Inspiration from the incredible women who choose Nikon.

This International Women’s Day, we wanted to highlight some of the exceptional creatives we’ve had the pleasure of working alongside recently. Whether they're leading live workshops, earning prestigious awards, or conquering both literal and metaphorical mountains, we’re constantly inspired by the incredible women who choose Nikon.

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Forough Yavari is an award-winning fine art portrait and fashion photographer based in Melbourne, Australia. Inspired by her life experiences as a woman from a middle eastern country, Forough’s work focuses on portraying the narrative behind the lives of women from around the world. Combining her background in painting and photography, Forough creates striking portraits that emphasize expression, lighting, and narrative. Her notable series, including Revision of Portraits, Eternal Icons, and Salvation, have been exhibited internationally.

I chose this image "IRIS" as my very first shot from an ongoing photographic and sculpture series "The Skin Around Me" to honour International Women's Day. I have always been inspired by women and their stories, and this image holds a deep connection to both my creative vision and storytelling approach. 

The white flower-shaped wearable sculpture, which I handcrafted, represents a second skin or shield around the body, symbolising the strength, beauty, and resilience of women. Much like flowers, each woman carries her own unique identity and power. As a woman, artist, and photographer who was born and raised in one country, migrated to Australia, and built a home and photography business here, I have always sought out the stories of women, their bravery, their struggles, and their triumphs. 

This image is a tribute to all inspiring women around the world, whose courage and resilience continue to shape our society.

This industry is undoubtedly competitive, and breaking into it might seem impossible at times. However, building a successful business and standing out from the crowd is absolutely possible with hard work, passion, and dedication. My advice to young women trying to break into the photography industry is to immerse yourself in learning, be curious, nerdy, and enthusiastic about mastering the technical aspects, seek inspiration from established photographers while staying true to your own voice, understand the business side of photography, and always strive to create work that is unique, powerful, and meaningful.

And to my younger self, enjoy every second of the journey, even through the struggles and tough times. Celebrate both the small and big achievements along the way, because each step contributes to who you are becoming.

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Michelle Grace Hunder is an Australian photographer based in Melbourne, with her own studio and creative space in Footscray, Victoria. Known as one of Australia’s most respected music photographers, she has worked with some of the country’s biggest names and captured iconic moments in the industry. Michelle has been a Nikon Creator since 2020 where she continues to share her expertise through an online masterclass, guiding aspiring photographers on building portfolios, shooting live shows, and navigating the music photography industry. 

Yes, I chose my photo of Noelani who has become a close personal friend. She was going through an event where her image was being used as a meme, and I reached out to her to create some beautiful images of herself to show the world that she is a strong, fierce and stunningly beautiful woman. It’s one of my favourite ever shoots to date and I loved what we created. IWD to me is about women truly supporting other women (not just making it a post for a day) so I felt like this image was fitting.

Have fun, and try to cherish those awesome first years learning and making mistakes. They are truly the moments that teach and stay with you and make you a better photographer.

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Brooke Maxwell is a Sydney-based photographer with a strong focus on travel and tourism photography. Her work spans across Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, the United States, Mexico, and Europe. Brooke is passionate about capturing stories that showcase the world through her unique visual perspective while promoting ethical travel practices that contribute to the sustainable growth of the tourism industry. In addition to her travel work, Brooke has a deep personal passion for wildlife photography. As a brand ambassador for Koala Conservation Australia, she also collaborates with various conservation and rescue organisations alongside her full-time photography career. Whenever the opportunity arises to work with animals, Brooke is always eager to lend her expertise, using her camera to contribute to conservation efforts.

A month ago, something struck me deeply. It might sound bizarre, but there was something incredibly powerful in her gaze and the way the other monkeys respected her and her boundaries. It made me realize that after ten years of photography, I had finally learned something important. As a female photographer, I had set so many boundaries around myself and my ability to push further into the field when I was younger. I never took chances early on because I felt I could never gain the acceptance of other photographers, and I was weighed down by a heavy sense of imposter syndrome. Although it still creeps in from time to time, at that time seeing more experienced female photographers in the industry—those who were so successful and willing to take risks—pushed me to put myself out there and try everything. From macro and underwater photography to aerial, astro, landscape, wildlife, portrait—you name it, I tried it. Even this year I have decided to take a risk and try to push myself more into photojournalism and trying to get my work published more. 

I have so many messages, so many that my younger self might have eventually blocked my number! It’s important to remember that people are the foundation of every industry, both professionally and personally. Building a strong professional network in the photography and media world opens up countless opportunities, while having a solid personal network is invaluable, especially when job flow is uncertain or you’re feeling burnt out. This is why I truly believe in championing and supporting fellow photographers. The industry can be tough at times, and having a supportive community can make all the difference—it goes a long way and costs so little. 

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Divya Gordon is an Adventure Filmmaker with credits on films such as Maven, Seven 7 Seven and the upcoming film Steady. She’s a self-taught filmmaker hailing from the Snowy Mountains of Australia. After leaving her corporate roots in Sydney, she embraced a nomadic lifestyle in her van, growing her connection with adventure communities while pursuing her passion for filmmaking. With her Nikon workhorse in hand, Divya continues to carve her path as an adventure filmmaker, climbing peaks, sending projects and capturing the essence of extraordinary stories in unexplored landscapes.

During my career I've had the privilege of having my expectations of what's possible blown apart, time and time again. Far from the days where women had to fight for their seat at the table, the women that I've had the privilege to capture have worked powerfully and passionately alongside men to shatter through the glass ceiling of their shared goals. I've seen athletes train persistently to ready themselves for a task. I've witnessed the harmony of a group that shares a load in accordance with their individual skills to bring everyone forward. The adventures I’ve documented are a testament to this truth: when we move forward together, there is no limit to what we can achieve.

Don't listen to sensible advice or make decisions based on fear. Trust your intuition. You are going places that are far beyond your wildest dreams. And for god's sake, get a journal! 

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Georgina Steytler is an award-winning wildlife photographer with a strong passion for ethics and an unwavering commitment to bird conservation. Georgina’s work captures the individuality and detailed imagery of birds, whilst spreading awareness on Australian birdlife and plants. 

I chose this image as it represents several years of passionate work in a dusty, hot and remote location to document the amazing lives of a little known Australian bee. It was rewarded with a Highly Commended in Wildlife Photographer of the Year last year. By making it into the awards exhibition, it means that millions of people around the world will now get to see and appreciate an insect that lives in the remote corners of Australia - and that's something I feel immensely proud of. I am also proud to represent women in what is traditionally a very male dominated world of nature photography - in fact, on average women represent only 3-10% of the placings in some competitions - quite a shockingly low statistic. Women tend to lack confidence. They need to be able to 'believe' in themselves and hopefully that is what I can provide - I mean if I can do it, anyone can do it!

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Kelly Tunney is a wedding photographer born and raised in Canberra. Her images embody the way she relates to the world – they’re candid, honest, fearless and warm; and they always manage to find the amazing in everyone. Kelly's work is a reflection of her keen eye for detail with a passion for storytelling andcrafting images that are both timeless and deeply personal.

A crazy coincidence, but this image is celebrating 10 years since its creation. An entire decade of new opportunities, new talking points, and a significant change in wedding photography for Females. This image made me the first woman ever to be awarded Australian Wedding Photographer of the Year and opened up a beautiful relationship with Nikon as one of their first female ambassadors. A decade later, I still pinch myself.

I thought about writing “break the rules a lot earlier”. But to be honest, I don’t think I’d change anything. Maybe I would remind myself not to rush, and not work so hard. Stay level-headed and spend more time with your young family!