In my Fall Introduction to Black and Whit Film Photography class at a nearby college I had eleven women and two men (one guy later dropped out). In my Spring class I have eleven women and two men. None of them seem more than mildly interested in gear. I've brought in for examination a Speed Graphic, Kiev 4A, Yashica Electro 35 GSN, Maxxum 7 with lenses, Olympus XA, Asahi Pentax Spotmatics with a variety of lenses. Ho hum.
All they seem to care about is getting the camera (any camera) to work properly so they can get a decentl negative, and then to make a decent print. However, they're having a great deal of fun - many say it's their best class.
And I'm a guy who can spend half an hour just looking at a Leica. Or a Bessa, etc.
Perhaps the women in the class, who range in age from 15 to 40, have figured out that photography is an even playing field when it comes to getting good. Muscles are irrelevant.
The other day I quipped that looking through an RF was the only way you could have double vision without being drunk. Dead silence.
BTW, if you want to read my latest column ("The Class") about teaching just such a photography class, it's in an internet magazine I regularly write for:
www.bisbeemarquee.com/
Under my name in the regular contributors (or columns). To see some of my pics, go to the Galleries section and scroll down.
Cheers,
Ted