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Heather Gano Mattera

@heathermattera

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Award-winning photographer | Educator | Advocate
Creating space for connection, vulnerability, and healing through art and emotional expression.

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Eyjabakkajökull er einn þekktasti framhlaupsjökull á Íslandi. Hann skreið fram á c.a 40 ára fresti. Árið 1972 skreið hann fram um tvo kílómetra en nú hefur hann hopað langt aftur fyrir upphafsstöðu sína árið 1972 og takturinn hefur raskast og líklega er ekki nægur massi til að ýta fram öðru framhlaupi. Hop jökulsins hefur skilið eftir sig landslag ólíkt því sem ég hef áður séð. Jöklafræðingar kalla þetta sprungufyllingar. Sandur í sprungum stendur eftir í þessum görðum, minningar um fyrrum jökulsprungur. Tekið á ferð með @heathermattera sem er að skrifa um jarðfræði ægifegurðar og @miles.ellingham sem skrifaði grein fyrir @obsnewreview

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WE ARE... Silver winners at the Px3 Awards! 🥈

The RPS Women in Photography group is thrilled to announce that the April 2026 issue of WE ARE Magazine and its featured photographers have been awarded Silver in the Book—Other category (Professional) at the prestigious Prix de la Photographie Paris (Px3).

As the flagship biannual publication of the RPS Women in Photography group, WE ARE drives awareness of female and female-identifying photographers worldwide. This 248-page issue brings together a global community — from students to professionals —creating an enduring record of women’s vital contributions to the medium.

Highlights include the “40% Project” to document UK women MPs, alongside explorations of historic events, environmental jeopardy, and the weight of illness. You’ll also find celebrations of identity and the rediscovery of the self, alongside realities such as photographers’ financial precarity.

A massive congratulations to all our incredible contributors, and a special thank you to the dedicated volunteer editorial team who made this possible: Rachel Nixon, Liz Benjamin, Frankie MacEachen, Miranda Gavin, Victoria Medina, Isabelle Desgranges, Dr Jane Robb, and Victoria Robb.

Swipe through to see the names and some of the spreads of the artists who brought this issue to life, and read the full award-winning magazine at the link in bio!

This milestone sets a beautiful benchmark for us just as we put the finishing touches to our October issue. Turn on your notifications so you don’t miss the launch — there is much more extraordinary work to come.
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#WEAREMagazine #WomenPhotographers #WomenSupportingWomen @rpswomeninphotography @royalphotographicsociety @rachelnixon @lizbenphoto @miranda_gavin @vic.toria.me @boldfrankphotography @suewrightuppington @backinafewblog @px3 @delaliayivi @joannecoates_ @roeyqiu_photo @sarah.chandy_photography @sarahketelaars @sarahsphotosetc @tara_florence @tejkenya @tessasinclair @vikabooks @allie_crewe @storiesandlightphotography @debbietoddphotographer @georgia_metaxas @gosiaunframed @nagoriphotography @lisajaynecramer @sinemdonmez @sloanewarrenphoto @suewrightuppington @fadeevaphotography @trish.crawford.photo

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The landscape of Iceland is shaped by glaciers. Here the texture of glacial rivers just before they enter the ocean. Here are some photos I took when @heathermattera invited me to tag along in a photo trip she had planned for her upcoming book - Geography of Awe. By coincidence I had a journalist from The Observer, Miles Ellingham with me so his first view of Iceland was the most grand you can possibly get, from a doorless helicopter. Miles kind og gobbled up Iceland in 10 hours. His article was published today - check it out! Link in bio. We flew over Ölfusá, Þórsmörk, Fjallabak, Tungná, over Jökulheimar the cabin my grandparents built 1955 and spent a honeymoon night in 1956. We went all the way over Vatnajökull and down into Eyjabakkajökull and back via Ódáðahraun, Herðubreið, Sprengisandur, Hofsjökull, Þjórsárver, Kerlingarfjöll Langjökull. Doorless. It was crazy, like a flying dream. It was very interesting personally for other reasons, I have walked and camped in most of these areas with friends and family, I could retrace my footsteps, I had also written about many of them in my book On Time and Water and Dreamland - a self help manual for a frightened nation (2006) as many of these places have been threatened by power development or global warming. Heathers book should be out in the next months, I will have a chapter about Awe in it. Easy as I overdosed on Awe flying over our land and recalled the awe of hiking and crossing many of these areas. @obsnewreview @miles.ellingham And thank you Heather for a great day!

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WE ARE… award winning!

The April 2026 issue of WE ARE Magazine has received an Honourable Mention in the @iphotoawards, Professional: Book/Self-Published category.

Over 248 pages, We Are bring together an international community of women working across photography, writing, editing and publishing, from established practitioners to photographers at the beginning of their careers.

VIKA contributed 'THE FINE ART OF THE PHOTOBOOK': an eight-page conversation with writer and editor @miranda_gavin about what happens when a body of photographs becomes a book. See pp.12–20.

In this, we talked about editing and sequencing, typography, reprographics, materials and production; about allowing the photography to determine the design; and about how technologies can extend the experience of a photobook without overwhelming the printed object.

“A book allows space — for pacing, silence, and emotional development. Images are not isolated; they speak to each other.”

Making design and production decisions that grow from the work itself, rather than imposing a style upon it is the core of our work at VIKA:

Congratulations to every photographer, writer and member of the volunteer editorial team who contributed to it. I’ve tagged everyone I can find — Do share, tag one another, and help us celebrate the extraordinary range of work gathered together here.

@rpswomeninphotography @royalphotographicsociety
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#WEAREMagazine #InternationalPhotographyAwards #WomenPhotographers #Photobook #PhotobookDesign #PhotographyBooks #VIKABooks Cover of the April 2026 issue of WE ARE, the RPS Women in Photography Magazine, featuring Eleanor Church’s photograph A Bigger Splash. A person is submerged in dark water, their body distorted by ripples and reflected light. The cover carries the 2026 International Photography Awards (IPA) Honourable Mention badge.

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Visual Storytelling Workshop #3 inspired such profound creative dialogue, connection, and women's community. Nine participants from six countries, in a midcoast Maine oasis, surrounded by the prolific editorial genius of @roseleen and Kathy Moran and the brilliance of @ljohnphoto. So grateful for the nourishment of @chefjoshbmaine and the marvelous @themangoprincess, the daily support from @billmarr and the cold waters of the regions. This summer week nourishes the year and reminds me of the greatest gifts of this life journey!

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I’m still reflecting on what an extraordinary opportunity it was to participate in the Female Perspective on Visual Storytelling Workshop, guided by the generosity, insight, and expertise of @roseleen , @kfmoran @jennifernataliefish & special guest @ljohnphoto

Spending a week alongside such thoughtful and talented women photographers was a reminder that visual storytelling has the power to make visible the people, places, and struggles that too often go unseen. I left inspired by the mentorship and community, and especially by the extraordinary work the cohort is creating:

@amandacowanphoto – Exploring how one mother transforms grief and addiction recovery into purpose, healing, and community care.

@angelaponce_photo – Documenting Andean communities in Peru protecting sacred glaciers and ancestral knowledge in the face of climate change.

@heathermattera – Revealing how a mother and son navigate eating disorder recovery, using creativity as a pathway to connection and healing.

@iva_sidash – Examining displacement, loss, and belonging among families uprooted by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

@jmadler – Bringing attention to the global disappearance of kelp forests and the people working to restore these vital underwater ecosystems.

@jennifer_little4 – Investigating the intergenerational impacts of toxic contamination at Oklahoma’s Tar Creek Superfund Site on the lands of the Quapaw Nation.

@jodiwindvogel – Chronicling the enduring legacy of apartheid through Cape Town’s housing crisis and the generations of families waiting for secure homes.

@mairaerlich – Reporting on the world’s largest ongoing urban socioenvironmental disaster as entire neighborhoods in Maceió, Brazil, face displacement from land subsidence caused by salt mining.

Make sure to follow their work! Grateful to have learned alongside this inspiring group of women and reminded that visual storytelling can be about witnessing, listening, and helping stories move people toward understanding and action.

4th photo by Angela Ponce and 7th photo by Amanda Cowan.

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To all of our amazing students, faculty and guest speakers, Thank you🙏🏻♥️🙏🏻 @jennifernataliefish @kfmoran @ljohnphoto @mairaerlich @heathermattera @iva_sidash @angelaponce_photo @amandacowanphoto @jodiwindvogel @yakamoz_ayse @jmadler @jennifer_little4

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Just spent a week in Maine with an inspiring group of women learning photo editing! The Female Perspectives on Visual Storytelling workshop is led by the Divas of Photo Editing and former Directors at National Geographic, Sarah Leen @roseleen and Kathy Moran @kfmoran, along with the gentle force of Jennifer Fisher @jennifernataliefish and we were lucky to have Lynn Johnson @ljohnphoto as our very special guest. So much wisdom combined with an invaluable passion for storytelling. I feel privileged to have shared this experience with 8 other photographers from diverse backgrounds in our endless pursuit of growth.

FPVS Class of 2026 👩‍🎓
@amandacowanphoto
@angelaponce_photo
@yakamoz_ayse
@heathermattera
@iva_sidash
@jennifer_little4
@jmadler
@jodiwindvogel
@mairaerlich

Photos by me, Ayse Gursoz (3, 4) and @billmarr (10)

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Heather Mattera and her teenage son Ben navigated his eating disorder through a shared photographic project, building trust through presence.

Beginning as a school assignment, the project, “Weight of it All”, evolved into something else: a study in masculinity, in maternal fear, in the ethics of looking, and in what happens when the camera becomes a shared space rather than a dividing line.

You can learn about Heather and Ben’s collaboration in the latest issue of WE ARE Magazine from @rpswomeninphotography. Find it at the link in bio.

Image 1: Feature by @heathermattera, as seen in WE ARE Magazine.

Image 2: “Priorities” from “Weight of it All” by Heather Mattera and Ben Mattera.
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#wearemagazine #rpswomeninphotography #womenphotographers #collaboration #mentalhealth @royalphotographicsociety

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From @derrick_connell and I, Thank You to the family, friends, and colleagues who came to the opening book launch in New York! It was so good to see everyone, your support and friendship are priceless!

Thank you to @elinorcarucci @yfwstudio @katia.diaries @ciracrowell @mefnyc123 and @jfnicka for attending and having your stories in the book!

Thank you to @pasang_lhamu_sherpa_akita @kodomakeup Andrew Hawken, Hugh Williams, and @rosie.kamdem
for lending your stories to the book!

To @kirstiitameri for an amazing book cover! To @mardikins for our website!

To @leahwwoodruff @veronicaarafael Maria, and @faithmcduff for all of their help!

Also, thank you to everyone who lent a hand to make the evening happen! @debbie_crafty @ciracrowell @photographergirlproductions @trudorudo and Manny!

We reached the tag limit! More below

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Discover the talented contributors whose work is featured in the latest issue of WE ARE Magazine from @rpswomeninphotography.

Visit the link in bio to read their stories 🙋‍♀️🗞… and be sure to give them a follow.

Abhi Chinniah 🔹@ramiistudio
Alice Sinclair 🔹@snappytits_
Annie Green-Armytage 🔹@anniegaphoto
Beatrice Updegraff 🔹@someoneimettoday
Clair Robins 🔹@clairscollections
Delali Ayivi 🔹@delaliayivi
Francesca Hummler 🔹@fransangle
Heather Mattera 🔹@heathermattera
Jayne Odell FRPS 🔹@jayneodellphoto
Joanne Coates 🔹@joannecoates_
Lisa Murray 🔹@lisamurrayphotos
Michelle Webster 🔹@michellesvisualarts
Rachel Wallace ARPS 🔹@rachelj_artphoto
Rahimat Onize Shaibu 🔹@rahimart_
Roey Xinqi Qiu 🔹@roeyqiu_photo
Sarah Chandy 🔹@sarah.chandy_photography
Sarah Ketelaars 🔹@sarahketelaars
Sarah Skinner 🔹@sarahsphotosetc
Tara Florence 🔹@tara_florence
Tejas Earp 🔹@tejkenya
Tessa Sinclair 🔹@tessasinclair
Victoria Forrest 🔹@vikabooks

ℹ️ Did you know WE ARE Magazine sends out an online call for proposals three to four months ahead of the next issue? Make sure to follow and be the first to find out!
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#wearemagazine #rpswomeninphotography #womenphotographers #photographyforeveryone #womensupportingwomen @royalphotographicsociety

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This is the final week to see Weight of It All at CENTER, on view 10 AM – 5 PM through Friday, March 13.

Created by mother and son Heather Mattera and Ben Mattera, this intimate collaborative photographic project traces a family’s emotional landscape as they navigate a teenage eating disorder, body dysmorphia, and the enduring love that carried them through the long process of healing.

If you missed the show or the artist talk, you can watch the artist talk recording at vimeo.com/1172682948 (link in bio).

LEARN MORE • centersantafe.org/weight-of-it-all

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