gvarner wrote:
This is just an opinion of mine but it seems like photography is populated more by men than by women, both in the professional realm and the amateur realm.
I will only speak to my own direct experience, but from that I share your conclusion. Photography is not very popular in my state (Mississippi), but I have traveled in 47 other states, and a dozen foreign countries. Because I’m a number nerd, I keep count of stuff just out of curiosity.
In my state I’ve encountered, over 12 years of shooting outdoor photography at least once a week, a total of 22 other photographers, and 4 of them were female. When traveling in other states, I see more photographers but similar or more male-oriented percentages. When traveling abroad, the percentages are about the same.
The only camera club in my geographical area has about 15 active members, of which 4 are female.
I have attended only one photography on-site workshop (in California), with 16 participants, of which 12 were male and 4 female.
I belong to 3 online photography forums. The vast majority of the posters in all of them are male. In the two smaller ones, I am the only female who posts regularly.
The professional photographers who do baby, children, and family portraits in my area are predominantly female. Bridal photographers are mostly male but females make up about a fourth of the ones at a bridal services fair.
I don’t offer any theories, just observations.