Female Nation:
Discover the cultures of the world through the eyes of women and their stories
The origins of the project
I’ve been lucky enough to travel for the past few years. I used to collect photos like a Pokémon trainer collects Pokémon in their Pokédex. I’d rush around trying to see as much as possible in the shortest time.
Then I flew to Australia with a stopover in Bali. My trip to Australia had a profound impact on me and changed me…
I slowed down, I took the time to live in the moment, to connect with others and with nature, and above all to reconnect with myself. I took time for photography and to explore this passion. And I discovered Aboriginal culture – a rich culture that, to my eyes, is rather overlooked. I wanted to highlight it through my camera
But the weight of history (hello British colonists), traditions, and my own ignorance (for Aboriginal people, photos capture the soul, so they’re quite reluctant to be photographed) meant I put this project on the back burner
But I’d planted a seed…
I knew I was onto something, I just didn’t know what yet…
And then one day it all became crystal clear!
What if I showcased the world’s cultures through the eyes of women and their stories?!
Female Nation was born!
What?
Why women?
Haven’t you noticed that we live in a world imagined, built and run by white men? Really?!
Yes, I’m being provocative with that statement, and I stand by it.
I firmly believe that men and women should fight together against patriarchy. No one is superior to anyone else. We all have strengths and weaknesses; let’s pool them so we can move forward together and build a safer, more equal world for everyone.
Female Nation is a safe space where women can share their stories with us
The birth of the podcast
Why a podcast?
I like people, and people feel at ease with me; they open up easily and spontaneously without me having to ask them anything. It’s been like that for as long as I can remember. For me, listening comes naturally. It’s a quality I’ve always had and one I developed extensively when I was an interface designer. Interviewing people was an integral part of my job.
With this format, I also wanted to take the time to connect with the other person in order to give meaning to what I was doing. I didn’t just want to take portraits of women. I wanted to tell stories, inspire and share. So it was only natural that I started with that.
But the technical side scared me and held me back for a while! Until I spoke to Mel, a friend (she also has a podcast)
She helped me demystify the technical side (yes, I’m choosing my words carefully!). And in the end, it’s far less complicated than I thought!
For recording: the voice recorder app on my phone or my computer, and that’s it!
I invested in a lavalier mic to improve the sound (and for the style, I must admit)
For post-production: a jingle, an intro for each episode and an outro, lots of time, patience, listening, re-listening and editing software (hello GarageBand). Once finished, I upload it to RedCircle
And that’s it!
I started by creating the podcast, followed by the women’s portraits
These two formats complement one another with a shared aim: to create a safe space for women from all over the world to share their stories with us, tell us about their culture and the role of women within it, as well as how this role has evolved over time.
Portraits: the natural next step
The natural next step for this podcast is, of course, portraits of women and photojournalism.
These visual formats add a visual dimension to this project; they showcase the women I meet who are happy to pose for me. Through this medium, I can fully express my creativity, and the project really comes into its own!
As with the podcast, I first had to overcome an obstacle: the technical side (yes, that again^^).
Up until now, I’d been shooting on instinct (whilst drawing on my design knowledge – 10 years in design certainly helps).
But for the portraits, I needed more. I trained myself and finally learnt the technical skills I’d been ignoring for almost my entire life, haha).
And I practised a lot.
Here’s the result
