The playing field is far from level for female content creators, but one thing women in the industry do have is community. Supportive female-focused communities that pair camaraderie with career-building tools abound in the creative industry. They provide inspiration, ideas, and deep friendships — and today, we’re highlighting some of our favorites.
Here are 15 communities for female content creators, specifically in photography and videography. If you don’t see your niche on here, rest assured there’s probably a group out there for you. Just Google your interest area to see the opportunities just waiting for you.
Film Fatales
The nonprofit Film Fatales offers an inclusive community where female content creators in the film and TV industry can share resources, collaborate on upcoming projects, and navigate the challenging world of film work, with lessons from those who’ve been there before. Film Fatales’ members include more than 500 female directors in LA and NYC, with hundreds more across the U.S. The group runs numerous in-person and online events. You can keep an eye on their happenings, or learn how to join, on their website.
Women Street Photographers
The online and in-person Women Street Photographers community was founded in 2017 as a platform to amplify artists from all races, ethnicities, creeds, abilities, generations, and sexual and gender identities. The group helps aspiring and seasoned street photographers learn from each other with numerous opportunities to exhibit their work.
Wanderful
The Wanderful community started as a way for female travelers to connect and inspire each other to travel better. In recent years, it’s evolved into numerous off-shoot subgroups. This includes the Wanderful Creators network, which is a collective that helps travel bloggers and influencers share their tips and lessons. This is with the goal of centering voices who are too often erased from the dominant narrative. In addition to community and education curriculum, Wanderful runs local chapter get-togethers and annual events, like Wanderfest.
Black Female Photographers
The Black Female Photographers community is a collective of women who share their intel with fellow females in the industry. The group’s open to all sorts of photography niches, including consumer, retail, fine art, and photojournalism. They have local chapters across the country, from California to South Carolina and New Jersey to Michigan, with an annual conference as well.
Women Photojournalists of Washington
Women Photojournalists of Washington does more than bring 350+ female photojournalists together via happy hours and programming. It works to educate the public about the important role women play in the photojournalism industry. It also wants to inspire emerging and seasoned female photographers and videographers in the journalism industry. The group offers free membership, and runs regular workshops and meetups in Washington, D.C. WPOW also hosts special programming at U.S. universities to support young female content creators embarking on this tough-to-navigate career path.
Women in Media
What started out as a simple female networking group blossomed into the renowned Women in Media, a nonprofit that’s pushing for equality across the media industry. Their goal is simple: women should make up at least 40 to 60 percent of every crew, department, and show. WIM is charging toward this goal through networking events and its #WiMCrewList, an online database for studios and indies to hire women for their productions.
Women in Animation
Since 1995, Women in Animation has helped female animators get a foot in the door through networking, mentorship, events, and more. WIA’s goal? “A world where women share equally in the creation, production, and rewards of animation,” according to the group’s website. They have chapters around the globe, from India and Ireland to Mexico and the U.S. WIA runs school-based student groups to help the world’s emerging female animators, too.
Tuesdays Together
Tuesdays Together is the brainchild of creative resource Honeybook, a client management software that small-business creatives, including wedding photographers and videographers, swear by. The group introduced Tuesdays Together as a way for local creatives to find their tribe. Local Tuesdays Together chapters run in-person and virtual meetups for all sorts of creative entrepreneurs, including photographers, calligraphers, designers, and artists.
Girls in Film
The Girls in Film community helps the next generation of female, non-binary, and trans creatives find their footing in the film industry. The group hosts events around the world — from Amsterdam to New York — and runs a global community where members can learn from and share insights with one another through virtual discussions. Girls in Film also accepts submissions of short films, music videos, documentaries, animations, and other films from females worldwide, giving women in film a chance to showcase their work on a larger scale.
Sister Photogs Group
Sister Photogs is a female photography community (hosted as a Facebook group). It brings women together for conversations and deep dives into the industry, along with monthly photo contests, regular photo-tip threads, and impromptu Q&As for any members dealing with a new or tricky situation. The group is mostly online, but has expanded with a handful of live meetups. It’s open to women active in the photography industry. Members must have a professional photography website to be considered.
Click Community
Originally launched as “Clickin’ Moms” — a group of friends chatting about photography — the Click Community is now a community of professional and aspiring (and nearly, if not entirely, female) photographers who “simply want to take better photos in their daily lives.” The Click Community provides mentorship, tutorials, and blog content to help their members perfect the art of photography. See here for a sample of the many female mentors that participate in the Click Community.
We, Women
We, Women was founded to help women and gender nonconforming creators have their voices heard through photography and community engagement. The group helps artists across all spectrums of identity. They run events, host exhibitions, and spotlight bold artists making waves in the industry. See here for a handful of We, Women innovators who are making their voices heard through art.
Women*s Producer Group
The music-production industry has perhaps even less gender equality than film and photography. The Women*s Producer Group hopes to change this. The group is open to women and non-binary people who hope to break into the music-production industry, with knowledge sharing, support, feedback, and, most importantly, a safe space for like-minded members.
Free the Bid
While not necessarily a networking group, Free the Bid is making big waves when it comes to women in the creative industry. This database of female directors, editors, DOPs, colorists, and composers gives decision makers an easy way to hire more women. Brands who want to join the fight for equality can make a #FreeTheBid pledge to hire more women as well.
Black Female Landscape and Nature Photographers
The Black Female Landscape and Nature Photographers community launched as a way to include more Black women in the largely male-dominated landscape photography industry. “We strive to bridge the gap between women of color in landscape and nature photography and industry leaders by providing education, resources, and mentorship,” says the BFLNP website. Browse BFLNP’s talented roster of photographers and keep an eye on events. Don’t miss their many insightful interviews for more inspiration.
Ready for more female content creator inspiration? Head to this roundup of our top 10 Women with Cameras We’re Inspired by Every Day.
