Nobody is doing what Shawn Tamaribuchi is doing: She is a female fighter photographically documenting female fighters. Her unique perspective, respect for the sport, passion and persistence will make this body of work stand out for generations to come. - posted by Carey Rockland for OTM SF.
1. What is the Female Fighter Project and what are its origins?
Shawn’s latest project is entitled “The Female Fighter Project". It is an on going portraiture series documenting female fighters around the globe. In 2010, Shawn left for a year of international travel, visiting and training with some of the best female fighters from Rio de Janeiro to Tokyo. She carried over 70 lbs of luggage consisting of three Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gis, 2 pairs of Muay Thai gloves, numerous mouth pieces, rash guards, shin pads and head gear as well as a very heavy Hasselblad 500c camera with loads of 120mm film. After paying over $500 in overweight luggage fees and more airport security lines than one could imagine, she landed back in California in 2011. She now is continuing her project stateside working for the largest public photographic community center west of the Mississippi.
"The Project's origin is quite simple. I am a traditionally trained photographer who started competing in MMA in 2007. I have trained in Muay Thai Kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for over 7 years now and currently hold the rank of purple belt. I began my MMA and BJJ career under world champion, female, black belt Lana Stefanac and now train with the Bay Jiu Jitsu team in Northern California. In 2010, I decided to do what every fighter dreams of, travel the world and train at some of the best international academies. As a photographer, I habitually brought my equipment around with me every place I went and consequently took pictures of all of my training partners and female fighters I encountered on my travels, thus the Female Fighter Project was born. I continue to shoot my training partners and heros I meet along the way on the path that will hopefully lead to attaining the rank of 'faixa preta".
2. Who have you photographed?
I have had the incredible honor and privilege to not only photograph, but also train with most of the fighters I have shot. This list includes, but is not only limited to: Megumi Fujii, Hitomi Akano, Sayaka Shioda, Ayaka Hamasaki, Roxanne Modafferi, Lana Stefanac, Kyra Gracie, Windy Tomomi, Leticia Ribeiro, AJ Jenkins, Michelle Nicolini, Elaina Maxwell, Veronica Locurto, Sarah Boyd, Colleen Schneider, Amanda Lucas... the list goes on and in fact I hopefully will get to shoot Ana Laura Cordeiro today (fingers crossed). Basically, I shoot the amazing women I train with everyday and those I happen to run into at different academies. They are my friends and my fighter family.
3. What is it about female fighters that draws your attention and is there a message that you want to convey through this work?
Well for starters, I am one. In a lot of ways this is my version of a family album, a tribute to the women in my life who I respect doing something we all love. They are my heros and friends. More often than not, female fighters do not get the attention or respect they so drastically deserve. Mainstream media has a very narrow lens when it comes to female athletes. This is my contribution to showing the world that the talent pool of female fighters runs deep and wide, and hopefully one day soon, female fighters will be able to have a secure position in the world of sport fighting that will sustain and respect them for who they are, amazing athletes.
4. How has the project transformed since you started it?
Well hopefully the photos are getting better, ha! But seriously, travelling the world in some of the most hot and humid climates plus numerous xray machines jacked up some of my negatives. I had to do a lot of work to salvage the images (now I have them hand check it). I also have to opportunity to shoot more frequently since there are so many fighters around me so hopefully the project is getting broader and more inclusive aside from sheer growth of images. I am trying to get every fighter I meet, from full time moms to full time fighters and some who are both. It can be a slow process since I only really shoot with film (120 6x6 on a Hasselblad 500 cm for all you photo nerds out there) and hand process, scan and retouch every single image which can take hours per image. I am developing a better workflow around it to help be more productive and efficient.
5. Who would you like to photograph?
Pretty much any female fighter I come in contact with. I'd love to shoot Marloes Coenen, Sarah Kaufman, Cris Cyborg, Misha Tate, Rena Kubota, Tara LaRosa, Rosi Sexton, Lucia Rijker... the list goes on, again if I run into a female that is a fighter, I want to shoot her.
Shawn Tamaribuchi holds a BFA in Photography / Digital Media from Scripps College, and has completed studies at the Glasgow School of Art. For the past six years she has worked in the commercial and performing arts worlds. Her previous film, an animation short called Kenn’s Dream, screened at the Mad Cat Women’s International Film Festival and is included in the Asian American Media curriculum at Bryn Mawr College. Shawn is occasionally invited to lecture at universities and festivals about the politics of representation through the lenses of feminist, queer, and racial theories."The Female Fighter Project".
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