I was having a chat today with both a man and a woman, who came to talk to me about my experiences of being a photographer. We talked about my work but then, as it sometimes does with me, the chat turned to some of the issues I’ve faced as a female photographer.

This includes struggling to find kit or clothing made for female wildlife photographers, not men stronger and taller than me.

Feeling unsafe doing night photography, after a scary experience with a man up a fell after dark.

Feeling unsafe doing street photography, after an experience of being hassled by a group of drunk men in the city.

Female photographers being massively under-represented in galleries, yet 85% of the images of nudes being shown in galleries being of females.

The majority of Camera Club judges being male and not understanding creative photographs which are mainly story based. The critique of this image, for example, done in solidarity with the women of the #MeToo campaign, was that “you’ve spoiled what would have been a pretty portrait by sewing her lips together”. This very personal picture depicts my experiences as a child sexual abuse survivor, something I didn’t feel able to talk about until I was in my 50s, and my decades of being sexually harassed by men.

It all got a bit much for the man who said “I can’t listen to this any more” and left without even saying goodbye.

Unfortunately for women, we don’t have the luxury of walking away from our lives or experiences.