I came across this photographer as she was featured by the Association of Photographers (AOP) (Yeomans, 2020).  In her profile on the AOP site she says “I’m on a mission to help women be seen, it makes my creative heartbeat. I search for alternative representations of femininity through photography to discover the strength and depth of its capacity.” (ibid.).

It was this intent that made me pick the series Goal Diggers FC to look at. I wanted to see if her intent is achieved.

In Fig. 1 we see a female sports player, at least that is what I make up, with her top half off, I hasten to add that the shot is taken in such a way that nothing is exposed that shouldn’t be, this is not a sexualised or provocative image.  For me this pose covers a lot of ground.  First off, it is obvious from the sportswear that the subject is a sports player.  We can also see from the subject’s face, and the sports underwear, that this is a woman.   But, an image of a player taking off their top is much more associated with a male player and therefore the image draws a big parallel with a male sports player.  I personally feel that this makes a statement, that male and female sports players are equal in status.  This is further reinforced by the look of determination on the player’s face, this is the look of a player that is focused and resolute.  Again, there is no reason why this should not be the look of a female player, but it is a set of descriptors that is more stereotypically associated with a male player.  I think that this picture is a success, and I think that because all of the features I have described look perfectly natural, meaning that they don’t look contrived to make a point.  The image looks like it is candid but may be posed, we don’t know. 

In Fig. 2 we see more players in the team.  I chose this shot because I have been discussing with my tutor the idea to make my shots more dynamic.  This shot is taken very low to the ground, and directly into the sun. The framing of the image puts the emphasis onto the muddy legs and boots of the players, but with a female player clearly shown in the background to allow the viewer to see that this is a women’s team.  I think this shot works because I am drawn to the gritty, muddy, real life aspect of the football game, not some idealised picture-perfect setup.  Again, I feel that this draws a big parallel with the male game and makes the point that the female game is just as tough.  It is also a very dynamic and unusual way to frame the image.  Given that the shot is taken directly into sunlight, but the players are not in silhouette, there must have been some very bright lighting to achieve the exposure in this shot. 

Lastly, in Fig. 3, we see a group of the players talking to each other in a group.  There is a lot more femininity apparent in this image.  Tough faces are replaced with smiling faces and the woman in the centre, who is the only person directly facing the camera and therefore the main subject, is standing in a pose that a woman would adopt much more commonly than a man.  I think that this image sits in contrast with Fig 1 and 2 but I do not think that it detracts from them, if anything it adds to them.  This image shows the players in the femininity and makes the viewer realise that these women can be tough, strong, determined and feminine all at the same time. It is a powerful combination of traits. 

My Learning

• Shot composition – If I had been asked to capture images of a female football team, I think I might have either captured them playing, or standing posed in a dead-pan like style.  What this collection shows is that a variety of shots enhances the overall collection
• Symbology – adopting poses or symbols from one group of people and showing them adopted by a different group can emphasise the traits in both.

Bibliography

Yeomans, K., 2020. Profile. [online] The-aop.org. Available at: <https://www.the-aop.org/find/photographers/profile/9762/karen–yeomans> [Accessed 7 June 2020].

Figures

Figure 1. Yeomans, K., n.d. Goal Diggers FC #1. [image] Available at: <https://www.the-aop.org/find/photographers/profile/9762/karen–yeomans> [Accessed 7 June 2020].

Figure 2. Yeomans, K., n.d. Goal Diggers FC #1. [image] Available at: <https://www.the-aop.org/find/photographers/profile/9762/karen–yeomans> [Accessed 7 June 2020].

Figure 3. Yeomans, K., n.d. Goal Diggers FC #1. [image] Available at: <https://www.the-aop.org/find/photographers/profile/9762/karen–yeomans> [Accessed 7 June 2020].