The female gaze is an act of redefining reality through the way we look at it.
Today we created PhotoVogue Female Gaze, a new series focused on female photographers and their works.
Biel has the ability to cherish them and their physiques sculpted in massive muscles with powerful, theatrical images.
We discussed with her about the project, its process and its feminist outcomes.
And so it took a lot of searching and messaging people.
I did a lot of searching on Craigslist and Instagram.
Kate Biel photographed by Ana Margarita Flores
And what are the things that you didn’t expect to see and find in these women?
Yeah, I mean, I didn’t expect the daily ritual of being a female bodybuilder.
You have to eat very specific foods every two hours, I think, or even less.
Otherwise, you’ll faint because having that much muscle on your body requires so much energy.
I really respected the dedication to this lifestyle.
I could not do that, to remind myself to eat every two hours just to maintain my physique.
Jessica With Lev, 2021
But they were so emboldened and empowered by their physique that they truly believe it’s worth it.
And I think we forgot that being a woman is not being fragile and helpless.
It’s the exact opposite.
Leana With a Pug, 2021
It was a nice reminder that being feminine is actually being intensely strong.
And these women know that.
And I think that in this society, we see pain as a negative thing.
Kynlee in the Garden, 2022
And I think I will always stand by this, that pain is the best teacher.
These women lean into pain by going into intense, intense workouts.
Their bodies are exhausted.
They’re always pushing their body to the limit.
They lean into pain.
They don’t run away from it, they don’t deny it.
Jessica With Flowers, 2021
And women understand pain, having periods, and giving birth, for example.
And I think female bodybuilders show that pain is good, you know… no pain, no gain!
It started in 2019 and ended in 2023, right?
Leana’s Bow, 2021
How would you wrapped it up in three words?
Yes, my last shoot was in January 2023.
I think the three words that would describe it are defiant, revolutionary, and erotic.
But at the same time, they avoid the male gaze.
So, how did you find your own way, your personal female way to portray these women?
Of course, exactly.
And so, yes, women can have a male gaze, and men can have a feminine gaze.
And regardless, I wanted to have a more female gaze.
And I didn’t want anything to feel exploited.
This had to be about honouring these people and shedding light on them.
Kynlee in the Garden, 2022
Yeah.
And how was the reaction of the public?
Was it what you expected?
I was sure that he would have loved them.
And it hurt me in a way that I never been hurt before.
It was a huge wake up call.
So at first, no one liked them.
Then magazines started liking them, then the general public started liking them.
So I kept doing it as sort of defiant act against that one guy.
Just to reiterate, I would never call these women grotesque.
I find them beautiful, but other men would have said that to me before.
And these monsters are these women that are shaking the system like Medusa.
They’re terrifying and change things up: men, or at least the patriarchy, finds that terrifying.
So they label them as female monsters, you know?
This makes men feel afraid of their own masculinity, so they’re going to shame it.
This is very interesting.
Did you see changes even in the public opinion?
Yeah, I think I my respect just built for them.
As a global community of artists, I think we all become attracted to the same things.
So, how did you start this profession?
And what are the challenges you experienced as a woman in this field?
I knew I had that skill set, and everyone’s looking for photographers to take headshots in LA.
I think that I have to work 10 times harder as a female photographer to be taken seriously.
And that’s okay.
Jessica With Flowers, 2021
Have you ever felt aware of being a woman, of your diversity?
Were there times that you felt that your gender was somehow a limit or the first thing seen?
And how did you make a run at change this thing?
Yeah, I mean, I learned very quickly that lesson.
Through college, in the summers, I would work in big photo studio equipment rooms.
I was this small girl working with this equipment along other men.
Part of our responsibilities was to bring all this heavy equipment from the studio into the equipment room.
It was heavy, but that just made me want to lift it harder, you know?
And, but men really bullied me in that equipment room.
And they really wanted to make me feel like I didn’t belong there.
It was like a boys club and I had to be older sister.
And eventually they did.
you’ve got the option to’t get confidence from other people.
You get it from yourself and to showing people that you’re not going to be taken down easily.
And to conclude, what tips would you give to a young girl who desires to become a photographer?
I would give a lot of tips, but first I would say: say yes to everything.
Never say no, unless obviously it doesn’t feel safe, but always say yes.
And I described this one photographer.
And then they asked me: so what did they do to get there?
They just did it.
