A Glimpse Into Womanhood With The 38th AAP Magazine Photography Awards (25 Pics)

"This photo was taken at Bajau Sea Gypsies Village, which is located in the Semporna Island district of Sabah, Malaysia. The Bajau, often known as the Sea Gypsies people or Sea Nomads are a semi Nomadic ethnic group. They lived on houseboats or stilt houses near coastal areas, making a living through fishing and other maritime activities."

"While traveling the very narrow road that leads to the remote valley of the Kalash, the enigmatic elegance of these people who live isolated on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is revealed to us. You immerse yourself in a rural world in a real enclave where animist traditions and beliefs intertwine with the charm of a forgotten lifestyle. Like a guardian of memory, this old woman has always lived in her land dug by mountain rivers. Her eyes and her expression tell us a story that enchants and fascinates, written and carved on her face by the years, events and long winters."

"Coming from both Dutch and Indonesian roots, I feel I never really ‘fit in’ because my blood has different cultures. Living in a yurt, intertwined with all the Elements, me and my children are rooting into the clay in Oosterwold. It is fascinating how connected I feel with this special place."

"From an early age, we are looking for confirmation of our own existence. Therefore, we try to fit into the canons of beauty, promoted standards, preferences, and values ​​- interestingly, so different for different eras. Today's canons of beauty in the Baroque period would have been a reason for exclusion, and interestingly, they may be a reason for exclusion today, but in non-European cultures. Chasing what the media dictates, we forget who we really are. It's like we need a mirror to look at ourselves in, but the trap is that the mirror often turns out to be a crooked mirror. Therefore, the more we try to be someone else than we are, to squeeze into an alien body, the more we feel a sense of inadequacy. Paradoxically, efforts that are supposed to bring us closer to others distance us from them and deepen our sense of loneliness. However, there comes a moment - not for everyone, but for those who are ready for it - when you discover that the quality of your life is fully correlated with the truth you carry within you. And then it will be possible to find the fullest, happiest, and truest version of yourself. It doesn't matter what era we were born in, it doesn't matter what others say."

"Elderly women are so often overlooked as portrait subjects. What many see as outward signs of aging -- lines, wrinkles, and other infirmities -- I see as character, wisdom, dignity, experience, and humanity. When I approach elderly subjects to introduce myself and to ask for the opportunity to make their portrait, I'm often met with surprise: Why would you want to photograph me? Just one look at these amazing faces, and you know the answer!"

"I took this portrait of a woman while traveling in the Armenian countryside, proud and hardworking people live here. This elderly woman fascinated me with her life and amazing vitality. There was nobility and reconciliation in her eyes. Look also into an old woman's eyes and you will see peace and serenity."

"The Rejang Dance, meaning offering is Bali's most beautiful and holiest sacrificial dance to entertain the visiting ancestral gods and spirits and to bestow protection and prosperity on earth. For generations, this tradition has been passed down and practiced every six months in hopes of continuing for many years."

"Escaramuza is the sport of all-female precision horse riding teams that execute meticulous maneuvers while riding sidesaddle at high speed and wearing traditional Mexican attire. Through photographic portraiture, poetry, and in-depth interviews, Escaramuza, the Poetics of Home considers how the escaramuza tradition persists in the present-day United States, what it means for the identity of its Mexican and Mexican-American female practitioners, and how it fosters a profound sense of belonging. This work explores the roles of family, immigration, and gender dynamics within escaramuza and Charrería culture in the US, drawing historical parallels to the soldaderas who fought in the Mexican Revolution and are the inspiration for the creation of the escaramuza tradition. It is a collaboration between Photographer Constance Jaeggi and poets Ire’ne Lara Silva, 2023 Texas State Poet laureate, and Angelina Sáenz, award-winning educator and poet and UCLA writing project fellow."

"In a distant Ethiopian village without electricity, life unfolds under the natural light that guides daily activities, emphasizing a culture where life, work, and socializing predominantly occur between sunrise and sunset. Early in the morning, we shared breakfast with a local family. I was captivated by how the light entering the hut through a distinctive opening to the outside world illuminated the face of this beautiful Ethiopian woman."

"Tais-toi et sois belle. For people with vaginas, orgasms commonly come from the clitoris, and generally not from penetration alone. Female Genital Mutilation: the most severe - infibulation - is the removal of the clitoris and parts of the external genitalia, followed by stitching together of what remains. Aljohara's ongoing project /ˈsʌɪlənst/ boldly confronts the deafening silence surrounding Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) through her distinctive form of visual storytelling. The title, phonetically representing the word silenced (Oxford English Dictionary), serves as a poignant symbol of the silenced narratives she aims to unveil. With deliberate intent, Aljohara endeavors to challenge societal taboos, shedding light on the veiled struggles of FGM and inciting crucial dialogue through the powerful medium of visual art.

(Tais-toi et sois belle is a French expression, and is disrespectful and demeaning, particularly used towards women. Translated to English, it means Shut up and be beautiful.)"

"My project was to travel to Mexico and South America to photograph the beauty, strength, and perseverance of the woman who where kind and openhearted and allowed me to photograph them as they went about their daily lives."

"During a trip to report with an NGO of Spanish doctors to perform different operations in the northern area of Togo (Africa), I found this mother lying on the floor in a maternity clinic breastfeeding her little son in the town of Nadjundi and I was impressed by the strength and dignity of his gaze as well as his tranquility, so I decided to include this image in the final selection of the report."

"The series was created to highlight a Montréal dancer and choreographer named Kaia who kindly accepted to participate in a creative photoshoot. I find the inherent paradox related to capturing movement in photography (especially the art of dancing) very interesting. As the shoot went on, I started getting interested in the down time between Kaia’s dancing and used those moments to create a quiet and introspective atmosphere."

"The World Away is a photographic project with a cinematic style oriented towards the science fiction genre. Through a succession of images in sequence, we want to visually tell the story of our main character who, for some reason, finds himself catapulted to Earth, deserted, inhospitable, and hostile. He has a very specific purpose, which is to find a source of lost energy, contained in a casket that centuries earlier had been sent to Earth so that the inhabitants could benefit and use it not only as a source of energy, in fact, but as a source of aggregation and kindness towards others. Unfortunately, humans have not been able to use this energy given to them by another distant world. Our protagonist will therefore necessarily have to find her to go home and save his world. At first, he finds himself disoriented, desperate, and above all he feels alone. Luckily he manages to find the chest, put on the energy source, and finally return home to save his people and who he truly loves."

"In my photographic project on Kai's birth, I had the privilege of documenting a mother practicing hypnobirthing, a technique using relaxation and calming methods to manage labor pain. Her serenity during childbirth, accompanied by classical music and movements in harmony with it, deeply impressed me. This journey underscored the essence of birthing freedom, showcasing the spectrum of birthing methods. It reaffirmed my belief in every woman's right to choose her path to childbirth, advocating for a world where birthing practices are diverse, respected, and free from judgment, emphasizing the empowering nature of informed choice in childbirth."

"I'm passionate about creating portraits of individuals who deeply resonate with me, regardless of their background or label. What matters most is the personal connection I share with them and the mutual willingness to truly connect. Whether it's an actor or dancer captivating me on stage, a homeless person I encounter on the street, or someone with whom I share an unexpectedly inspiring conversation, I seek to capture their essence away from their usual surroundings. Inviting them into my studio allows me to focus solely on the individual, stripping away external distractions.

In my portraits, I strive to capture honesty and vulnerability. I believe that embracing vulnerability not only enhances our humanity but also fosters kindness and empathy in our world. When people reveal their vulnerabilities, it creates a space for others to do the same, fostering deeper connections and understanding.

What truly fascinates me is capturing the dichotomy of opposing qualities within a person simultaneously. It's in these moments of complexity and depth that the true essence of humanity shines through.

This endeavor excites me because people are inherently complex. I hope that through my portraits, viewers can find something within themselves that resonates with the essence of the subject, sparking a deeper connection and understanding of the human experience."

"Amid the sea of blonde bombshells, you were singularly lost in the crowd, but as a group, you became part of the spectacle. More than just a fundraiser, the Marilyn Swim is a celebration of self, fearless and bold, just like the icon herself."

"'As with many days, Betty begins her day by cleaning the house. She takes a cigarette break and gets lost in her thoughts.'

Alarm Call started with the book by Betty Friedan 'The feminine mystique' written in 1963, describing the assumptions that women would be fulfilled by their housework, marriage, sexual lives, and children. But as we know now, there is no “one size fits all” destiny for women, and Friedan wanted to prove that women were unsatisfied and could not voice their feelings. Today, despite progress, gender equality remains elusive, underscoring the continued relevance of Friedan's message. There's still much work to be done to dismantle the chains of social expectations and expand the possibilities of what women can achieve.

Part of my body of work The Other, my series champions the empowerment of women, envisioning a liberated future that fosters genuine self-expression and acceptance, free from outdated societal expectations. Emancipation of the self, challenging norms and reimagining futures."

"INTERCULTURAL is a conceptually rigorous, painstakingly detailed portfolio exploring conventions of ethnographic perceptions through a series of costumed self-portraiture featuring Raj arrayed in the traditional authentic finery of various regions and nations — India, Pakistan, Japan, Thailand, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Eritrea, Morocco, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Armenia, Mexico, Hawaii, First Nation, and North America. Her own cross-border heritage and intercontinental family history first inspired her to embark on this serial self-transformation, in which her inviting countenance is revealed

as ethnically morphic as she successively embodies both the epitome and increasing obsolescence of race-based constructs of identity. The larger-than-life scale and the perfect regularity of Raj’s serene gaze and relaxed but formal front-facing pose create a clean, almost classical structure within which comparisons are encouraged, as both differences and similarities are celebrated equally, and attention to detail moves the story forward. In these images, audiences see the artist more deeply and inevitably come to see themselves as well.

'The intention of INTERCULTURAL is to enlighten cultural ideologies, initiate respect for diversity and unify humanity for a peaceful coexistence worldwide'."

"'The Garden of Maggie Victoria' explores memory and female representation through the story of my great-grandmother, forgotten within my family after her premature death in England in 1943. The series integrates rediscovered family archives with my own contemporary images to create collages reviving my ancestor’s legacy. In this featured image, my great-grandmother is pictured in the mid-1920s blowing bubbles with two of her three children. Fondest Love From Mother was how Maggie Victoria signed letters to her eldest daughter. The new bubbles were captured on a hot summer afternoon in our Vancouver garden. I incorporated elements of sky and land to convey the transfer of affection down the generations and across continents."

"In the series, 'Anonymous Women: Domestic Demise,' I am using humor, color, and consumerism as my pallette to construct various home scenes that feature a lone woman, often camouflaged in her interior. In each photograph, she is either overwhelmed by or lost in her perfect life.

My photographs are metaphors for the interior lives of women; how we substitute everyday objects, activities, and artifice and turn them into self-identity. The imaginary worlds are created in the studio for the camera, as a critique and satire of domestic perfection, an impossible, frustrating and endless endeavor."

"The series 'Hidden Forest' explores the relationship between the artist, the audience, and the gaze. I investigate photographic looking as a way to understand identity, family secrets, and love. Art is a way to make sense of disorder and reveal truths."

"I see traits of my own femininity in nature. Bonds that interweave us. A preference for simple attire and minimal expression of adornment, for softly spoken words and textures that slow down the gaze. From the subtle to the extreme, like an invitation to sharpen the senses. Above all, I am moved by a shared courage: the daring to show ourselves vulnerable. Understanding vulnerability as the only genuine way to connect with others and to authentically unfold. Thus understood, our vulnerability is, in fact, our greatest strength. In this series of diptychs, I capture and share those traits that interweave us."

"In response to my parents’ deaths, I created the series Memory Building. To construct these images, I physically projected my family’s vernacular photographs onto the surfaces of my childhood home, in the same locations where they were originally made, and rephotographed the scene. By fusing photos from the past onto the present-day walls, I unearthed six decades of engrained memories and captured my family’s vanishing presence that once permeated our mid-century suburban home—the container for so much of my personal history. The photo of Christening Day shows my mother holding me as an infant; as I grew up, the background sconces remained affixed to the wall behind us."

"I love motion!

The late 19th-century human locomotion photographic experiments of Etienne Jules-Marey, Eadweard Muybridge, and others inspired me to start experimenting with the moving film stroboscopy technique of shooting motion on film.
My new series of reimagined Time/Motion Study Multiples combines the old (analog) with the new (digital) spanning three centuries of photographic exploration.
The first time I shot the photos with black and white film and printed panoramic images. Now I am collaging and layering those earlier analog images in the digital world, creating new works of art.
Through my photographs, I examine the idea of motion and reality and seeing the unseen: what exists and yet cannot be perceived by the naked eye."