware of my camera, allowing me to capture their genuine experiences and emotions.

Photography helps me express what I find difficult to say in words. Through my street photography, I tell stories with a single image. My work focuses on people, especially women and the interplay of light and shadow, capturing the timeless charm of everyday life. Each photo is like a piece of history, preserving the spirit of neighborhoods and the people in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. My photography reflects the stories of daily life, capturing those moments that define a community.

Sehin Tewabe is a 27-year-old professional photographer based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A self-taught artist with a background in accounting, Sehin has always had a natural passion for photography. Growing up in a large family, she was surrounded by joyous moments that she felt needed to be preserved. This desire to capture the beauty of everyday life led her to pick up a camera and turn fleeting moments into lasting memories, deepening her love for photography in the process.

Photo by Ambient Teshone

Artist Statement:

Since childhood, I’ve been fascinated with the concept of communities. With the richness and diversity that manifests at every corner of the world, regardless of beliefs, ideology, politics, and borders. Communities, despite the overtake of a mainstream culture, manage to keep themselves authentic through the characters that inhabit these spaces, these streets.

Photography has been my language of choice to capture and share the beauty of diversity. Through my work, I’ve come to realize that we make sense of our surroundings by the sign of human life that we can identity within them. With my camera, I choose to capture the stories of characters from very different backgrounds that can turn the frame into a whole world.

I’ve been lucky enough to grow up in one of the most diverse countries of the world. Mexico is a country with too many sides, an hispanic and indigenous heritage that manages to survive despite the inevitable influences of mainstream western culture. The survival of these Pilars of the Mexican identity have become an essential part of my photography. In every new encounter, I find a richness that cannot be replicated or staged. I find truth.

It’s hard not to feel like an outsider when you are dedicating all your efforts to document authentically the life of others. But what I have found is a world full of gratitude and openness that feels like an immense sense of pride and responsibility when representing their cultures.

What I hope to achieve is that a single picture can tell a story that creates an emotional bond beyond the limits of the frame in spite of of what’s being portrayed in it.

Ana Joaquina Munoz de la Concha is a Mexican photographer from Puebla. For years, she has focused her career around the cultural richness and diversity of Mexico, specifically in how these factors make themselves present within the daily life of the characters involved that inhabit unique spaces intrinsically attached to their communities, traditions, activities and circumstances across different parts of the country.

Artist Statement:

“My Way” is a personal and intimate exploration of El Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James), a Christian pilgrimage popular during the Middle Ages to expiate sins and ask pardon or miraculous conversion. In the last decade, the number of people walking along the Way has increased dramatically. Catholics, atheists, agnostics and curious travelers have shown more and more interest in doing the way of St. James. The journey is traditionally covered on foot, by bicycle or by horse, starting from different cities of Europe. In an historical period in which capitalistic materialism deeply imbues lifestyle, I started El Camino Santiago because I felt trapped in the routine, speed, and superficiality of my hectic life. This intimate and lyrical photographic story telling investigates my slow and intense experience of El Camino as an instinctual need of spiritual search and reconnection with my lost Self.

Artist Statement:

In days of old, a Bedouin’s reputation was his highest asset. A bad word spoken against one could lead to a sad end. The Bedouin consider eloquence to be a most important asset. Their oral tradition dispensed with the idea of ownership and possessions, such as books. What a man said and how he said it were absorbed into the utmost attention and esteem for the glib. This sense of tribal identity embodies in the status earned by exercising one’s poetic and singing talent led to a great creative genetic manifest embedded in Bedouin DNA. It seems no accident then that Bedouin are particularly attracted to cell phone usage, with the tribal nature of this global reach. Ironically, the opposite effect is the isolated staring into a screen even while sitting the company of others, something young Bedouin are not immune to. Before cell phones and computers, news had to be remembered over long distances of time and space. To make this easier, rhyming developed, and poetry came to express other forms of communication, such as affection or argument. Bedouin compared the size of their camels, wit of their tongue, beauty of their women, and knowledge of the desert’s secrets. Now, forced to settle in government housing, they compare their type of car, size of their house or land, strength of their business, and level of government encroachment into their lives. Competitiveness, bred by ownership of possessions, erodes the communality of their lifestyle. That, in turn, erodes their commune with nature supporting that lifestyle. At COP 27 in 2022, in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, Bedouin voiced their concerns and knowledge of the environment for the first time officially in a governmental setting. Their awareness of the importance of the environment has been at the forefront of their culture for centuries, the key to their survival, and everyone’s. A renewed awareness and appreciation of tribal living can be of great benefit to the world’s increasing populations struggling to cope with the world’s diminishing resources. Hopefully, the young Bedouin will continue to know their ancient tradition and not be too deterred by modern technology to preserve their past. I hope to build a museum of Bedouin Culture in Nueva. To that end, I wish to mount a major exhibition in NYC, as well as Paris, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Rome, and Amsterdam called “Going Bedouin.”

From the Grand Prize in NPCI to Best in Show in all-media “Art of the State” at the State Museum of PA, Laura Jean Zito’s photographs have won purchase prizes for prestigious museum collections. She was highly commended in the ‘24 and ‘23 Belfast Photo Festival Opens, honored in the 17th, 16th, and 15th International Color Awards, 17th B&W Spider Awards and in 2022, See/Me NYC exhibition 'True North” and ‘Edge of Humanity Magazine.’ In 2021, she was published by All About Photo magazine, Totally Dublin, Catamaran, and Street Photography Around the World a the LACP.

Artist Statement:

When I was younger, my hometown of Columbia, South Carolina was a landing pad. A port to rest before the next big adventure. Home had all the luxuries of the familiar: slow southern twang, sweet tea, and streets I could navigate with only by FM radio tuned in. Everything seemed ordinary. I was eager to learn about the outside world. I found my catalyst for creativity in foreign lands like India, Nepal, and China. After having a family of my own, however, Columbia has become a place of utter inspiration. Its people and streets are my canvas. My longterm project, Comet 701, highlights a bus route from my home into the city, The photographs show the daily lives of the people who frequently take the route. Though the Comet bus transports nearly 2.4 million people a year, this was my first time riding. The privilege of having a car never gave me the need to ride the bus, but I wanted to experience the route and learn more of the people in my hometown who use the bus as their main source of transport. As a self-taught female photographer, earning the spot as the next artist in residence would fulfill a life-long goal to have my own solo exhibition. Coming from a city of only 140,000, I would show other female photographers it’s possible to be successful even if you are not creating in a city with millions of people. Inspiration is unparalleled curiosity of the world. I come into new situations without judgement and with a desire to learn.

Artist Statement:

“Is Normality a Privilege?” is an exploration of everyday life in Venezuela between 2023 and 2024. While Venezuela has been frequently highlighted in global news for its severe political and economic crises, these reports often obscure the nuanced realities of daily life, reinforcing a one-dimensional view of the country. Such depictions make it challenging to grasp the country’s multifaceted nature and diverse stories.

Though I hail from a neighboring country, my understanding of Venezuela was limited until I moved there at the end of 2022. Photography has been my tool to navigate and unravel the layers of this unfamiliar and enigmatic place. Through my camera, I have wandered its streets, met its people, and experienced the dynamic pulse of its daily existence, which helped me answer some questions and asked hundreds of others.

Marina’s work focuses on projects that explore everyday human life intertwined with political, social, youth, and gender issues in Latin America.

Artist Statement:

A cult of Madonna del Camino is very strong in Naples, Italy. Every July 16th, the procession takes place, accompanied by a music band and large crowd of faithful followers. Each festival is relevant for its community, as it is connected with the construction of its identity. In a social system that tends to become hyper-complex, with this celebration you can create a moment in which the community is able to oppose the outside as a whole, taking root with renewed intensity in the territory and local memory.

Artist Statement:

As a Singaporean street photographer, my world is deeply rooted in capturing the essence of urban life through the unique lens of instant film. My experiences photographing the dynamic streets of Singapore and Tokyo have profoundly shaped my artistic vision.

The medium of instant film allows me to create physical records of fleeting moments, capturing the raw and spontaneous essence of street life. In Singapore and Tokyo, instant film has enabled me to document the unique interplay between tradition and modernity, creating images that resonate with both warmth and nostalgia. The charm and authenticity of instant photography not only provide a personal connection to the subject, but also serve as a bridge between the ephemeral and the permanent.

Ray Ong is motion graphics designer and passionate instant film street photographer. With a solid foundation in 2D animation from her college studies, Ray has long been adept at visual storytelling. Her journey into photography began in 2009 when she acquired her first film camera, sparking an enduring interest in capturing images.

In 2016, Ray deepened her engagement with street photography by adopting a modified Instax Wide camera fitted with a Mamiya Universal Press lens. This gear choice marked a significant turn in her photographic practice, allowing her to capture the vibrant, fleeting moments of urban life with a unique perspective.

Artist Statement

‘Framed’ is an ongoing street photography series that depicts people from around the world who are framed by their structural and physical environments. The series aims to expose how there is a symbiotic relationship between an individual and their broader contextual environment. On one hand, the subject accentuates elements of the context that may have otherwise been ignored without them. On the other, the structural elements in their environment shape them within the picture and expose particular elements and sensibilities within the person. The work is featured from Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

“Framed” was shown in video format at the Peel Street Projections Festival in Melbourne, Australia. It has also been featured in Frankie Magazine, Monster Children Magazine, Beginning Film, and Be Analogic.

Rose Hartley is a photographer and psychologist currently based on Ngunnawal Country (Canberra, Australia). Rose’s documentary photography has won her two international photo competitions for Monster Children and Frankie magazines. More recently, she was shortlisted for the British Journal of Photography’s Portrait of Humanity and the International Photography Awards. She was also featured as a finalist in the City of Sydney’s Australian Life photo competition. Her solo exhibitions include a one-month exhibition with Peel Street Projections, while her group exhibitions include shows at Brunswick Street Gallery, Collingwood Yards, and No Vacancy Gallery in Melbourne, Hyde Park in Sydney, and Photo Access in Canberra.

Artist Statement:

In the last few decades, we have witnessed increasing levels of political correctness and homogenization of culture in Australia. I believe street photography offers an important counter to these trends. As a street photographer, I capture authenticity, documenting people’s individuality and how they use their environments. I strive to represent our times with honesty.

Still images, when curated, can tell a very powerful story—speaking to different types of people and how we live in our streets. What I want to learn through this residency is the craft of developing an idea and the skill of curation to tell a story in a body of work that I’m proud of.

The series of images I have submitted, “All Creatures Great and Small” represents the evolution of my work at this point in time. I look to tell stories within images, sometimes simple moments and others with multiple layers. I’m drawn to color as I look for unexpected meats, carefully framing to allow the viewer to look into the moment and feel their way through the frame stirring their curiosity.

This series is my ode to the daily dance of life in India witnessing the unexpected and pragmatic juxtaposition of the domestic, devotional and work life, where resiliency in the face of adversity, joy in celebration and an integrated relationship with animals is a very present foundation for all life.

I aspire to becoming a street photographer recognized for making a significant contribution. My father reminded me of my dreams in one of our last conversations before his passing over a decade ago. He told me it was me that was holding me back when it came to realizing my photographic potential. I hold his thoughts close to me as I pursue my photographic journey.

Artist Statement:

Among the various topics I like to explore, religions and rituals are probably my favorites. Much of street photography involves explorations of different religions, cultures, holidays, costumes, traditional attire, and many more. I aim to highlight what is often hidden under this variance, our shared humanity. Deep down we share more similarities than differences. Our emotions, wishes, fears, and aspirations are all so intrinsically human. It is those shared experiences I hope to shed light on in my street photography.

In most of the religious events I photographed, however, something bothered me. It took me a while to figure it out. In almost all religions, the practice of religion and its rituals ar a right and obligation reserved mostly for the men in the community. Even today in our modern world, women’s presence in the major religious events is rather sparse. Women are often situated on the outer edge of the crowds, watching the kids while the men are praying, studying, or performing the ritual stages. In this on-going project, titled “Women of Valor,” I wanted to focus on the women’s place in these events, normalizing their part in the religious public space by giving them visibility. Sometimes they are secluded, and at times they insist on taking amore active part, but they are always persistent, insisting on showing their own version of devotion, spreading their faith and hope.

Sharon Eilon is a street and documentary photographer based in Israel. She started learning and practicing photography a few years ago, following a health crisis that led her to find treatment in India. it was a life-changing healing journey that not only brought her back home healthy and safe, but also shifted her whole perspective on life, as major challenges often do. Appreciating being alive was more than just empty words. It became an inner motivation to pursue the things she really loves: traveling, studying Eastern philosophies, dancing, and photography are only a few of the things she decided to actively incorporate into her daily life.

Fascinated by the variations and the underlying similarities in the human experiences, she aims to document the wide spectrum of life—its marvels and well as its challenges. She is always fascinated by the triable of emotions and sensations a photograph can weave between the photographer, her protagonists, and the viewer.

Her work was recognized and awarded internationally and exhibited in galleries worldwide, including Paris, Tokyo, Barcelona, Athens, Milan, and more.

Artist Statement:

After the lockdowns caused by the Covid 19 pandemic, I was finally able to return to Morocco, my father’s homeland, and reconnect with photography. During those years, I felt paralyzed, as though deprived of my tool for expression, since my inspiration comes from traveling and exploration, I needed to test whether I could still photograph, and to reinvent myself, I set a challenge: to create a new photographic language.

I imposed two rules on myself: long exposures to absorb everything that had escaped me during the lockdown, and a free hand to play with the newfound freedom. This resulted in blurred and overexposed images, which I later reworked to exaggerate the exposure and colors. This process allowed me to create a vision on the border between reality and fantasy, revealing a new visual universe. My goal is to gather images from ten cities and compile them into a book.

Sonia Hamza is a French-Moroccan fine art photographer who has developed a unique artistic language combining photography and textiles. Her photographic universe is imbued with her atypical background, creating an original and evocative body of work that tends to blue the boundaries between artistic disciplines.

A graduate of ENSAA Duperré in Paris (1995), she completed her training as a fashion designer at Central Saint Martin’s School of Art and Design in London.

Artist Statement:

My photographic practice is founded on the serendipity of capturing life as it unfolds in front of my camera. My work is primarily street photography and creating photographic essays as a flaneur wandering around public places to find, discover, and capture dreamlike moments with a camera.

The proposed project, ”Metopolis: New York,” is a street photography project capturing the essence of life on the streets of New York. The mantra is: “Real life is like a theater when you wander the same streets every day. The scenes change in the blink of an eye as reality blends with my memories and dreams.”

The series will use medium format black-and-white film and a similar stylistic approach to form the 3rd stand-alone chapter of my trilogy of global street photography from a female gaze on the theme of metropolis. The aim is to find serendipitous, dreamlike moments that reflect the energetic, vibrant, bustling streets of New York, showcasing the mood and atmosphere of the city, people, light, and daily life while also tapping into my own subconscious behind the camera.

Dr. Tamara Voninski is a photographer, filmmaker, visual editor, educational, and writer. She is based in Sydney, Australia. Her photographic essays and street photography have won international awards and residencies including: International Pictures of the Year Awards, Art Gallery of NSW residency at City Internationale des Arts in Paris, and the inaugural Alexia Foundation Photography for World Peace grant. Her world has been exhibited internationally.

Debrani Das is a Kolkata based street photographer ,Fuji X Ambassador and co-founder of Unexposed SouthAsia. She was a co-curator of a special exhibition of Indian female street photographers by Women Street Photographers at the prestigious Indian Photo Festival in 2022 .

Debrani was a winner in the single image category of Bakustreet Photo Festival 2021. She was acclaimed as the winner of “Artist Residency 2020” in NYC by Women Street photographers. Her photographs have been exhibited worldwide. Her works have been part of many prestigious books and magazines such as: Women Street Photographers, Reclaim The Street, FujiLove Magazine, Eyeshot Magazine, Street Sweeper Magazine.

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2024 SOLO EXHIBITION IN NEW YORK CITY.

“STATEN ISLAND FERRY”

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Debrani Das submission to win the Artist Residency:

I am a photographer from Kolkata, India—a homemaker with a passion for street photography.  It has been my dream to delve deeper into the craft and take photographs in New York City:  the bright-blue sky, the shadow light play through the sky scrapers, the hustle and bustle of the the city, the mood at different street corners, everything.  My sole objective in my practice is to live every moment when I’m walking the streets and not miss a single moment that can offer me a decisive moment to capture.  The camera always allows me to be myself.

I have been honored to have Nina Welch Kling as my mentor.  She has helped me to grow as an artist and to hone my skills as a street photographer.

Born in the North of France, Valérie studied Chinese and spent many years traveling the cities of China and other countries before turning to photography. It was not until 2012 that she bought her first camera and discovered the joys of creation. Very quickly, she participated in workshops with renowned photographers and understood her visceral need to be outside, especially in the streets. This is where she finds inspiration and the material with which to compose her images: passers-by, small ephemeral scenes, projections of her emotions, and questionings about the world we live in. Sensitive and enigmatic images calling for narration.

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SOLO EXHIBITION IN NEW YORK CITY, 2019