MPB Meets: International Women's Day 'Accelerate Action' Panel

Despite making up 70% of photography graduates, women account for only 15% of professional photographers—and they earn, on average, 40% less than their male counterparts. The disparity raises pressing questions about access, representation and equality in an industry that shapes how we see the world.

Ahead of International Women’s Day, MPB brought together a panel of women from across photography and filmmaking to share their experiences, from confronting gender bias and pay gaps to challenging industry norms. Through candid and unfiltered discussion, they explored what progress has been made, barriers that still exist and steps needed to create a more equitable future. What follows is their compelling conversation.

MPB Content Producer and Photographer Amy Moore led the informal discussion at London’s Fortnum & Mason with Jenny Alice, Filmmaker and Director of Photography; Laylah Amatullah Barrayn, Documentary Photographer, Author and Educator; Angela Nicholson, Photographer, Reviewer and SheClicks Founder; Libby Penman, Filmmaker and Wildlife Photographer; and Violeta Sofia, Artist and Activist.

What shocked you when you started out?

Angela Nicholson: There were quite a few instances where I was shocked by the lack of women in the room. There was one launch I went to, and the room must have been full of maybe a couple of hundred journalists from all across Europe. And there's myself and one other woman. That was quite an eye-opener. 

“I need to have equipment, I need to travel, I need to pay rent. And this is the day rate?”

Laylah Amatullah Barrayn: One thing shocked me when I first got into photography: The whole shrouding around money, around pay. Here you are, working as a journalist in a big city. I was living in New York City, and some of the day rates that I was being offered, just coming into photography, were really low. I need to have equipment, I need to travel, I need to pay rent. And this is the day rate? 

I'm looking at other photographers, who are traveling around the world. They have five cameras in their bag, the whole row of lenses, they have everything. Where is this disparity coming from, what is really happening here? What is going on with issues around class, you know? What's going on with issues around access? It's not adding up, how I’m supposed to make a living—with this day rate—in New York City, and doing the assignments that you were asking me to do.

“It doesn't take long for you to find a certain website or company, and you're like, 'Oh, do women not use cameras?'”

Libby Penman: One thing that shocked me before, and it's even right now. When you look online, you see certain camera brands or companies. Okay, I just looked through five pages’ worth of advertising about your kit. I've not seen a woman with a camera in her hand yet. Oh—there's a woman. Oh no, she's the model. 

It's not like there's a lack of women who are capable with a camera in their hand. The marketing around it is still not caught up yet, we can't see women. It's definitely changing, and there's been an amazing emphasis on that recently. But it doesn't take long for you to find a certain website or company, and you're like, “Oh, do women not use cameras?”

“I think there are a lot of very talented women with cameras who don't end up pursuing that career because of how hard it is to be taken seriously.”

Jenny Alice: A lot of women want to be in the industry. But then there's also the next hurdle of being in front of the camera, as well. The online hate, the criticism and the misogyny that you're going to get online. There's one phase of going into the industry, and then there's the next phase of putting yourself online. I remember working in the industry, which was difficult, and feeling quite confident. Then, going on social media and thinking “Wow, this has opened a whole can of worms.” I would do one video, and a male content creator would make a very similar one. He would get really positive comments, and all of mine were very negative. So, you know, I did notice the difference. 

I feel like there are more female content creators now, but I still feel like it's very intimidating for a woman to walk on set. Even if you're starting out and you want to get work experience. To walk on set in a male industry and to feel like you deserve to be there. I think there are a lot of very talented women with cameras who don't end up pursuing that career because of how hard it is to be taken seriously. There are a lot of talented people who we just never see because of that. It's a constant battle. I feel like anyone could say anything to me and it wouldn't affect me—because I've heard it all. 

“If they talk about men, he's an expert. But the way they talk about women is different. It doesn't matter what level you could have.”

Violeta Sofia: When we do have women and we're being supported, the way that they speak about women is completely different. If they talk about men, he's an expert. But the way they talk about women is different. It doesn't matter what level you could have. Even really big photographers, if they’re a woman, they never put them as experts. And I would like to see that kind of communication change. 

“For people within the industry who want to support women, they should have confidence in their female colleagues: the assumption they can be trusted in their knowledge.”

Amy Moore: When I started working — and I didn't feel the shock till later — but the expected level of knowledge. When you're working in customer service, you have to know a lot and quickly. I was good at it. I worked with a lot of guys, the majority were guys, and they knew so much. People really trusted them. I thought “They’re experts, they know so much”. It was only as I got older and learned loads more and became incredibly experienced that I realised “Oh, you actually don't know. You act like you know, and people trust that you know, so you can say almost anything. But you actually don't know.” 

Probably all of us have had that sudden realisation. You get a confidence boost in yourself. My skills are at a level that I need them to be. It's not that I'm behind, it's that they just act—and people assume—that it is correct, and they know what they're saying. For people to be aware of coming into the industry, you may get treated in that way, so have confidence and self belief. For people within the industry who want to support women, they should have confidence in their female colleagues: the assumption they can be trusted in their knowledge. 

What discrimination have you faced? 

Libby Penman: I've definitely turned up places where I'm directing and shooting for TV, and people have said “So when's the cameraman coming?” That sounds mad, but it's happened many times.

“The difference was astronomical. It wasn't a couple of dollars, it was thousands more—for the same job.”

Laylah Amatullah Barrayn: All the time. I show up to an assignment, they're looking for the photographer when I have all of my cameras on my shoulder. I have three cameras on my shoulder and they're looking for the photographer. There was another time when I was on a team working on a project, all photographers. I just assumed that everyone was paid the same amount. And when I found out what I was paid as opposed to what one of the guys was paid, the difference was astronomical. It wasn't a couple of dollars, it was thousands more—for the same job. 

“It felt like they wanted me to ‘look’ more Black.”

Violeta Sofia: I have similar situations when I'm in the studio. People walk into the studio—I’m the photographer, I'm holding the camera and I have my assistants—and people are just looking, where's the photographer? And I'm like, I'm standing here. And then they backtrack. 

Also, there was a lot of communication in terms of: “We need to fix our books. We're looking for a Black photographer.” Okay, I like it. You're direct, this is what you need and you're trying to change things. But then only wanted me to take pictures of the Black talent. Why am I being limited because I'm a Black photographer? You have your white photographers who are able to take pictures of everyone, but why are you trying to limit me? 

Most of the people I photograph are white. But they only wanted to have pictures that I've taken of Black people, so they bypassed all my white sitters, and it felt like they wanted me to ‘look’ more Black. That was very upsetting for me. Trying to box me in when I had so many other pictures. They had to go really deep into my portfolio. This is not how I want to be represented. So that was shocking and upsetting, and I thought it was discriminatory as well.

“You get a thick skin because you become aware of all the different times that sort of stuff happens.”

Amy Moore: When I worked in sales, I was in the shop. I never did anything about this, because I was 18, I’d just got the job and I had no idea what to do or how to do it. There was a guy at the company who was really well respected. He was an older guy, and I got on with him. I was trying to get some camera kit out of a cupboard for someone. And he walked past me in the shop, with a customer and her child, and slapped my arse and told me to get out of the way. 

I had no idea what to do. It felt uncomfortable for ages. I knew the company would say he was joking and would do nothing about it. I was very aware that it wouldn't go anywhere. But now, as an adult, it bothers me because I'm fuming that I didn't do anything about it. If that was me now, it would be a very different response to that situation. That shocked me, and I think then set me up for things to become less shocking. You get a thick skin because you become aware of all the different times that sort of stuff happens.

“When you're trying to put a name for yourself, it’s like you're constantly banging on this brick wall: Listen to me, take me seriously.”

Jenny Alice: One of the things I remember the most was when I went to university. I’d been at an all-girls school until this point, so we’d all done media and film together. So I went to university after everyone had said “Don't do film, it’s a waste of money”. I walk in, there are about two hundred faces looking back at me. There were about two or three women in there, and the rest were all men. And I remember thinking if I’d made it a mistake. Am I not supposed to be in this room? I'd get singled out, and the lecturers wouldn't take me seriously. And it started off from there, you know?

It happens on set. They walk past you and they walk to my male assistants. “What are we doing today?” And he's like: “Ask Jenny, she's the one in charge.” Now I can laugh about it. But at the beginning, especially when you're trying to put a name for yourself, it’s like you're constantly banging on this brick wall: Listen to me, take me seriously. 

Angela Nicholson: When it comes down to it, it’s a cultural thing. We’re used to seeing older white men holding the camera, doing that job. 

“There's been jobs where I've gone to film … and they're like 'Are you sure she can film it?'”

Jenny Alice: Well, that's where ‘cameraman’ is from: a camera man. There's been jobs where I've gone to film … and they're like “Are you sure she can film it?” So there’s that ingrained misogyny within all of us. I have experienced it from both male and female.

Angela Nicholson: Imposter syndrome is such a huge issue. In the photographic industry, I had a manager who I didn't particularly get on with. He didn't particularly respect me or like me. He told me that I would never do X, Y and Z. It was like I was listening to the imposter in my head. When I went home later, I was thinking: I don't respect you, I think you're an idiot. Why am I listening to that voice, which is saying the same thing? It suddenly helped me see it for what it is. And that really helped me over the next period of my career. 

“I feel like sometimes, as a woman, you're trying to prove yourself every day, and it's exhausting.”

Libby Penman: TV, filmmaking and photography are tiring enough. But I feel like sometimes, as a woman, you're trying to prove yourself every day, and it's exhausting. Trying to prove yourself is exhausting. Every day, you're trying to be better so that you people think that you deserve to be there. I feel like I’m constantly trying to prove my worth in a space and prove my worth at a certain level in my career. It's so tiring, but it gives you a chip on your shoulder that you’ve got to be better every day. 

On a TV set, a man just turns up with the camera or whatnot. Historically, that's who looks like should have the job. They're assumed good until the rushes or the footage proves otherwise. Whereas, if a woman turns up, people wonder how they're gonna be. You already need to prove yourself until the footage says, no, actually they're good. Proving yourself every day is tiring. 

How important is a community in what you do?

“I think that seeking out community is part of our practice and also part of our survival.”

Laylah Amatullah Barrayn: Sometimes, when we're doing work, it’s very isolating. But who are the people that we can lean on, that we can counsel with, that are mentoring us, and we're mentoring too? Because I think that when we are in a community with people who are supporting us—reminding us of our unique perspective and our unique talents—those things are very fortified. So I think that seeking out community is part of our practice and also part of our survival.

“To support women, to be that friendly voice, to be that supportive voice.”

Angela Nicholson: That's one of the reasons why SheClicks exists. To support women, to be that friendly voice, to be that supportive voice. Also, if somebody says “I'm not sure what's wrong with this, or can I have some constructive criticism?” It's to give some helpful criticism before they destroy their soul in the process. 

Libby Penman: I was super stoked when you said that you started that organisation. I've been following this for years, and you started that. Being so prominently something I've known about, seen the hashtags and found other female photographers from it. 

Laylah Amatullah Barrayn: Isn't it inspiring to know that you can start your own institutions? You can start your own institutions. You can take charge of a piece of this industry, and start something that's going to grow and benefit so many people, and we need to remember that as well.

Have you ever noticed any internalised misogyny?

Jenny Alice: I've done it. Where I've worked on set and I've seen someone and I've been like: snap out of it, you know. It's really frustrating because we're so used to it being like a male thing. All this technology, these lenses and batteries, almost like a guy thing. And I do feel, even for myself, I'm like “You can't do that.”

Amy Moore: It's even in the language, right? You have to correct yourself, like ‘cameraman’. You always try and say ‘camera op’, but you do catch yourself—because it's a turn of phrase, more than anything else.

“All you've been educated on is male art, male photography … But I don't have to be a man. I'm a woman, and this is what I do.”

Violeta Sofia: When I was getting into photography, I used to just look at male photographers. For me to be good, I had to take pictures like them. But—I know this sounds bad—but I don't even need to take ‘good’ pictures. Because, to me, ‘good’ pictures mean that other people are going to accept my pictures. I just want to take the pictures that I want, and I want to be myself. I don't need to be a man to be good. That's the thing that I try to change all the time and just find my identity. All you've been educated on is male art, male photography. So that's what you have to look at, and that's where you want to become. But I don't have to be a man. I'm a woman, and this is what I do. 

“I've never been around as many women, filmmakers and photographers as I have in the last year … it's becoming normalised to see these other women.”

Libby Penman: We like what we know. I've never been around as many women, filmmakers and photographers as I have in the last year. Suddenly, I feel like I've noticed a shift in myself. When I'm working and on social media, I see loads of people out shooting and it's becoming normalised to see these other women. Even if it's not in my everyday life, like where I'm based in Scotland, there’s still a lack of women shooting in technical roles. But I've never been around it as much as I have now. There are loads of women camera ops shooting.

“I like to remind myself of the women who were at the foundation, adding to our art form.”

Laylah Amatullah Barrayn: When we talk about the ‘masters’ of photography, it's always the guys. The foundation of photography, the photographers that pioneered all of these different types of forms and genres—always men. I like to remind myself of the women who were at the foundation, adding to our art form. There were many of them, and I think it's important for us to understand that this is the ideology, and we need to push back on it. Anybody can hold these anti-women thoughts—men and women—and we have to challenge that within ourselves and when we encounter it in our work environments as well.

Which changes would you implement to accelerate equality? 

Libby Penman: I’d say that more awareness earlier on. But I think that is already happening. I've already seen a change in my career. And the fact I'm surrounded by badass women doing good things, and it's becoming so normalised. People younger than me are gonna have it even better, and then people younger than them gonna have it even better. So, I think awareness earlier on is what I would change—but I think that's already kind of happening. 

“More transparency on the books. Laws about pay, about work conditions.”

Laylah Amatullah Barrayn: I would say more transparency on the books. Laws about pay, about work conditions. Everything related to the jobs that we do so that we are safe, that we are compensated properly, and that we have those protections. 

“More women in marketing photographs … People who actually know how to hold the camera and how to operate it.”

Angela Nicholson: I'd like to see more women in marketing photographs. But for those to be photographers, not just models. People who actually know how to hold the camera and how to operate it. Being photographed, maybe out in the wild, not having been through hair and makeup. And making sure that it's 50:50.

Libby Penman: Real photos of people doing their jobs. And those people are just like women doing their jobs. 

“I only apply to competitions if I can see someone like me. That means they might be able to understand my story.”

Angela Nicholson: Another important area is photographic competitions. Having 50% women judges would make a big difference.

Violeta Sofia: I saw Angela represented in the judging panel of competitions. It’s so important. I only apply to competitions if I can see someone like me. That means they might be able to understand my story. A lot of the time, those are the competitions that I get or the kind of competitions that get back to me. 

Laylah Amatullah Barrayn: At least you're applying, because a lot of women don't.

Angela Nicholson: When people say “I don’t think my stuff is good enough”, I always say “Well, what have you got to lose?”

What role does positive action have in finding and nurturing talent? 

Libby Penman: It can be uncomfortable to talk about. We need to do something to make things better for people who might not typically get those jobs. It's not about giving a certain group an advantage, it's about recognising that there's a deficit. So, it's about just bringing things back up. This is not an advantage, because we need to accept that they're already a disadvantage. It's sometimes uncomfortable to think about these things, but that's not going to make it not true.

“It's not about giving a certain group an advantage, it's about recognising that there's a deficit.”

Angela Nicholson: If all the people making the decisions are the same, they’re continually going to pick the people they recognise as good because the way they recognise good is in a particular set. So they need to be pushed outside of their Venn diagram.

“You need to find talent, you can't just wait for talent to come to you.”

Violeta Sofia: You need to find talent, you can't just wait for talent to come to you. Or it's always the same talent. It's always from the same school, it's always your friend, your nephew. So you have to go and find those people, because they don't get the same opportunities, they don't have the same circles of opportunities, and you need to find those people. 

Laylah Amatullah Barrayn: Nowadays, especially with the advent of social media, you don't have to look that far. We are taking these initiatives into our own hands, with peer-to-peer organisations and collectives. Not only are these organisations presenting photographers ready to be hired, they’re presenting resources that we need in order to succeed as photographers. 

“It doesn't have to start with a camera.”

Jenny Alice: I think it also starts with educating the younger generation on what they can do. And I think it comes down to people's backgrounds. When I went and bought my first camera, it took me years to save up for it, and I was still in a lucky position to do that. I feel like sometimes we limit ourselves, thinking “I can only start once I get this camera”.

With the new generation of social media, you can become a filmmaker using your phone. And that can open so many other avenues. It doesn't have to start with a camera. Don’t get into debt buying a camera body, because you've also got the lenses, the batteries, the tripods, the microphones, the lights, there are so many things to go into it. MPB, they do second-hand as well. I buy a lot of my stuff secondhand, and it saves a lot of money. So, I think sometimes people's limitations aren't just “I'm a woman”, it's also “How the hell am I going to afford a camera and all of this other stuff?”

Amy Moore: Working with older kit is a really good point as well. You don't look at short films from 2005 and think “That’s rubbish”. That's not how it works. You can get, like the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. 

Jenny Alice: Someone who's really good at their job, they can make it look top-notch a lot of the time. It's not about the specs, it's about the storytelling, the composition, the sound design, the lighting. There are so many other aspects that go into it, rather than just a camera. I think we all get fixated on “We need to have the best and newest camera.” But, in fact, it's the story. The Sony A7 III was one of my first cameras, and people still use it to this day. It's an old camera, but it’s still a very good camera and it still holds its own. So I think sometimes we can get so fixated on the newest thing in this industry. There's always going to be a new camera, there's always going to be a new lens. Sorytelling gets overlooked a lot. 

What’s your favourite camera gear?

Libby Penman: At the minute, my favourite camera is the Sony A1. I love video and I love stills. And, man, this camera does both. I'm pretty buzzing on it.

Laylah Amatullah Barrayn: My favourite camera of all time is the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. It’s a workhorse. It has been with me around the world, in multiple countries and on multiple assignments, and it always delivers. The photographs are rich and beautiful and that camera is reliable.

Violeta Sofia: I’m gonna say the Canon EOS 5D Mark II as well. And it is because it was the first camera that I started using when I became a professional photographer. So I'm not a very technical person, but that camera means to me that change from not being a professional to being a professional. So I have a special love for it.

Angela Nicholson: It's unfair to ask a camera reviewer for their favourite camera(!) I just want to take elements from every camera around. But if I was going to have a day out with a camera in the city, I would probably go for the Fujifilm X100VI. I like the limitation of the fixed lens. Fantastic image quality, I love Fujifilm’s film simulation modes and great autofocus. What more do you need?

Jenny Alice: This is a really hard one. I always say you can't just pick one camera for one job. But the one that I use the most—and the absolute love of my life—is the Sony FX6. It’s my workhorse. Paired with the Sony FX3, I use the FX6 for the majority of my shoots. It’s an amazing camera. I can rely on it with my life and my soul. It's got all the great codecs. It's got 10-bit colour. Oh, it's just absolutely incredible. It's the best camera I've ever bought. But it's not the only camera that you can use. The camera you're going to use depends on the shoot. So I've got a gimbal, I’ll probably use an FX3, but for the majority of shoots, I take the FX6.

Amy Moore: Definitely the Canon EOS R5 for me. I just fell in love with it. I don't know why. I do hate the way it shifts between photo and video, which is solved on the Canon EOS R5 Mark II. My ‘first love’ camera is the Fujifilm X Pro 1. I bought everything for it, and I've never sold it, and I never will. It is beautiful, and it made me fall in love with photography. It's fantastic.

Violeta Sofia: For me, it's easier to look at lenses. I don't use too many cameras—I never look into Fujifilm and Canon and Nikon. But in terms of focal length, the 24-70mm, that’s my happiest moment.

Libby Penman: For me, 200-600mm. Amy Moore: 135mm, rogue answer. Laylah Amatullah Barrayn: 50mm f/1.2. Angela Nicholson: 24mm f/1.8. Jenny Alice: My first lens I bought was a 50mm, nifty fifty. I think it's a great, affordable lens. It's versatile. Sorted.

Which of your accomplishments made you the most proud? 

Violeta Sofia: Without realising, I ended up in a book at the National Portrait Gallery. I got home, I bought the book and I was like “Okay, this is such a big thing for me, for people that look like me.” Growing up, I couldn't see any female photographers, any Black women photographers, any African photographers. So, that was very touching.

“This is such a big thing for me, for people that look like me.”

Libby Penman: Honestly, I was quite proud that I do filmmaking full time. Every day. This is literally my job. I don't think I stop enough to think that I set out to do this, maybe against the odds, and this is what I do now, and I just love it. I find so much enjoyment in filmmaking and photography.

“I set out to do this, maybe against the odds, and this is what I do now, and I just love it.”

Amy Moore:  From a day-to-day point of view, I'm really proud that I don't ever bend to ‘sell’ cameras. I genuinely want to find the right camera for the right person, and that's a big part of why I make the content that I make. I hope that helps everyone and people who might become the people who are here at the table in the future.

Laylah Amatullah Barrayn: I'm proud that I'm still working as a photographer. I'm proud that I am at the level of my career that I'm teaching at the university level. But I’m most proud of the book I co-published, MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora, featuring 118 photographers from 27 different countries. And I'm very proud of that because preservation and archive are very important to me.

Angela Nicholson: I'm most proud of creating SheClicks. It’s a community of women who are all completely behind each other and who all support each other, they just get what it's about. It can get heated at times, but it's a bit like family: sometimes you can dislike somebody, but you still love them. They're still there. So, you know that they're always there, and we have such a great time. We've had exhibitions, we've done all sorts of things, and I'm very proud. 

“I'm really proud that I found my passion.”

Jenny Alice: I'm really proud that I found my passion. I know how rare that is, and I know that a lot of people spend their whole lives looking for it. I sometimes look back at like my younger self, and I just feel proud that I've grown and gone after what I've wanted. I’ve not succumbed to peer pressure and society's pressures, I feel like I felt I've stayed true to myself. I hope that the impact that we all have on this table today and move forward inspires other people. That's what makes me continue to work in the field and continue to want to inspire people. Once you start giving back and building that community, you become unstoppable. We've all built up our own communities, and it's so empowering. This has been better than therapy. It’s rare that you get the chance to actually speak about your own experiences with other women.

Amy Moore: Well, women make up 50% of the population. So, let's hope in the future that we can see 50% of women in this industry.

About the panel

About MPB

MPB is the first camera reseller to publish annual impact reports on the progress we are making in relation to our sustainability commitments, which are focused on circularity, inclusion and diversity, and maintaining trust with our customers and stakeholders. In FY24, MPB’s global workforce was 49.7% male, 40.5% female and 9.8% identifying as non-binary, gender-fluid or other (compared to 57.5%/35.5%/7% in FY23). Our leadership is 57% female, and MPB has been recognised as one of the UK’s Top 10 Women-Powered Companies.

Globally, on a median basis, our gender pay gap is zero, showing no hourly pay disparity between males and females. The mean gender pay gap—as a percentage difference between male and female average hourly pay—is 10.3%, weighted towards female employees.

At MPB, we are committed to opening up the world of visual storytelling in a way that’s good for people and the planet. In FY24, we sponsored 143 events, awards, platforms or individuals that promote access, inclusion or environmental stewardship in visual storytelling. This financial support has a total equivalent GBP value of £1,432,590. 

Learn more about MPB Impact and read our latest Impact reports.

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