This was my first time attending any type of photography workshop/talk and I can say I truly enjoyed every single second of it. My workshop was titled “Reflecting on Culture & Identity: Photography Talk” and it was presented by Deborah Anderson. She is a well known photographer and English musician. Currently she is preparing to launch her documentary film based on the Oglala Lakota women based in Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota. Ms. Anderson wanted to show culture that has been hidden and not been truly appreciated. She uses her platform to raise awareness in efforts to help this community that America has forgotten about (although it was and still is their land to begin with). Also she informed us of how many indigenous groups have been affected by COVID in a huge way so she urged the audience to find ways to help. I truly enjoyed how she made genuine connections with the Lakota women instead of just selfishly using them for her own benefit or to become more famous off of them. The stories she told of how many adversities the women face but choose to still persevere and celebrate their beautiful culture was so inspiring to hear. She also mentioned how one of the women she took photos of, passed away and they put the image she took on her gravesite. Ms. Anderson really emphasized how important it is to be an activist even as an artist. She believes that as an artist you have the ability to raise awareness and create change for the rest of the world to follow. Each picture told a different story wether it was cultural celebration, rape survivors, spiritual practices, and so much more! I truly think she is such a genuine and compassionate soul and I now knew that she cares about shedding light on issues that aren’t frequently talked about. I also believe that she does these projects because she has a strong passion, not because she just wants a check. At the end, I couldn’t help but to feel more inspired and motivated to find ways to appreciate more cultures and people, including the ones that many don’t always talk about. I 10/10 recommend everyone to check her work.
The link to her work is below