Photography's history has too often been told through a male lens — but a new book from Laurence King Publishing is setting the record straight. The Women Who Changed Photography: And How to Master Their Techniques spotlights 50 pioneering artists whose work, vision, and innovation shaped the medium.
The book opens a window onto figures like Lee Miller, the New York fashion model who apprenticed with surrealist Man Ray in Paris — only for many of her photographs to be mistakenly credited to him. Her story is far from unique, and that's exactly the point.
Credit: David E Scherman/Lee Miller archives, England 2014. All rights reserved
From Zanele Muholi's striking black-and-white portraits to the shape-shifting self-portraits of Claude Cahun and Cindy Sherman, identity runs as a powerful thread through many of the practices featured. thisiscolossal's Shirin Neshat explores the complexities of womanhood within Islamic culture, while Pushpamala N. uses narrative and figuration to challenge stereotypes of women in India.
The book chronicles the individuals, aesthetics, and approaches that have shaped the field — a long-overdue celebration of the women who were always there, even when the history books forgot to mention them.
A must-read for anyone who loves photography, art history, or both. Read more over at Colossal.
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