Move Over, Scorsese: The Woman in Film Who Changed My Perspective

When I began learning about photography and its history, all I heard was Robert Cappa this, Eugene Smith that, and Henri Cartier-Bresson that.

And yet, when I reflect upon the most influential mentors of my careers, most of them are actually women — despite the fact that I’m a dude. I don’t know if this is necessarily a sign that things “have improved” for gender equality; or if this is just a mere coincidence for this month’s topic. In any case, here’s the perspective from one of my mentors who shed light on this distinct issue in her industry.

Enter Tabatha Mudra — Cinematographer & Director of Photography based in South Florida.

In January 2026, I attended a cinematic lighting course hosted by local filmmaker Tabatha Mudra and the non-profit Women In Film & TV (WIFT South Florida). When I asked my mentor about women working in her industry, she said the following:

“There’s been progress, but it’s incremental. One of the challenges women still face is that the industry can feel like a boys’ club that’s difficult to break into. Furthermore, women in production roles are often paid less than men for the same positions, and there’s still a wage gap in directing positions.”

“Often, women won’t apply for a job unless they feel 100% qualified, while men will pursue the same roles even if they don’t meet every requirement. I know hetero couples in which both individuals work in the film industry. When some of these women in these relationships receive job offers for film productions, they defer these gigs to their husbands because they feel unsure, even though they’re qualified.”

@mih_kava at TBT Studios in Fort Lauderdale

The first comment didn’t surprise me given the history of gender inequality in the workforce, but the last one definitely threw me off.

If you’re qualified, shouldn’t you feel confident in your abilities to do the job?

Given some of the progress of women’s rights in the last century, why would there be this internal gaslighting?

I mean… Why do I have more female mentors than male ones and why do I care about this topic in the first place?

Let’s rewind the tape a little bit.

Hi, my name is Diego, and I have two sisters. When I was teenager, my older sister, who was studying fashion design at the time, said something that struck me.

“Most of the fashion figures that I looked up to when I was little girl were men because in my immediate circle, all I saw were women who wanted to be or already were moms, and I didn’t want that. Throughout my childhood, I really didn’t hear about the success stories of female fashion designers nor businesswomen.”

AHA!

Remember when I was confused as to why the women that Tabatha mentioned earlier gaslighted themselves into not taking a film job, even though they were qualified? So, I wonder if these women had any female figures to look up to during their careers…

Ergo, this is why this topic matters! Because there’s more to my sister’s story, like I bet there’s plenty for more to say from these women that Tabatha mentioned. Imagine this for starters:

Countless *years* of feeling lost and frustrated for not being understood, validated, respected, nor appreciated just because of your gender. Let that sink in for a second.

So, hi again, my name is Diego, and I have two sisters. I care about women’s rights because my little sister is now in college, and I want her to feel empowered in whatever career choices she makes.

As a photojournalist, I document and write about events such as the cinematic lighting course for female filmmakers because visual storytelling is a powerful tool that can inspire people. Maybe someday a little girl somewhere looks at my pictures of Tabatha Mudra and says: