Is photography sexist?

Answer 1

No. How can a hobby is sexist?

Anyway, it's a matter of perceptions. Whatever it is, as long as you perceive it to be sexist, it will be. So it's the perceptions that serve as the problem, not the thing per se, in this case - photography.

Answer 2

There can be sexism in any art form, and photography is no exception. Those who say sexism is gone or obsolete have not done their research and apparently have not been discriminated against in this way.

Even with the high number of female artists in the art world, men are generally more well-known and some of them still want to keep women "in their place" so the men can be successful. That's how many occupations are, and art is no different despite more progressive types making a living doing that.

So yes, it can be. Especially fashion photography as it is all about objectification.

Answer 3

Sexist is an obsolete term. Originally painters were mostly straight men with the exception of Michelangelo so they painted women. The female body is more valued than the male body because the woman carries the child. Many photographers are male because many models are women and vice versa. Those photographers that shoot men are usually gay.

Answer 4

hmmmm...is photography sexist? If you're referring to model shoots and such, then most definitly not. They're getting paid for it so no one really cares. But to just classify such a broad subject of "PHOTOGRAPHY" as sexist is moronic.

What if I was photographing a tree?

Answer 5

I don' t understand why you'd say that and you haven't given us any details as to what you mean. Let's see... professional sports may be sexist since most pro-sports are dominated by men; most lawyers are men... is the legal field sexist... how about the medical field or sciences? What about police enforcement? How about carpentry? What about cab drivers? Bus operators? Nursing, where the majority are women...?

Look, sexism exists; to deny it's existence is utterly stupid, ignorant and simply not worth denying altogether based on what we see and hear everyday. In Mexico, women police officers are routinely assaulted in front of citizens for issuing traffic tickets or for serving warrants! And here in the states, too many women police officers come off as overly aggressive to compensate for their own feelings of inadequacy in their roles as police officers (I already had that experience with one police woman who demanded I step outside of my apartment; she mistook me for someone else who had beat up his girlfriend, whom I rescued from the guy minutes earlier and she refused to tell me if I was the object of her investigation and she upholstered her gun as a threat to me, which I laughed at... and further aggravated her).

I honestly don't think that the above mentioned are sexist except in the rare situations of higher education where they tend to favor men, such as law, medicine and architecture but hopefully that is changing and, hopefully, society will benefit by getting the best in those very competitive fields (and women are making head ways, as are minority members). (Hell, as a man, I'd rather be examined by a woman instead of a man... how is THAT sexist?)

There ARE exceptions to the rule that I do not understand. For example, there are health clubs that were once exclusively for men, and women forced them to open its doors to them; but not so with those clubs and organizations that are the exclusive domain of women... women want to compete with men in golf, basketball and even baseball (some have even sued in order to be allowed into the tryouts).. but how about if a man tried to compete in women's sports, like golf, tennis, fencing, archery or bowling or pool... how about weight-lifting or track and field events? Aren't women competing in high school and collegiate wrestling against men right now?

Women reporters are allowed into the lockerrooms of professional athletes (or they'll sue!!!) but... how about male reporters inside of women's lockerrooms...? That's a royal no-no... how come?

Sexism is not an easy area to discuss without setting forth some parameters of discussion.

In photography, the photographer's gender is really totally incidental since all that is required is experience, talent, skills, knowledge and understand of the subject matter... plus artistic flair that is not the excluve domain of anyone's gender.

There are indeed more men working as photographers, but then again, there are also more women joining the ranks every year, proving themselves equally as talented, skilled, knowledgeable (etc) as the men. Society can't force women into particular fields of endeavor to even out the field of participants; that has to come from the participants' themselves.

I am a man, will I be called a sexist if I prefer to photograph nude women as opposed to nude men? Hey, wait a minute, you can't force me to change sexual orientation... I'm geared to like and enjoy women and the company of women for purposes of political correctness... where do we draw the proverbial line?

Answer 6

Photography well done is art. Art can be whatever you want it to be.

Answer 7

As a photographer, I'd say no! And I'm a hardcore feminist, too!

Answer 8

That is not a realy good question but you are right in that there are not too many women photographing naked men. But then who wants to see a naked man.............

Answer 9

only the men who look at their work, and some of them just like beautiful things like flowers, reflections of a pond, even women.

Answer 10

Yeah, man. My lens is bigger than your lens!