As part of a series celebrating International Women's Week, I had the pleasure of interviewing `suzi9mm.

Can you tell me a bit about how you first became involved in photography?

I've always been visually oriented and did a lot of drawing for instance when i was younger. I picked up the camera by coincidence almost. now that i think of it, i just have a need to express my ideas and the images that come to, in a vidual form, regardless of the medium.



What do you think are the biggest issues for women in the world today?

in the western world i think its domestic violence and uneven paycheck that expresses the mindset we still have. as a whole, in third world countries (=most of the world) the problems to me seem even more severe; overall lack of respect in places, the limited right to vote, decide for their own bodies and get education. some of these things are due circumstances of course, and theres a long history to how we got to where we are today, but nevertheless i'd like to see women treated as more than disposable goods and have the same rights and possibilities as men.



Can you tell me a bit about the background to your 2 favourite deviations from your own gallery?



grand piano is what i consider my first artistic photo. taken with a 3200asa film and a tripod and timer. i see it as a moment, and a portrait, of a relationship. it is me and my then boyfriend and it reminds me of the the times we had back then. he liked to play the piano for me.



never hesitate is a james bond homage of a sort, besides an expressive and sexy shot in my opinion. i think the chemistry between women can be fascinating and here is a good example, even if i say so myself... the dominance and sex oozing from it are usually linked to man/woman relationships so i like the slight change. they both look strong and weak at the same time, i like that a lot.

How did you end up on deviantART?

a co-worker linked the site to me when i asked where he got all his cool wallpapers. this was in 2002. the rest is history.

Can you tell me of any other women on deviantART who you find inspiring?

definitely! `mnoo, `devilicious, ~ninjakittykat and ~jess for starters. all very different artists and people, but they've handled womens issues or the womans view on things in ways that i've appreciated. also they're all strong characters which i think is not always easy for women to be...so kudos for them.

What about outside deviantART, who do you think are good examples of role models for today's young women?

i'm not sure if there's a single person girls should concentrate on, but rather take bits and pieces from here and there. anyone, Shakira or Pamela Anderson, or the winner of the Survivor, can present us ideas and examples of what a woman can do and be. i think we're often too narrowminded these days too, since plastic surgery is considered 'wrong' and the result of impossible ideals, we look down on women who resolve to it. dissing each other is useless, women are all in the same boat and we make our own choice, this is a gender-free attitude really, but i think women especially can be cruel towards each other.

for myself, our president Tarja Halonen has been an exceptional idol because she's a determined and smart woman but doesn't walk all over others, instead she thrives towards a humane and accepting world, not something many male leaders can do.



How do you think deviantART has benefited you as an artist?

loads. simply loads. the support of the community, and having such a big audience to begin with means a lot to anyone, if they deny it they're lying. i don't think i'd be this far with my photography if it wasn't for this website and community.



If you could photograph an awareness raising campaign for any specific issue, what would it be?

i'd love to be involved in a project related to the impossible ideals shoved in our faces, being thin enough, beautiful enough, and so forth. in the environment we live, its really destructive and almost impossible to cure from once its fucked up our brain. there have been campaigns such as this, but they're usually boring, i'd like to change that. Dove did a pretty good one, from marketing perspective and with their shareholders interest in mind but anyway it was refreshing.



What advice would you give someone thinking about taking up photography?

if you want to do it, then don't let anything stop you. seriously think your priorities through, if its a random hobby among others, don't expect to become Ansel Adams. and do whatever you want, don't let anyone tell you.



Do you have a message that you'd leave for the future generations of women?

attitude!

Thanks for taking the time to participate!

You can find other wonderful women who have been interviewed in this series here.