Women + creativity + London: what more of a combination could you ask for? Here’s your cheat sheet to the emerging female photographers who you should follow, now
It’s not rocket science. Women are incredibly talented if you allow them to be, and in a place like London – aka a melting pot of insane creativity – what combination could be better than women behind the lens? It’s obviously nothing new. This isn’t revolutionary, as such, but it’s refreshing to see new faces leading the charge, walking in the footsteps of names like Francesca Woodman, Jo Spence and more recently lens queens like Harley Weir and Viviane Sassen. With social media, striking images are more accessible than ever – you can pleasantly run into them without even realising that you needed (yes, you needed) to. And while there’s a myriad of women I could name on this list, these are just five of my favourites that grace my feed on the daily.
AMANDA FORDYCE (@AMANDAFORDYCEPHOTO)
Amanda Fordyce is fresh on the Euro scene, tripping all the way from her native Australia – but that hasn’t stopped her from hitting the ground running... make that sprinting/globe-trotting/killing it. Part travel diary, part editorial and part just-because-she-wanted-to-shoot-it – Fordyce's feed isn't short of things to <3 <3 Sometimes you can catch her in London, sometimes you can catch her in Barcelona. Keep an eye on her feed to find out where and when.
ROSALINE SHAHNAVAZ (@ROSALINE_S)
For a photographer who we said was on the rise not all that long ago, Rosaline Shahnavaz's ascent has been quick (and really pretty, look at those portraits!) Now shooting on the reg for brands like Urban Outfitters and Topshop, alongside backstage shots of fashion week for Dazed, her photos are dreamy, soft and striking, and if that's not a reason to follow her, then... well, your loss.
CHARLOTTE THOMAS (@SHOTBYCHARLOTTE)
Charlotte Thomas cuts to the chase by combining a couple of our favourite things in one. Girls + skateboarding. Her images make for happy viewing because women are just basically owning it, in every shot. Her book Concrete Girls is set to be published next year and will be a celebration of women on the skate scene. Confession: technically I’m lying because she’s actually about 30 minutes out of London, but with work like this, that’s close enough.
BEX DAY (@BEX_DAY)
London-based photographer and photo editor of PYLOT magazine – a title championing an anti-photoshop approach, even in their ads, and the use of analogue – is one to watch. Easy to do so through her Instagram, which is a steady flow of inspiration, personal images and self-shot work. With issue 3 of PYLOT out next week, we're sure we will be seeing a lot more soon. (below image shot in collaboration with Tom Johnson)
STEPH WILSON (@STEPHWILSONSHOOTS)
Steph Wilson is the founder of Lemon People Collective, who we've raved on about before, because, well, they're great. But we thought Wilson needed a bit of solo love too. Dealing with everything from feminism and LGBTQ+, to just plain pretty backstage shots at fashion week – step into Wilson's wonderful world. You can thank us later.