Girly Photography of a Different Kind

I suppose it was inevitable, what with so many women joining the ranks of pro, semi-pro, and hobby photography these days. There was a time when photography was a very male-dominated craft. In truth,  much of it still is, leastwise amongst professionals. But that's changing. Today, we have more female photographers than ever before and their numbers continue growing.

While there have been more than a few women who have made indelible marks on photography:  Margaret Bourke-White, Diane Arbus, and Annie Leibovitz (to name a few) come immediately to mind, the advent of digital photography has dramatically increased the numbers of females who are now pursuing photography in one way or another.

Personally, I'm thrilled to see so many women discovering and pursuing photography.  After all, so much of photography calls on the photographer's point-of-view and photography, as a whole, is incomplete without female points-of-view. Apparently, as a direct result of the influx of women photographers, we now have Pix, Photo District News' new photography magazine for women.

You've come a long way, baby... photography-wise.

Or have you?

Pix sounds like a natural, no? I mean, with so many women shooting cameras these days, and I'm not just talking about simple point-and-shoots, savvy marketing types recognize there's now a larger segment of the "serious photographer" population who are female and, as a result, it might be a profitable time to exploit that demographic with a targeted photography periodical. Targeting women certainly works for so many other magazines. It always has. Probably always will. So, why not a female-centric photography magazine? Makes sense to me.

But what is it, besides the possible differences in gender-driven photographic points-of-view, which might differentiate male photographers from female photographers? I thought about this for a while. I thought and I thought and I thought. Finally, the answer was revealed to me, possibly in a cosmic or divine revelation. Or, possibly because the answer is so freakin' obvious, regardless of the thought put into seeking it. And the answer is, drum roll please,  "Practically nothing."

That "nothing," however, isn't stopping the publishers of Photo District News.They've decided the stuff that separates the men from the girls, at least when it comes to photography, includes truly important things like smudge-proof makeup and other makeup tips for long days behind the camera. Pix also reviews seasonal flats which "will keep your feet covered, comfortable, and cute while you're on photo shoots." And let's not forget accessory gear. You know, like camera straps which are stylish yet still tough. After all, we all know -- I mean it's common knowledge -- that snapping better pictures, especially if you're a female, is a direct result of things like smudge-proof makeup, cute-n-comfy shoes, and tough-but-stylish camera straps.

Oh? You don't believe me? Well, don't take my word for it. Just ask the people behind Photo District News' new photography magazine, Pix, They'll set you straight.

Did I mention that Jezebel, a most excellent, female-targeted magazine of a different sort, published their take on PDN's Pix? Well, I am now. You can CLICK HERE to give it a read.

The gratuitous pretty girl flexing her bicep at the top is Katarina. (Click to enlarge.)