13 women photographers to follow to celebrate Women’s History Month

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, it’s a fitting time to celebrate the incredible contributions of women in photography. Despite gains, women still face significant underrepresentation and inequality in the photography industry. A study by Women Photograph found that in 2023, only 21.5% of front-page images in major newspapers were taken by women. Euro News reported in 2022 that only 15% of professional photographers worldwide are women, even though roughly three-quarters of photography students are women.

We’ve rounded up some outstanding women photographers worth following on Instagram (and beyond). There are, however, countless more, so feel free to share your favorite women photographers in the comments as well.

Lynsey Addario

Lynsey Addario is a renowned photojournalist whose work has been published in prominent publications like The New York Times, National Geographic, and Time. She documents conflicts, humanitarian crises and women’s issues around the Middle East and Africa, highlighting the human elements of war and crisis. She wrote a New York Times Bestselling memoir in 2025 and has received numerous awards, including a MacArthur fellowship and two Emmy nominations. She was also part of the New York Times team to win a Pulitzer prize for overseas reporting from Afghanistan and Pakistan and holds three Honorary Doctorate Degrees.

Patience Zalanga

Patience Zalanga is a freelance photographer from Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Her work is documentary in style, and, for the past six years, primarily focuses on capturing social movements across the United States. Zalanga’s images have been featured in Time, The New York Times, NPR, Buzzfeed News and more.

Luisa Dörr

Luisa Dörr is a Brazilian photographer known for her powerful portraiture and storytelling, which often focuses on themes of femininity, cultural identity and resilience. She has been widely published in outlets such as Time, National Geographic and The New York Times. Additionally, she has received international recognition for her Firsts project with Time magazine, where she photographed 46 trailblazing women and has received numerous awards, including a World Press Photo Award for her series on Falleras.

Cassy Athena

Cassy Athena is a Los Angeles, California-based photographer renowned for her sports photography, specifically with the NBA. She has captured candid and personal moments of some of the NBA’s biggest stars, including LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. Her work has been featured in Sports Illustrated, Slam Magazine and Billboard, and she is also a Getty Images contributor. Athena has also collaborated with brands like Nike, Under Armour and Jordan Brand.

Kim Powell

Kim Powell is an architectural photographer based in Greece. She, along with her partner, Thomas, captures a variety of projects, working with architects, interior designers and home builders. Her imagery is clean and fresh, highlighting the unique characteristics of each space.

Tawni Bannister

Tawni Bannister is a photographer and director based in Los Angeles and New York. She works across various genres, including commercial, editorial and fashion. Her photographs blend elements of fine art and documentary photography, embracing color and texture to showcase personality. Bannister’s images have been featured in publications like Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and The New York Times, and she has worked with Allbirds, Allure, Athleta, Climique, J.Crew, Samsung and more.

Jamie Beck

Jamie Beck is an American photographer, visual artist and author who is currently living and working in Provence, France. She is known for her romantic and expressive style, drawing inspiration from classical art and nature. Her floral still-life images and self-portraits are reminiscent of classical paintings, with rich texture and dramatic light. Beck’s photographs have been featured in Vogue, The New York Times, Fobes, Travel + Leisure and more. She, along with her husband, Kevin Burg, created the Cinemagraph, a hybrid of photography and video.

Emily Maye

Emily Maye is a photographer and film director known for her narrative-driven approach to capturing athletes. Her images show the humanity behind the athletes’ discipline, focusing on intimate, behind-the-scenes moments rather than traditional action shots. She has photographed Serena Williams, Usain Bolt, Jayson Tatum, Steve Nash and more and has collaborated with Nike, Adidas, Lululemon, Rapha, The North Face, Gatorade and Puma.

Cig Harvey

Cig Harvey is a fine art photographer, writer and educator. Her imagery is deeply personal and evocative, exploring themes of nature, family, belonging and the passage of time. She is known for her rich use of color and natural light, capturing the magic in the mundane with a dreamlike quality. Harvey has exhibited her work internationally and received numerous awards.

Alison Arena

Alison Arena is a professional photographer and founder of Ignite Media, a full-service agency. Much of her work is centered around motorsports, creating photographs and videos for clients such as Mazda, Red Bull, Ferrari NA and Wired. She travels around the country to capture IMSA events, the Spec Miata Series, the 24 Hours of Daytona and more.

Emily Howe

Emily Howe is a Brooklyn-based photographer and award-winning creative. Her photographs span multiple genres, including portraiture, travel and street photography, all with a focus on storytelling. Her work has been featured in Time, NY Mag, Refinery29, Google and Netflix.

Jasmine Quiñones

Jasmine Quiñones is a Texas-based filmmaker and director. She crafts commercial and narrative film projects with a gritty, documentary-based style. Quiñones often combines sports and urban lifestyle into her projects and has worked with various clients, including Fujifilm, Nike, Ladder and more.

Mykim Dang

Mykim Dang is a media producer and full stack creator who works across mediums. She is currently the Director of Video and Voices here at Gear Patrol and DPReview, crafting much of the video content that you see on the site and our social media channels. Beyond her video work, she also takes spectacular photos with an eye for storytelling.

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