Female Voices in Film: Amy Marie Gladding

As part of our celebration of International Women's Day on the 8th March we are interviewing different female members of the film community, asking the same questions to each for a snapshot of different perspectives and thoughts.

Today the spotlight rests on Amy Marie Gladding!

Amy - thank you for your time. What is your film photography background?

I studied it at art college in 2001, then as part of my Fine art degree course and then I went on to qualify as a teacher of art and launched a photography A-level course at my school. I later started work as the head of photography A-level at a different sixth form.

I have always considered myself an artist first and teacher second and continued my creative practice alongside my day jobs.

How did you get into film?

My stepdad gave me a suitcase full of manual camera equipment and two cameras when I was 18. I suppose I had learnt film before digital was really accessible so it was how I started out.

I got into alternative films when I discovered Lomography purple film about five years ago.

What is the film photograph you’re most proud of, and why?

God - hard question. I think it might be a double exposure shot on Lomochrome purple I took over the space of two summers. One of the images was taken at my mothers allotment of a huge stem of foxglove flowers - I took it when I was pregnant with my daughter. Then the next photograph was taken a year later it’s of a fallen tree on a lake. I drove past it (whilst the baby napped in the car) I had to drive back and get a photograph of it and I had no idea which picture it would double expose with and it ended up being a really unusual composition but I love it!

What is your favourite camera/film combination?

I actually Love my Minolta Dynax 404si even though its not fully manual and I’ve only just shot my first film of Lomochrome Metropolis but I think its such a beautiful colour pallet.

Who is your favourite (famous or not!) female film photographer?

Another hard question and it changes all the time. At the moment its Leanne Surfleet her work is so emotive and delicate and beautiful.

What could the community do to support your personal film photography endeavours?

I suppose follow me online to help me build my platform as an artist and attend exhibitions I’m involved in if they can and if they want to buy prints of my work too (via Instagram DM) that would be amazing.

What could the community or industry do to encourage more women to start shooting film?

I am just launching photography at GCSE level at my school and I try to teach students about female artist and photographers as historically it’s the male creatives that seem to get all the attention.

So I think it should be on the national curriculum; more female-centred areas of study within art and design.

What could the community or industry do to encourage more women to continue shooting film?

Offer more female only exhibition or open calls and celebrate and acknowledge female artist and makers more with opportunities much like this one.

Where can people find you and your work?

My Instagram is @my_faraway