The Power of Women's Networks
Panel talk on how to establish yourself in the photography industry
Those who get visibility in photography rarely achieve it by chance. Networks, existing relationships, and power structures play a crucial role.
In a panel discussion with members of the Female Photoclub and Herspective, moderator Nadine Barth explores how participation and access are created within the photography industry – and how women photographers benefit from them.
Together, they discuss:
• What role do networks and collectives play as alternatives to traditional institutions?
• How do they influence visibility, access to commissions, and fair pay?
• What has changed? What progress has been made? Where do structural inequalities persist?
Join the talk, learn more about the topic, and connect with other women photographers.
The Female Photoclub is committed to increasing the visibility of photographers. Herspective is a network of professional women photographers advocating for greater representation, recognition, and equal opportunities within the industry.
About the moderator
Nadine Barth is a curator and publicist. She studied philosophy, literature, and art history in Hamburg and worked for many years as a journalist and art dealer. In 2006, she founded barthouse, an agency for international culture projects. She is the editor of over a hundred publications on photography, fashion, art, and design, and has curated exhibitions for Deichtorhallen Hamburg, NRW-Forum Duesseldorf, Fotografiska Stockholm, New York, Berlin, and Tallinn, and the Federal Foreign Office, among others. She lives in Berlin.
About the speakers
Natalia Carstens (Female Photoclub)
Natalia Carstens is a freelance photographer based in Berlin, specializing in art, architecture, and exhibition documentation. She collaborates with galleries, museums, artists, and cultural institutions in Berlin and beyond. Art and architecture have always fascinated her, particularly the relationship between artworks and the spaces they inhabit. After many years working in art fair management, she now works behind the camera, photographing exhibitions, artworks, and architectural spaces. Her aim is always to capture and communicate the unique qualities of artistic works and their presentation. Alongside commissioned assignments, she regularly develops independent projects in the field of architectural photography, which she presents in exhibitions. Together with photographers Mirja Zentgraf and Janina Steinmetz, she leads the Berlin local group of the Female Photoclub. Since 2024, she has also served on the association’s board.
Maidje Meergans (Female Photoclub)
Maidje Meergans is a documentary photographer and filmmaker based in Berlin. After studying at the Berlin-Weißensee Academy of Art, she completed her photographic training at the Ostkreuz School of Photography, where she studied, among others, with Ute Mahler and Sibylle Fendt. In her artistic practice, she explores social issues such as the consequences of industrialization in Western societies, as well as life and social transformation in rural areas. Maidje is a curatorial member and board member of the non-profit AFF Gallery in Berlin-Friedrichshain and a founding member of afaik collective, where she produces short films and performances. Since 2025, she has served as Managing Director of Female Photoclub e.V.
Britta Leuermann (Herspective)
Born in the Midwest, Britta Leuermann is a Berlin-based fashion, people- and beauty photographer. Britta made the decision to become a photographer at the age of 20. Since then, she has gained a wealth of personal and professional experiences. She traveled the world and worked alongside and for some of the biggest international photographers in New York City. There she learned that the final result is not solely dependent on her own professionalism, but also on everyone giving – and being capable of giving – their best. Coming back from New York, she started working in the field of beauty, fashion, and people photography, represented at Monday in May. Observing a gender imbalance in her industry both overseas and in Germany Britta co-founded Herspective in 2021 with the mission of starching gender equality in photography. Britta lives in Berlin with her family and shares a workspace with other creative forces.
Stephie Braun (Herspective)
Stephie Braun is a Berlin-based photographer specialising in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, known for her clear, reduced visual language and precise use of light. She works on international campaigns alongside her own conceptual projects, published as photo books combining imagery and text. Having studied Photography & Media at FH Bielefeld and further developed her practice at the London College of Communication, she was awarded the Emerging Talent Award by German Vogue in 2019 and is commercially represented by international artist management Schierke.Hottas. Beyond her commercial work, she leads workshops, speaks on industry panels, and advocates for more female perspectives in photography.
Linda Ambrosius (Herspective)
Linda Ambrosius is a Berlin-based photographer, director, and creative director. For over ten years, she has developed and produced international fashion, beauty, and commercial campaigns, combining creative concept development, photography, and visual storytelling. After studying online media management and gaining early experience in film production, she turned her self-taught passion for photography into a profession in 2018. At the heart of her work are people and their stories, captured through a natural and understated visual language. Alongside her commercial practice, she advocates for greater visibility and representation of women in the photography and creative industries, particularly in creative and technical roles behind the camera.