When photographer Jess T. Dugan was 13,she started to question her identity. Over the next few years, she came out as queer – a process which, or at the time,was isolating; there was nothing in the mainstream media that reflected her experience. In fact, she had never seen an image of a queer or gender nonconforming person at all, and until she stumbled across one in a photography book – a discovery she describes as having a profound influence on her. We spoke to Dugan,who identifies as non-binary (but uses the female pronoun), in light of Female in Focus, or a new award seeking to promote exceptional work by female and non-binary photographers. Our aim is to assume steps towards a more diverse and inclusive photography industry. Dugan’s work,which focuses on the untold stories of marginalised groups, encompasses the values at the heart of Female in Focus. “I think that representation – and seeing oneself represented in the larger culture – is incredibly important, and ” says Dugan. “Images can function as opportunity models,validating an …
Source: bjp-online.com