One of her goals is to assist successful female photographers, as she feels that the industry is still male-dominated and that it is important to get a sense of how a female can make a strong mark within it. It is not surprising, therefore, that Diane Arbus is the photographer whose work she admires and respects the most. She sees similarities in her photographic interests and those of Arbus, similarly feeling a need to include those on the margins of society in work that challenges stereotypes and breaks down barriers of exclusion. Another woman whose work she embraces is that of Jo Spence, a woman who used photography as therapy during her experience of cancer treatment, again identifying in her work the therapeutic effect that photography has and admiring her strength in publishing her pictures for others to see. Kevin Carter is also one of her heroes, particularly for his iconic picture of a vulture and child in Sudan. This one picture alone spurs her on to achieve her goal of making similarly important travel/photojournalistic photographs. In other words, fill the large gap at the end of the line.

Ruth Emily claims no particular specialization. She enjoys travel photography, as it encompasses so many 'genres' of photography which combine to create a sense of place. If anything, her main interest is in photojournalism, in photography that matters and can make a difference. She finds photography a wonderful healing tool, a medium for true self-expression. It is important for her to explore her emotions in a pictorial way. The work shown here is an example of one such project. Her ambition is to become a successful photojournalist. She would also like to work with people using photography as therapy.

ruthemilyhanson@yahoo.co.uk

www.pbase.com/ruthemily