How to Go
What: “Jodi Cobb: Uncovering Hidden Worlds”
Where: Victoria Theatre, 138 N. Main St., Dayton
When: April 21; Monday, 7 p.m.
Cost: $20-$35
Tickets: Call Ticket Center Stage (937) 228-3630 or visit www.ticketcenterstage.com
Distinguished adventure photographer Jodi Cobb will highlight her trailblazing career Monday at the Victoria Theatre, courtesy of the Victoria Theatre Association’s National Geographic Live! Series, presented in collaboration with Five Rivers MetroParks.
Cobb, a Washington D.C. resident who has journeyed to more than 60 countries, was one of the first photographers to cross China when it reopened to the West in the 1970s. She was also the first photographer to enter the hidden lives of women of Saudi Arabia for a landmark 1987 National Geographic article. In 1985 she was the first woman named White House Photographer of the Year. In addition to being featured in the PBS documentary “On Assignment” and on NBC’s “Today Show,” she notably received her master of arts and bachelor of journalism degrees from the University of Missouri, and has an honorary doctor of fine arts degree from the Corcoran College of Art and Design.
“The work of Jodi Cobb, who not only was the first female photographer almost everywhere she’s worked, but also the first photographer privy to such sights as the hidden world of the geisha, educates us about our world’s national and cultural resources,” said Trish Butler, director of marketing and public information for Five Rivers MetroParks.
In advance of her appearance, Cobb, whose contributions to National Geographic’s “Women of Vision” exhibit were recently featured on “CBS This Morning,” reflected on various facets of her career.
Q: What must you be particularly mindful of when capturing a subject?
A: You have to figure out what the narrative is and what you want the reader to understand or appreciate. It's also important to take photographs that will draw readers into a story, photographs that will be dramatic and beautiful in their own right.
Q: What are some of your most treasured experiences over the course of your 35-year career?
A: The most important and powerful story I've done, entitled "21 Century Slavery," covered human trafficking. It had the most impact and was also one of my most emotional stories. It was also a very difficult and dangerous assignment. My personal fears were huge. The story took every ounce of courage I had. But my most beautiful story was my project that covered the geishas of Japan. It was difficult in an entirely different way. It was more about endurance, having to gain trust, and facing rejection by women who never had been photographed in their private world. I really wanted to try and understand the role of the geishas in Japanese society. I wanted to know what their lives were like behind the makeup.
Q: In a recent interview you said, "Women have a unique access to get into worlds that are absolutely closed to men." Do you feel there is a greater sense of trust associated with female photographers?
A: In the private worlds of women, men simply are not allowed or welcomed. In regards to my geisha story, the women would never let their guard down in front of a man like they did with me.
Q: How does it feel to have paved the way for a generation of women to pursue photojournalism? Also, what do you see on the horizon in the world of photography?
A: I'm so happy so many women are proving themselves to be the best of the best and the bravest of the brave in photography. But it's a difficult time to be a photographer. The old model is broken. Photographers now have to create a whole new world of publishing where pictures will be seen. But passion for the work is just the same and even more so. There is a huge commitment on the part of photographers, especially female photographers, to bring about change. Photographers today are not simply "raising awareness," but effecting change through non-governmental organizations and other groups who are bringing about change — not just illuminating what needs to be changed.
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