Chennai through the eyes of women

With a motive to bring women’s perspective to capture the essence of the city, Shannon Zirkle, a photojournalist from the US, has started the first group of both trained and aspiring women photographers, called Fearless Women Photographers Chennai, which is now serving as a platform to celebrate and empower womanhood in a unique way When we ask Shannon, what made her come up with such an idea, she immediately lights up and says, “I have been a part of this city for quite some time now, as my husband is a Chennaiite.

From day one, I noticed that women are very active in almost every field across the city, but when it came to photography, I couldn’t spot many behind the lens. So, I after much thought, I decided to launch ‘Fearless Women Photographers (FWP), which serves as a platform to learn the art, collaborate and support women’s community”.

The group, which was launched by her in 2016, has seen a steady growth and now boasts of nearly 100 women from different walks of life and professions.

The group organises interactive workshops, show and tell sessions, video content analysis and even panel discussions. “After starting the group, we held the first such event in December 2016. It was a photo critique, where women submit entries online, a professional photographer chooses the best ones, and we meet for a conversation over coffee and discuss the work,” says Zirkle. She revealed that the group meets every month diligently, with lots of enthusiasm to share, compare and analyse their work. The second event was held on December 3 that had monsoon as the theme, where the members came up with vibrant photographs, capturing the intricacies of the rainy season.

“All the events are conducted in collaboration with Chennai Photo Biennale Foundation. It was started by photographer Varun Gupta and then director of Goethe-Institut Helmut Schippert, who wanted to promote art in public spaces,” adds Shannon.

“We at the group are encouraged to be free-spirited, outgoing and use our instincts to capture the beauty and ethnicity of Chennai. Being a law graduate, I ventured into photojournalism to capture stories and convey powerful messages through pictures and frames.

This group, which actively takes in only women, is a great way to bring out passionate ladies in the city by making them feel supported and empowered at the same time,” says Kajol, a member of the Fearless Women Photographer’s team.

Gayathri who works at Goethe institute is one founding trustees of the FWP club. When we ask her about this initiative, she says, “When Shannon started this group, we were really excited and supported the idea because I felt that such a community was lacking here. Like most professions and spaces, photography tends to be male dominated. We want to give a space for women to get together and just learn from each other and be able to express themselves freely. In addition, photography really lacks the female voice as most of the work created and published are by men. I feel that women do have a unique voice and perspective and that needs to be given a platform.” “We’ve been getting feedback that a lot of women find such meetings, discussions quite useful. We discuss everything from image-making to where to buy gear to how to get work.

It’s an active and growing forum and our doors are always open for the new joinees,” adds Gayathri.

Shannon agrees to the fact that women always have different outlook towards any scenario.

She says, “For events like house warming, marriage and maternity shoots, a woman can be more creative as these concepts are emotionally lit. Chennai has a vibrant cultural and traditional practices, which if portrayed through a woman’s point can create wonders.” “I would like women to have the courage to follow their passion and not allow stereotypes to stop them from achieving their dreams,” concludes Zirkle.

The group which got acclaimed for its remarkable work in a short period, is planning to take up many more theme-based assignments to portray the beauty of the city with a touch of womanhood.