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Finally Focused: Camila Javier is creating a safe space for women of color
If you’re into intersectional feminist photography you should know Camila Javier.
Women’s images in the media can often be unrealistic and potentially harmful to self-esteem. Add images of women of color and the narrowness of beauty standards shrinks.
Nearly almost nobody looks like a Victoria Secret Angel. Still, that doesn’t mean that the rest of the population is less-beautiful or less-valuable. Enter Javier, the creator of the “Girls & Panties” series.
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Javier’s work speaks for itself but I had a chance to interview Camila and learn about her journey as an artist and the inspiration behind the feminist series.
FilmMaker turned Photographer
Javier is a well-traveled creative. The 28-year-old was born in NY and moved as a baby to the Dominican Republic. At the age of 12, she moved to Argentina where she graduated high school and college with a filmmaking degree.
Originally, Javier wanted to be a screenwriter and tell stories. For some time after college Javier was freelancing, making short videos for independent brands and events.
“Until one day someone asked me to take pictures instead of filming and I said yes.”
It was then that she discovered a love for the medium. She felt that she could still story tell through photography. Her appreciation for photography led her to delve into the craft and take portrait photography classes.
“Portraits seemed the only style that would go with what I was trying to communicate, which is basically always telling a story.”
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Girls & Panties
The inspiration for the “Girls & Panties” series struck two summers ago in 2018.
“I wanted to start a series about femininity, I didn’t know exactly what or how. I just knew I wanted it to be more intimate and make the shots even closer, detailed.”
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The story that started the series was coincidental luck.
One day Javier was originally supposed to do a shoot with her best friend, a makeup artist, and a model but the model canceled. Since they already had carved out the time and location, Camila’s friend asked her to do a test shoot.
Her friend was going to do an underwear shoot soon and wasn’t comfortable posing for a male photographer.
“I said yes. During the shoot I asked her if I could take close ups of her body and instantly I knew that was the path I was gonna take. It evolved from there.”
With volume 2 of the “Girls & Panties” series having recently been shared, I asked Camila what the original goal of vol. 1 was and whether vol. 2 is any different.
“The goal for girls & panties always has been to create a safe space for women. A space where we feel comfortable, we can talk and not feel judged, have fun. Even if it’s a photoshoot or an event.”
When asked if her photography has changed over time, Javier opted for a different word to describe her work’s journey.
“I don’t think my photography has changed, I think it evolved. The approach is the same, which is close ups and intimacy and portraits. Just my view on intimacy maybe fluctuates with whatever I’m going through. Like the pictures of the panties around the subway I take everyday is as intimate as panties on a body.”
Camila shared that the response since volume 1 has been extremely positive and created a mini-community after volume 2. She recently held a showcase for volume 2 at Jones beach which attracted a large audience.
Camila intends on continuing working on “Girls & Panties” and creating a safe space for her subjects and her audience.
Her intentions of making this series specifically for women of color stems from her background as a woman of color.
“My parents are Dominican and my first language is Spanish. [This] is a part of my identity and it also defines my work, my art and what I wanna communicate. When I say ‘creating a safe space’ I mean for women, highlighting us, minorities.”
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