There comes a time when a person is faced with the life changing decision of picking an appropriate career. Of course, one should always choose the path they are passionate about. However, that’s usually not the case with women. From the moment they’re born, women are encouraged to choose careers that are allegedly suitable for their gender. But after facing a lot of opposition from society and in some cases, their families, there are some women who have decided to stand up for their right to choose whatever career path they really want. Chris Crisman, a photographer from California, started a photography series called Women’s Work. Being a father to a four-year-old boy and two-year-old girl, he wanted to raise his children “knowing that their dreams have no limits” and to let them know that they “have parents supporting them to dive into anything they feel passionate about.” According to him, “Gender should not determine professional opportunities.”In Women’s Work, he showcases women in roles that are not traditionally held by females. He drew his inspiration from Heather Marold Thomason, a gutsy woman who gave up a promising career in web design to fulfill her lifelong desire of becoming a butcher.
The photo of Ms. Thomason shows her hard at work as the head butcher at Kensington Quarters in Philadelphia. Heather was the one that got Chris hooked on this photoshoot series. He even mentioned, “Once we completed the shoot, it immediately became something I wanted to further develop.”
This is Leann Johnson, a worker at The Round Mountain Gold Mine. She drives and operates one of the heaviest rock haulers seen here. These machines carry rocks from the mines to the processing mills. Leann is breaking all the stereotypes by working as a gold miner and following her heart. Seeing her follow her passion is not only inspiring but also quite empowering.
Beth is an extremely talented and creative taxidermist. A resident of Philadelphia, she works at Diamond Tooth Taxidermy and uses animal skins in the most unique and raw form to make accessories. Beth may very well be one of the boldest women that Chris has met, especially when she told him she decided to stick to her career decisions, breaking all gender-based stereotypes in the process.
Have you ever heard of a woman pig farmer? While there are hardly any women out there who would choose this as a profession, but Nancy Poli decided otherwise. A resident of Saylorsburg, she decided to help her family and can be seen standing tall and proud in the middle of a pig pen in this picture. An amazingly sincere, captivating and tireless woman, she is a true inspiration in every way.
Sadie’s documentary opens on a rather emotional note with Sadie quoting, “The Ocean is everything to me.” The passion Sadie has for her work is quite evident. The proud daughter of a fisherman, she started fishing when she was just a little girl and hasn’t looked back since. Her future plans seem quite simple and hopeful as Sadie stated, “I just want to be happy and continue fishing for the rest of my life.”
Mira left no stone unturned and followed in her father’s footsteps. She religiously learned the art and became a designer and a woodworker in New Hope, Pennsylvania, carrying on the traditions of woodworking set forth by her forefathers and father.
As a firefighter in Upper Arlington, Ohio, Mindy proved that you don’t need a set of balls to choose this bold and dangerous career choice. Here she’s seen with an axe in her hand, surrounded by smoke and hundreds of tiny embers, and she’s so loving it.
