The all-female photography community, SheClicks, will be returning to The Photography Show in 2021. The SheClicks Facebook group and website welcomes women from all photographic backgrounds, from novices to pros, encouraging them to create and share images.
Becoming a member of SheClicks is free and allows you access to the members-only area of the website. Once you're a member, you can access free webinars, get discounts exclusive to SheClicks members and keep up with upcoming events and meet-ups. This year, SheClicks will also have its own stand at The Photography Show where women will be able to find out more information about the group.
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Founded by Angela Nicholson in 2018, SheClicks has grown into a community of more than 10,000 female photographers in just three years. Angela told us, “Because of all the people I knew in the industry, I thought we’d get to 300 members in about six to eight weeks but we actually did it in 24 hours which is pretty astonishing.” Less than a month after launch, membership had reached 1000 and Angela’s plans to start female-led webinars were brought forward.
The webinars are designed to give women a safe place to learn, ask questions and build confidence. They are presented by female photographers or females working in the industry. Angela thinks that “it’s really important that young girls see photography, or any career, as a possibility for them. If they only ever seeing guys doing it, how do they know to put themselves in that place, which is so why it’s so important we have women presenting as well as listening to the webinars.”
Angela has a long-standing history with photography, having previously been the technical editor for Amateur Photographer magazine and the Head of Testing for Future Publishing’s photography magazine portfolio including Digital Camera and PhotoPlus. During her time as an editor she noticed that women often didn’t feature heavily in the magazine.
“I was aware of lots of women who were into photography and taking photographs but not necessarily featuring in the magazines. I didn’t think it was deliberate sexism it was more to do with editorial staff being under pressure or women not knowing how to approach a magazine. It started from the desire to get women's work seen more widely, as I knew lots of women who ran workshops but they were only known locally."
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Since starting the group, SheClicks has become more than just a platform for inspiring female photographers. It has blossomed into a community where friendships are formed and lasting relationships are made. During lockdown, SheClicks also provided a support system that helped with people’s mental health and wellbeing through virtual coffee mornings and weekly webinars.
Angela told us about one woman “who came all the way to RHS Wisley, Surrey from Somerset. She had to get up at something stupid like 4am, but the next time we put an event on, she had made friends with someone through SheClicks and ended up staying at their house so I think it’s a very powerful thing.”
This year SheClicks will have its own stand at The Photography Show where people can sign up to become a member or meet other members in person. SheClicks also has a space in the gallery where it will be displaying photographs taken by female photographers.
The speed at which the SheClicks community has grown shows that there is clearly a demand for female–focused photographic groups. Angela insists, “it’s [SheClicks] not about excluding men, it’s about encouraging women to create in an environment where they feel comfortable.”
If you’re interested in becoming a SheClicks member, sign up for free on the website to access free biweekly webinars, exclusive discounts and virtual coffee mornings with like-minded women. You can also find the SheClicks at Stand N602 at The Photography Show.
Get your TPS 2021 ticket
Tickets for The Photography Show 2021 are available now, with free passes available for professionals (who make the majority of their income from photography or videography).
Free passes are also available for students on Tuesday 21 September, to support the next generation of imagers and make sure they can take advantage of everything the event has to offer.
• Book your ticket to The Photography Show
If you purchased tickets for the 2020 show, you will receive a replacement ticket for this year's event at no extra cost. You should have received an email regarding this in June, but if not you can get your ticket reissued here.
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